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Natural Year Challenge: Household - Month Four

Clean Your Bathroom

Bathroom ChallengeNow that you're well-stocked with natural cleaning solutions, you're ready to tackle the bathroom!

For simple cleaning, use your white vinegar with some added essential oil like tea tree oil. For specific recipes such as Vinegar of the Four Thieves (a wonderfully natural, safe disinfecting cleaner) and a fragrant scrubber, plus tips for cleaning toilets and preventing mold, see our article on The Naturally Healthy Bathroom.

Be sure to keep toothbrush holders, toothbrushes, and hairbrushes clean by soaking in a solution of white vinegar, water, and tea tree oil or grapefruit seed extract.

This month we’ll focus on cleaning the shower head, removing stains, air freshening, and for those who would like to try a new recipe using your five supplies, we'll look at a wonderful soft scrubber.


Shower Head

Mineral deposits can form on shower heads, which can cause water backup and possible leaks if pipes are old or weakened. To clean shower heads, remove and soak in a solution of hot water and white vinegar. If the shower head is non-removable, fill a gallon-size plastic bag with approx 1/4 c. baking soda. Just before you attach the bag, add 1 c. white vinegar. Secure the bag with a rubber band and leave for several hours or overnight. Wipe clean.

Use a shower filter, if possible, as they help reduce deposits. They also inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi. There are many options on the market, including the Berkey shower filter.


Stain Remover

Great for removing stains from tubs, sinks, and tile. Combine 1 tablespoon cream of tartar and 3% hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl, adding enough peroxide to make a paste. Food grade 8% hydrogen peroxide may also be used (diluted to 3%). Rub the paste on the stain and let sit for a couple of hours. Wipe off and rinse with water.


Air Freshener

Options for air fresheners are endless. One simple idea is to put several drops of your favorite essential oil on the toilet paper tube. Add new drops every few days.

Another option is to combine 1 c. distilled water with 8 drops essential oil of choice. Place in a spray bottle and use to freshen the air. Lemon, lavender, and/or orange work well.

You can also make a sachet with dried herbs and flowers, or make potpourri and place in a bowl. There are a myriad of combinations. Here is one simple version:

  • 6 cups dried rose petals or lavender flowers
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • Several drops essential oil of choice

Place in jar. Shake every few days. Allow to sit for at least 1 week. If using in a sachet, grind or crush using mortar and pestle. If using for potpourri, place mixture in bowl and place on counter.


Soft Scrubber

This recipe makes cleaning any tub, sink, or tile a breeze! Use any essential oil of choice or combine several. This is best used in a plastic squirt bottle (inexpensive and available at bed/bath stores).

  • 1 c. baking soda
  • 1/4 c. liquid castile soap
  • 5 drops tea tree oil or essential oil(s) of choice
  • 1-2 tsp. vitamin C powder (optional)

Combine in bottle and shake. Add enough water to make a thick liquid paste. Apply to sponge or directly to surface and wipe with damp cloth or sponge. Rinse with water.


Join video host Andrea Fabry for a closer look at the bathroom cleaning ideas offered here.

Quotes

"My symptoms persisted and eventually turned into lethargy and depression. At the age of 26, I required a nap every evening after work."

– Jennifer

"I have been sick for almost 6 months now and doctors were not able to figure out why. I finally put it all together after going away for vacation for a week and suddenly my symptoms were going away."

– Anonymous

"The ERMI mold test as well as your helpful articles and Toxic Talk Tuesday programs have helped us avoid a terrible mistake in purchasing a new home."

– Angela

"My daughter has had many blood samples taken to test for everything imaginable and her doctor just seems puzzled. Everything comes back normal."

– Anonymous

"I started finding myself sitting on the floor in rooms of my house and not remembering how I got there, what I was doing before, or how long I had been there."

– Brenda

"I'm new at this, but today I cleaned my bathroom with baking soda and vinegar. It's much better not having those strong chemical smells afterwards."

– Anonymous

"...at age 35 or 36 I started to become allergic to everything, and I got asthma at age 36... I went to doctor after doctor after doctor and was desperate for help, but nobody could help me."

– Mia

"Our family has been out of our home for 9 months due to mold... I am so scared and weak from all of this. We have lost friends; family members don't understand."

– Anonymous

"Both of my sons went downhill quickly and coughed for months... They both lost their ability to read, had profound vision disturbances, and had phenomenal gastric issues."

– Lee

"In my moldy home if I left the wet clothes in the washer they would get musty very quickly and I'd have to re-wash... Sometimes I'd run a load, go to work, and they'd be musty when I returned that evening."

– Anonymous

"I was skeptical at first that these (natural cleaning) products would work, but they work better than the stuff I buy at the store! We will soon be moving to the personal care products as well!"

– Jennifer

"My daughter started having digestive problems... heart palpitations... coughing episodes... muscle/joint pain... asthma/allergies... Her doctor finally advised me to check for mold in our home."

– Anonymous

"I knew it was mold, but doctors kept telling me I had anxiety. I was sitting in my office and could not remember who I was talking to, or what we were talking about."

– Brenda

"We were having a lot of health problems and had been to the doctor countless times... we had large circles of slimy greenish-black mold on the bathroom ceiling, where it had caved in a few months before."

– C.

"I had been struggling with headaches, head fog, breathing difficulties (unable to get a full breath), constant scalp tingling, migraines, nausea, feeling spacey/detached, and severe itchy skin."

– Anonymous

"The entire time we lived in our (mold-infested) house the kitchen sponge would get musty smelling within 3-4 days. It was so strange. I had to buy a pack of sponges nearly every week."

– Anonymous

"I've been living in a mold-infested home for 13 months... I was going CRAZY! Finally figured it out... Just a few days of recovering in a mold-free home and I feel AMAZING!!!"

– Lauren

"We all suffered from headaches, hormonal body temperature fluctuations, brain fog, fatigue, difficulty breathing, thrush, rashes, and yeast infections... we vacated our home two weeks ago."

– Anonymous

"We had some water leaks in our home... we never thought we needed to clean out and remove the floor, the ceiling, or the drywall... my two small children and I have remained constantly sick for years in this home."

– Mia

This site is dedicated to a true friend and mother — Barbara Dell Kessel (1929-2009)