The following recipe teaches you how to make a wood polish that is efficient, effective, and delightful in aroma, without any harsh chemicals.

Wood looks its best when imperfect – it exudes a warm, rustic vibe. However, wood will also easily attract dust and stains and eventually begin to lose its luster.  But regular store-bought wood polishes intended to remove the dust and fingerprints off of furniture whilst protecting it from water, isn’t doing your health any favors. Often, these polishes come in a liquid, paste, or aerosol form. A common group of ingredients in conventional wood polishes are petroleum distillates, which are flammable and dangerous if swallowed. Some formulations contain formaldehyde, a suspected carcinogen. Protect yourself, your children, your pets, and the planet, by avoiding such unnecessary additions to your household.

Instead, get crafty and learn how to make a wood polish with all natural ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now. All you need are three common household ingredients, a small storage bottle that can be sealed shut, and about 1 minute of your time before your wood looks and smells amazing without the heavy chemicals.  Yes, that easy! Enjoy!

Natural Wood Polish

Mixture good for a few pieces of furniture. Can be easily doubled or tripled as needed. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon oil

Directions

Pour the olive oil, vinegar, and lemon oil into a bottle. Seal the bottle and shake well. Pour some of the mixture onto a microfiber cloth and wipe furniture, always with the grain, making sure to spread it well and evenly coat the surface.

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Homemade cleaners really do work!

I’m a big fan of avoiding environmental toxins where I can, and skipping conventional household cleaners is an easy place to get started. Rather than having to call poison control, you can avoid the volatile organic chemicals  absorbed through both the skin and air by choosing plant-based cleaners. If you’ve ever cleaned your home with bleach or ammonia and then had trouble breathing afterwards, you know I mean.

While plant-based cleaners are a great alternative, sometimes they come with a hefty price. And it’s for this reason that I started to make some of my own homemade cleaners. DIY green cleaning is so much easier than you might think. Here are some recipes to get you started:

1. All-Purpose Kitchen Cleaner

Instead of pricey all-purpose sprays, I add 1 cup of white vinegar and dilute it with 1 cup of water. Add to an empty spray bottle. It’s just amazing how well diluted white vinegar cleans up your kitchen. It’s also great for scrubbing down the counters and cleaning out the refrigerator. Add 15-20 drops of citrus essential oils if the smell of vinegar isn’t appealing.

2. Furniture Spray

I got this recipe from the book “Homemade Cleaners, Quick-And-Easy Toxic-Free Recipes.” It’s a simple yet effective tool against dusty furniture. Because it has fresh lemon juice, the extra solution should be stored in the refrigerator.

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
5 drops of lemon essential oil.

Combine in a spray bottle.

3. Glass Cleaner

I used the vinegar and water concoction on glass and to be honest, I was pretty disappointed in the results. The glass was cloudy and cloudy glass makes your bathroom seem dirty. However, this simple homemade cleaner seems to work much better. It also comes from “Homemade Cleaners, Quick-And-Easy Toxic-Free Recipes.”

1/4 cup castile soap
1 quart of water

Combine in a spray bottle.

4. Heavy Duty Bathroom Scrub Powder

I got this recipe from Wellness Mama and it really does the trick on hard water stains that even elbow grease doesn’t seem to remove.

2 parts baking soda
1 part salt
1 part borax powder

Combine the dry ingredients in a jar. Sprinkle on the tub or sink and let set for 5 minutes and then scrub with a scouring pad. Rinse with water.

5. Wood Floor Cleaner

Combine 1 part vegetable oil to 1 part vinegar. Rub into wood floors well. It makes them shine while nourishing and disinfecting them.

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You eat well and exercise, hoping that these efforts will effectively “detox” your body and mind. However, let’s not forget toxins are looming in the objects around you, especially those in the comfort of your own home. You may feel warm and cozy and go the extra mile to make sure that everything is relatively sterilized and clean, but if you are using harsh household cleaners, not letting air circulate throughout your home or forgetting to pay attention to silent “killers”, you might be doing those body cleanses no good. Here are 5 ways that show you how to detox your home. It’s simple!

1. Let it Breathe

It may be a good thing that houses are insulated so well as to keep us warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but they are so tightly sealed, air does not have the opportunity to circulate throughout. Imagine the kinds of bacteria that are hidden in carpets, the walls, couches, and  personal items. Inside air can be up to five times more polluted than outside air. Open your windows and let fresh air indoors for just 5 minutes per day, even in the winter. That’s all it takes to keep the air alive and not stale.

2. Clean Out Your Cleaning Products

Even cleaning supplies contribute to the toxic environment; they may disinfect, but they are in and of themselves harmful chemicals. The ingredients in cleaning products are nothing to write home about. They often contain chlorine bleach and ammonia, which can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, lungs and heart. Paired with other toxic materials, exposure to cleaning supplies can lead to negative long-term effects such as cancer. Other harmful ingredients include DEA, TEA, preservatives, fragrances, phosphates and APE. Such chemicals interfere with proper hormone function and agitate the skin. Most household cleaners are also not readily biodegradable and can destroy plants and animals on land and in the sea. Make your own homemade all-purpose cleaner, which can be effective way to clean up without putting your health at risk.

3. Get Rid of the Pan

Getting into the grittier details, have you ever thought about the pans you use? Non-stick pans contain teflon, silverstone and other coatings that give off perfluorochemicals, which are considered to be carcinogenic (read: cancer causing!) by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

4. Detect Carbon Monoxide (Before it’s Too Late)

Carbon monoxide is dangerous and can be deadly. Even a small leakage can make you suffer from headaches and fatigue. If you notice these symptoms, have a professional look at your gas system. Carbon monoxide is completely odorless, so there is no way to detect it unless you pay attention to your body or regularly check up on your home system. Install a detector to protect yourself and your health before it’s too late.

5. Quite Smoking (Indoors)

The so-called reality of “third-hand smoke” has reached the masses – we are now away of particles and gases that stick to surfaces long after a cigarette has been burned out. The smoke sets into the walls, the carpet, the sofa, and virtually anything with surface area. Don’t let smoke set into your belongings, ultimately affecting you and your family beyond comfort. Keep smoking to outdoors.

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