Here are two quick and easy recipes for making an effective soap scum buster on the tub surround or a gentle cleaner for around the kitchen and bathroom.

The first is a basic mixture while the second adds a lavender scent using essential oil and powdered milk for making a smoother paste.

Use these on surfaces where you need some extra power that is more gentle than an abrasive powder.

Recipe #1:

1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup liquid dish detergent
1/8 cup – 1/4 cup vinegar

• Mix the baking soda and dish detergent first, then add the vinegar.
• Adjust the baking soda or vinegar amounts until you have the consistency you like working with.

Tips:

• Just use whatever’s on sale or a generic brand of dish detergent and you’ve got yourself some super cheap, yet very effective, homemade softscrub!
• The liquid dish detergent is what you would use for hand washing dishes, not dishwasher detergent.
• Use the amount of vinegar that gives you the consistency that you prefer. Vinegar’s a great grime buster–so don’t be shy with it.
• If you just want to do some spot treatments and don’t need a large amount of softscrub, give the spot a light squirt of dish detergent, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on top and gently rub. You won’t need to bother with the vinegar for small spots like this.
• Try heating the vinegar in the microwave first before mixing it in with the other ingredients. You don’t want it super hot, but a warm temperature that’s comfortable to work with.

Lavender Recipe:
*Source: The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier

3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/8 cup (one-eighth) liquid castile soap
5 drops lavender Essential Oil

• Combine all ingredients in a squirt-top bottle and add enough water to make a smooth paste. Shake or stir to mix.
• Apply to surface, then wipe area with a damp sponge or cloth. Rinse well.