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Baking soda is one of your green cleaning best friends. It is such a versatile cleaner, can be paired with so much, takes on essential oils brilliantly, and is a mild abrasive, great for getting at the stubborn spots and stains. A great way to make it easy to use around your house is to make your own Everything Scrub. This is super simple folks! First, find yourself a glass jar you've already got in the house, or get one like this with a easy shake top. You can also purchase the top inserts separately if you've already got the jar. I found mine at Target. Yes, it's meant to be a cutesy drink option, but it works so well for shaking out your baking soda!  Next, fill your jar to just below the lip so you know how much baking soda you need. Now it's time to power it up with essential oils! There are great oils for cleaning based on their properties. A few are listed below. You can mix and match to find the scent you like. You can also purchase any of them here. Lemon - antibacterial, antiviral Melaleuca - antibacterial, antiviral Rosemary - antibacterial, antiseptic Lavender - antibacterial Eucalyptus - germicide Peppermint - antibacterial Cinnamon - antibacterial, antiseptic On Guard - antibacterial, antiseptic, antiviral I'm a citrus girls myself, so I tend to go for Lemon and Peppermint, but I like a few drops of Melaleuca for added cleaning power. It's easiest, and less mess, to transfer the baking soda to a larger bowl to add your essential oils. This is because you're going to need to mix them in really well to break up the little bundles they form when you drop them in. I use a meat tenderizer, but any kitchen implement would work. Depending on the size of your jar, you may want to add between 10-20 drops of oils. Break up the oils and mix them in as best you can. Then, transfer back to your jar. A funnel is really handy for this. If you're like me and you like pretty labels, go ahead and pretty up your jar! Washi tape works great, too!  Now, ready for the amazing power of baking soda powered by essential oils? Here's how you can use it. 1. Toilet cleaner: Sprinkle a bit in the toilet, squirt in some vinegar, let it fizz, then scrub away 2. Nightly sink scrub: Instead of vinegar, add a squirt of dishwashing liquid or castile soap. Scrub and rinse 3. Oven cleaner: Make a spreadable paste by mixing about 1/2 a cup baking soda to a few tablespoons of water. Coat your oven, after taking out the racks, and let it sit over night. Next day, wipe down with a damp cloth to get most of the paste off, spritz with vinegar, then do a final wipe . 4. Glass cook top stove scrub: Prep some hot, soapy water, then wet a few rags, wring them out and lay them on top of the baking soda. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes, the wipe off what you can with the cloths. With a fresh damp cloth wipe every again, picking up any remaining baking soda or debris. For extra shine, give it a buff with a microfiber cloth. 5. Plugged toilet: Don't get out your plunger just yet. You know that baking soda and essential oil blend you made? Try that first. Sprinkle a generous amount in (about a cup) then add the same amount of vinegar. Let the fizzing do it's work and sit for a bit, then flush. 6. Carpet stain remover: Not a problem! Grab your baking and sprinkle to cover the stain. Add the vinegar and let the fizz lift to the stain. Wipe with a cloth, let it dry a bit, then vacuum. 7. Carpet refresher: Sprinkle on your carpets before vacuuming. Let it sit a few minutes to soak up odors, then vacuum away. 8. Mattress refresher: Sprinkle on the mattress before you put on your sheets. The next time you change sheets, brush off and vacuum up, or vacuum the mattress. 9. Garbage refresher: Sprinkle in the bottom of your can before you put in the bag to help with odors and bacteria 10. General deodorizer: just having this jar open under your sink, in your pantry, or in a cleaning caddy will help to deodorize and freshen the air! Happy cleaning!
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