Two DIY Cleaning Products: Part 2 of 3

This post is the second in a three-part series intended to help you build up a nontoxic cleaning arsenal. I'll be sharing a total of six different recipes for household cleaning sprays. Today's sprays target the bathroom - Here are the materials you'll need this week:

- Spray bottles: As I mentioned last week, I love these - One of the six bottles in this pack is a foaming bottle, which works great with the shower scrubbing spray, but a regular bottle will do if you don't go with this pack. You could also reuse the bottles from your current cleaning products when you run out, but they may not be as long-lasting as these.
- Dr. Bronner's Castille Soap: I recently wrote a whole blog post about how much I love this stuff. This soap does a great job cleaning grime off of anything and everything, and the sudsing action makes it great for scrubbing shower walls. You can stock up on it here.
- Tea tree oil: As I mentioned last week, tea tree oil has phenomenal antimicrobial properties, making it a powerful addition to any cleaning product. You can get it in this kit or on its own.
- Lavender oil: While official scientific studies are still ongoing, lavender oil has long been used as an antiseptic. It is a great deodorizer (one reason I love to use it in the bathroom) and has purported antibacterial/viral/fungal properties, particularly against molds. I use the lavender oil that comes in this kit, which will last you for ages.
- Vinegar: In part 1 of this series we talked about its antibacterial powers, but in this week's cleaning spray we are putting vinegar to use as a streak-free glass cleaner, which is its most tried and true cleaning application. White vinegar is extremely inexpensive at Costco - 2 gallons for just over $3.
- Water: Straight from the faucet!

DIY Cleaning Spray #3: Shower Scrubbing Spray
I use a foaming spray bottle for this spray, which makes one batch last a long time, but even with an ordinary spray bottle you'll get some good sudsing action as soon as you start scrubbing your shower walls - We have these sponges but anything will do.

Instructions:
1. Fill your spray bottle one-eighth of the way with Dr. Bronner's (to the 4-ounce line if you're using the 32-ounce bottles)
2. Fill the rest of the way with water
3. Add 5-10 drops of tea tree oil
4. Add 5-10 drops of lavender oil
5. Shake it up before each use, then spray on your shower walls and scrub with a sponge. Finish with a rinse of water (I just run the shower and angle the shower head in each direction).

DIY Cleaning Spray #4: Glass and Mirror Cleaner
I've started keeping a smaller bottle (one of these $1 ones from Target) of this in a cute basket on a shelf in my bathroom along with a microfiber cloth so we can easily keep the bathroom mirror sparkly clean. This spray + microfiber cloth = the shiniest, most streak-free, lint-free mirror. If you've never cleaned with microfiber, you haven't lived - Honestly, it is a fantastic experience.

Instructions:
1. Fill your spray bottle one-half full with vinegar...
2. ...and then fill the rest of the way with water!

Happy VOC-free cleaning! We will finish up the series next week with two more easy and inexpensive household sprays. In the meantime, check out this list of some of the worst cleaning offenders out there - Have some lurking under your sink and wondering what might be a good replacement? Search or browse through EWG's Guide to Healthy Cleaning to find less toxic alternatives for items that go beyond our DIY cleaning arsenal.

Read part 1 of this series here for two DIY sprays to use in the kitchen!