HOME IS WHERE THE HERBS ARE

This is not only because herbs have a long-lasting scent. Market research shows that it is because we smell a strong, aromatic herb in our washing up liquid or disinfectant we automatically assume that it is going to do a good job. It’s all to do with the associations we have with these smells. Herbs have for centuries been used in the home to ward off insects, keep illness at bay and generally make our living spaces pleasant and comfortable places to be. Call it race memory if you like, but we all associate the fragrance of herbs with cleanliness, homeliness, and good housekeeping.

The problem with many of the cleaning products on our supermarket shelves is that they combine some rather nasty ingredients with a herbal fragrance. For instance you may find the chemical NAT, listed as carcinogenic by the US National Cancer Institute in them, or compounds which can cause respiratory failure such as sodium nitrate; not to mention naptha which can seriously upset the central nervous system. I love the smell of herbs in my house but prefer to use products that are as clean as they smell. Clean your house with pure herbal products and you will sanctify your home at the same time.

RICH AND WARM

Using herbal preparations instead of commercially prepared cleaning products will bring your home alive. I travel a great deal. One of the nicest things about coming home is opening the front door to be greeted with the warm smell of furniture polish. I choose beeswax and turpentine as a base for a luxurious furniture polish. It may sound like something your great-grandmother used with gusto to make the floor treacherously shiny, but it makes a luxurious, creamy polish which enriches and protects anything made of wood. Furniture, frames ornaments - and even leather upholstery – love the stuff. To this base I add a few drops of essential oil so the polish subtly scents wherever it touches.

Furniture Polish

Grate 4oz beeswax into 1 pint of pure turpentine. The beeswax needs to dissolve into the turpentine. It will do this naturally over a period of several days. You can short-cut the process by putting the mixture into a double boiler on the stove and gently heating it until the wax melts. (Be very, very careful if you decide to use this method, however, as turpentine can easily catch fire.) Add a few drops of your chosen essential oil and stir the mixture well. My favorite oils for this are pine, lavender, thyme or rosemary. Pour your polish into a tin or jar and allow to set. Apply to furniture with a soft cloth. Let it dry and buff gently to create a shine you can see your face in. Your grandmother would be proud of you!

STRONG AND FRESH

These days advertisers use more and more food-related health scares to play upon our fear of germs and sell us potentially dangerous antibacterial products which pollute the environment and cause allergies in sensitive people. It seems that every kitchen cloth or cleaning product on the supermarket shelves is impregnated with strong disinfectants to make your work surfaces as sterile as a laboratory. Personally I wouldn’t prepare my food anywhere near them.

Kitchen Spray

Fill a plant spray bottle or an old, well washed out, kitchen spray bottle with distilled, filtered or still mineral water. Add 10 drops of an essential oil such as rosemary, sage, tea tree or eucalyptus. Put 2-3 drops of washing up liquid in the bottle to help the oils mix with the water and shake well. Spray over your kitchen work surfaces and wipe them with a clean cloth.

Kitchen Disinfectant

For heavier duty cleaning jobs I use isopropyl alcohol (available from any chemist) mixed with water and essential oils. Mix 1 teaspoon (5ml) isopropyl alcohol into 4 pints of water. Add 20-30 drops of anti-microbial essential oils such as rosemary, sage, tea tree or eucalyptus. If you find the oils float to the surface add a couple of drops of washing up liquid.