From Pantry to Potions: Whole-Home Natural Cleansing
Introduction
Skip the chemical aisle and step into your own folk-style apothecary. With a splash of vinegar, a sprinkle of baking soda, and a whiff of lavender or cedar, you can clean your home from top to bottom—without toxins, overpriced sprays, or plastic clutter.
This is back-to-basics, budget-wise cleaning that turns household chores into soulful rituals.
📝 Helpful Tip: Sprinkle in lavender buds or rosemary for extra scent and antimicrobial power.
🧽 Kitchen: Degrease + Disinfect Naturally
Potion: Lemon Citrus Degreaser Spray
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- Peels from 2 lemons
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
To make:
Soak peels in vinegar for 5–7 days. Strain and mix with water in a spray bottle.
Use for:
Counters, stovetops, fridge doors, greasy surfaces.
Cost: <$1.50 vs. $5 store brands
🛁 Bathroom: Refresh + Sanitize
Potion: Tea Tree Toilet + Tile Scrub
- ½ cup baking soda
- ¼ cup castile soap
- 1 tbsp hydrogen peroxide
- 10 drops tea tree oil
- Splash of water
To make:
Mix into paste. Scrub surfaces with sponge or brush.
Use for:
Toilets, grout, sinks, and drains.
🌿 Add lavender buds for calming scent
🛋️ Living Room: Dust + Deodorize
Potion: Herbal Dusting Spray
- 1 cup distilled water
- ¼ cup witch hazel or vodka
- 10 drops cedarwood or sage oil
To make:
Mix and shake in spray bottle.
Use for:
Wood furniture, shelves, air freshening.
🛏️ Bedroom: Linens + Air Cleanse
Potion: Lavender Pillow + Room Spray
- ½ cup distilled water
- ¼ cup witch hazel
- 20 drops lavender oil
To make:
Combine in spray bottle and shake.
Use for:
Sheets, pillows, closets, air.
🌼 Add cedarwood for extra calm
🧼 Floors: Mop Magic for Wood + Tile
Potion: Citrus Herb Floor Wash
- 1 gallon hot water
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 10 drops lemon oil
- Optional: rosemary tea
To make:
Mix in mop bucket. Use less vinegar on wood.
Use for:
Tile, linoleum, sealed wood floors.
🧺 Old cotton tees make great reusable mop pads
🧺 Laundry: Soft + Scent with Herbs
Potion: Herbal Infused Fabric Softener
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 2 tbsp dried lavender
- 2 tbsp dried rosemary
- 10 drops lavender oil
To make:
Steep herbs in vinegar for 1–2 weeks. Strain.
Use:
¼ cup in rinse cycle for soft, fragrant laundry.
🌸 Swap in rose petals or lemon balm for variety
🗑️ Trash & Funk Zones: Deodorize
Potion: Funk-Busting Fizzers
- 1 cup baking soda
- ½ cup citric acid
- 25 drops eucalyptus oil
- Just enough water to form dough
To make:
Mix, press into molds or muffin tin. Dry overnight.
Use:
Drop in trash cans, diaper bins, shoes, disposal.
🍃 Try leaf-shaped cookie cutters for fun
Final Thoughts
Grow Not Bought: Organically
When you clean this way, you’re not just tidying up—you’re reclaiming your space with care. These recipes save money, reduce waste, and leave your home feeling fresh, calm, and connected to nature.
Living the frugal folk life means seeing potential in the overlooked: an old yogurt tub becomes a seedling nursery, lemon peels turn into cleaners, and a single tomato can gift you a hundred more. You don’t need a fancy setup—just a little know-how, some sunshine, and a healthy respect for dirt.
Let’s dig into the 6 soulful ways to grow abundance without breaking the bank (or the planet).
🌿 1. Start with Scraps & Seeds
Saving seeds isn’t just thrifty—it’s a quiet rebellion against food waste.
Let cherry tomatoes go soft, squish them onto a napkin, and dry them for next season. Regrow green onions in jars, sprout avocado pits, and collect seeds from your favorite herbs and flowers.
🪴 Abundance grows from what others toss.
♻️ 2. Compost is California Black Gold
If it once lived, it can feed again.
Kitchen scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, herb stems—even shredded junk mail—can be transformed into a nutrient-rich compost pile.
Keep it damp, toss it now and then, and let nature do the slow magic. Your soil will thank you.
🍋 Yesterday’s peels become tomorrow’s harvest.
🫙 3. Grow in What You’ve Got
No raised beds? No problem.
Punch drainage holes in takeout containers. Sow seeds in egg cartons. Grow basil in a chipped teapot.
A garden doesn’t need to be aesthetic to be magical—but if it’s adorable too, all the better.
🌸 Beauty meets practicality on the windowsill.
🌾 4. Plant What’s Pricey
Stretch your dollars by growing the good stuff:
- Fresh herbs: basil, thyme, rosemary
- Organic greens: arugula, kale, chard
- Cherry tomatoes: always in demand
- Specialty crops: edible flowers, heirloom beans, native medicinal herbs
💡 Let your garden double as your grocery store.
🐝 5. Let it Bolt (On Purpose)
When herbs bolt, they flower—and pollinators throw a party.
Let some plants go wild. Bees will feast. You’ll get seeds to save. It’s a full-circle garden moment.
🌼 A little chaos makes for a whole lot of beauty (and bees).
🛠️ 6. Stretch the Seasons
Frugal gardening is all about timing and layering.
Use old milk jugs as cloches. Repurpose takeout trays as greenhouses. Mulch with leaves or grass clippings to keep soil cozy.
No gadgets needed—just cleverness and a little forethought.
🍂 The seasons may shift, but your harvest doesn’t have to.
💬 Final Thought
“Grow Not Bought” is about more than gardening—it’s a mindset. It’s choosing resourcefulness over retail, slowing down to match nature’s pace, and discovering joy in the homemade and homegrown.
👉 Stay tuned for more from the Frugal Folk Living Series, and share your garden hacks in the comments below!