Clean up your act the natural way

These days, more than ever, we place great emphasis on the word “natural”. For many of us, though, this is limited to what we eat and drink. If we really want to achieve a natural lifestyle and optimum health and well-being, we need to take a more holistic approach – using natural recipes and products for the entire home, from the kitchen pantry to the cleaning cupboard, from the make-up bag to the medicine cabinet.

Back in the good old days, before processed foods, they ate local and seasonal food and never wasted a thing. Not because they were hipsters or because it was trendy – it was because local and seasonal foods were cheaper and more available. Waste was just stupid and, unlike today, nobody did it. It was uneconomical and made no sense. People had to cook from scratch (even if they weren’t naturally-gifted cooks) and make use of everything. Sadly, as our lifestyles have changed, this hands-on approach to life is becoming less common, and something important is being lost.

A vital part of my journey towards this lifestyle was my great-grandma Lil. She was an award-winning baker and yet I never saw her cook. When she died at the age of 100, my mum gave me some of her things and among them were medals for her Victoria sponges. I was heartbroken that I hadn’t learned to cook from her, and so it began – a mission to save these life skills and recipes from being forgotten, and to make sure the wisdom of our grandparents isn’t lost.It might have started with that Victoria sponge recipe, but soon it stretched beyond the kitchen and into the entire home.

What is the point in religiously eating natural ingredients, only to wash our dishes and clothes and douse our homes in chemical-laden liquids and sprays?

I realised that, if I was going to bang on about what I put into my body from a food perspective, I should also be paying attention to what I was putting on my body. It’s the same body, after all. Lil only ever used natural soap – that was it. My inner granny raged when I discovered the true nature of the skincare products I had been using for so many years – products I thought were natural but in truth were far from it. The wool had been pulled over my eyes thanks to the language of labels. I was determined to follow Lil’s example and make sure I was applying a natural approach to my skincare and beauty routine too.

This quickly led to me learning how to make my own home-cleaning products. What is the point in religiously eating natural ingredients, only to wash our dishes and clothes and douse our homes in chemical-laden liquids and sprays?

“Natural” can mean a great many things, and as a word it is often overused. Calling a product natural should, more often than not, mean you can eat it with no repercussions – 90 per cent of the ingredients in my book are edible.

These recipes and methods have not just been inspired by generations past. Some have stemmed from my career in developing recipes and my masters in sustainable agriculture, as well as my recent study of herbal medicine basics. This gave me a better understanding of what herbs and flowers, as well as other ingredients, can do for our health and well-being.

I have intentionally created recipes from things you can easily grow at home (either in a garden or even on a balcony in a herb box) or forage for. Foraging is all the rage, it’s true, but picking things you are not familiar with can be dangerous and also selfish if you get greedy. Remember to be polite, take a little, not a lot and leave some for the birds, bees and other biodiversity that considers it their home.

All of the ingredients I’ve used are readily available in stores and online, so you should have no problem sourcing them and recreating these recipes and remedies in your own home.

Lemons can be used for everything from air-freshener sprays to natural hair-lightening treatments, as well as a truly delicious citroncello for your cocktail counter. Salt becomes not only a seasoning but also a fabric softener, a beautiful body scrub and a rehydrating face spray. Vinegar works double time as a carpet cleaner, a medicine and a wonderful flavouring when infused with garlic, chillies, herbs or fruit. Honey cleanses skin as a facial toner, sweetens homemade ice creams and sorbets, and soothes sore throats as a cough syrup.

Take a leaf out of our grandparents’ books, and create your own beautiful, natural home

Rosemary, sage and lavender air freshener

This is an invigorating and floral air freshener – not sickly or fake smelling, more like your nana’s garden in spring. Rosemary and lavender go together perfectly.

Makes 500ml

2 sprigs rosemary

Sprig of sage

½ teaspoon lavender

1 lemon, sliced

500ml water

A 500ml spray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, cover, and let it simmer for a further five minutes. Let it cool, then strain the liquid and pour it into a spray bottle. You can add a fresh sprig of rosemary to infuse in the bottle, if you wish. If the sprig is too tall for the bottle, just break it in half. This will store for up to a year and you can use it as often as needed.

Washing powder

My partner, Damien, loves to wash his clothes. I am more of a “if it doesn’t have a stain or smell like a bonfire, it ain’t getting washed” kind of girl. Damien really loves clean clothes, so this recipe is for him – and for anyone who suffers from eczema, this will ensure you don’t get irritated by any washing powder residue left on your clothes.

Makes 650g

100–150g bar of soap (real soap like Dr Bronner’s or castile, not glycerine filled)

250g borax or bicarbonate of soda

250g washing soda (soda crystals)

5 drops lemon or orange essential oil

Chop the soap into small pieces. Place all of the ingredients into the food processor and blitz to a fine powder. Let it settle before opening the lid as the particles are fine. Use between 1–3 tablespoons, depending on how dirty your clothes are.

“The sun is a magical thing.Hanging your sheets to dry in the sun doesn’t just leave them smelling clean and fresh. The sun is the perfect safe bleach– it will lighten anything you leave in it over time.”

Washing-up liquid

There are actually lots of fantastic eco washing-up liquids on the market, but I’m always super concerned with what’s going down my sink into our waterways, so I gave this recipe a go and it works just as well. I would suggest giving your dishes a little rinse and wearing gloves – as you probably do anyway.

Makes 450ml

1 tablespoon borax or bicarbonate of soda

1 tablespoon castile liquid soap

450ml water, boiled from the kettle

10 drops lemon essential oil

Put the borax ( or substitute) and soap in a medium-sized bowl and pour over the boiling water. Mix until it is all combined. Allow the mixture to cool completely; it will form a gel-like consistency. Pour into a storage bottle (something easy to use like a squirt bottle). Add the essential oils, shake and store under the sink. When using, add a little at a time to hot water depending on how soapy you like the water to wash your dishes. This will keep for about one year.

Citrus all-round cleaning spray

This will clean and sterilise all surfaces – kitchen and bathroom – and leave everything smelling delicious. This makes a fairly small amount, but you can easily double or triple the ingredients.

Makes 100ml

Peel from 1 citrus fruit ( if you choose limes, use two as they are smaller)

50ml white vinegar

50ml water

A small glass jar

A spray bottle

Tightly pack the citrus peel into a glass jar and cover with white vinegar. Put the lid on, and let it sit for 2–4 weeks. Strain the vinegar into a spray bottle and top up with an equal amount of water. Spray directly onto surfaces and wipe with a damp cloth. This will keep indefinitely.

Taken from "The Art of the Natural Home" by Rebecca Sullivan. Published by Kyle Books. Photographed by Nassima Rothacker.