 Nature's
Way
with Alan Hayes
Bacteria-free bathrooms, naturally
The bathroom is a common place to find bacteria and other nasties lurking. It is essential to keep bathrooms spotlessly clean and smelling fragrantly fresh. You can do this with easy-to-use homemade natural products, and other simple substances, that are safe to both your health and the environment.
To ensure that bathrooms are clear of bacteria and viruses, especially if the toilet is located there, use any of these essential oils - cinnamon, clove, lemon, eucalyptus, lavender, pine, niaouli or thyme, in the final rinsing water when you wash all surfaces in the bathroom, including the bath, the sink and the toilet. These oils will not only kill germs but will give the room a nice fragrance.
For airborne nasties use the following air-freshener spray. It will not only keep your bathroom and toilet fragrant and fresh, its disinfectant qualities will clear bacteria and viruses. To make it, dissolve 20 drops of lavender oil, and five drops each of lemon and rosemary oils, in 10 millilitres of methylated spirits, then add this solution to a pump-spray bottle containing half a litre of water. Use on a fine mist setting whenever required.
As an additional fragrance boost, a few drops of one of the previous concentrated oils can be placed on the cardboard tube inside the toilet paper roll before placing it in the holder.
When cleaning bathroom surfaces, use the following aromatic cleaning paste. It is ideal for cleaning and disinfecting at the same time, and can be used on all bathroom ceramics, including baths and shower recesses. It works especially well where there is a build-up of grime or mould.
To make your cleaning paste, place one tablespoon each of dried lavender buds and rosemary leaves (or three tablespoons each of the fresh herb) in an enamel or stainless steel pan, add 300 millilitres of water, bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes (adjusting water if necessary). Strain through muslin cloth, squeezing all liquid from the herbs and blend two parts of the herbal liquid to one part of white vinegar. Reserve a small amount of this herbal mixture.
Add one cup of pure soap flakes or one cup grated pure laundry soap to a pan with just enough of the herbal and vinegar liquid to cover. Melt the soap flakes over a medium heat, stirring constantly, then add 75 grams precipitated chalk (calcium carbonate) and more of the herbal liquid to form a soft, thick paste. Store in a wide-mouthed lidded container. Apply with a cloth, then rinse off.
Handy Bathroom Tips
- To whiten the blackened grout between tiles apply a paste of bicarbonate of soda with a soft toothbrush. This mixture can also be used to remove mould.
- Shower curtains can be cleaned by scrubbing with white vinegar. Mould and mildew can be removed from bathroom surfaces by applying white vinegar. Leave on overnight before scrubbing off and wiping clean.
- Clean the inside of non-septic toilet bowls with a paste of borax and lemon juice. For septic systems use white vinegar, since it won't harm the microbes that break down the sewage in the tank.
- To sanitise your toilet and leave it smelling fresh, pour some white vinegar into it and leave overnight.
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