Sarah’s Health Notes: Jasmine Hemsley’s natural cleaners
Many years ago, a leading toxicologist and new father told me how important it was to use natural household cleaners rather than products containing synthetic chemicals, which may be toxic or allergenic (for animals as well as people). He swore by white wine vinegar or lemon juice for pretty well everything, I remember. (NB don’t try that on your painted furniture though or polished table.) So I was thrilled to get an email from the wonderful Jasmine Hemsley – cook, food and health writer, mother and wellbeing expert – giving her own recipes for natural cleaners.
There are very good branded natural products but, as Jasmine says, it’s simple and much cheaper to buy ingredients in bulk and make your own, plus you limit the amount of plastic you use – just invest in a couple of reusable spray bottles. And you can use your favourite essential oils to scent the concoctions. Win! Win! Win!
You will find a bunch of Jasmine’s favourite natural cleaning recipes on her fantastic blog here, including Laundry Liquid and Fabric Softener, Lavatory Cleaner plus an invaluable Oil Stain Remover. Just beware: there are so many interesting and lovely things to read, you might find yourself still roaming through the site an hour or two later….
To tempt you to start, here’s Jasmine’s recipe for a Multi-Purpose Spray – and it just couldn't be simpler.
MULTIPURPOSE SPRAY
Mix all the ingredients together, pour them into a spray bottle and start spritzing! [It’s a good idea to shake the bottle before every use, we think.]
• 60ml distilled white vinegar
• 20ml surgical spirit (try your local pharmacy)
• 20 drops of essential oils (I use eucalyptus)
• 150ml water
