It is easy to make your own Sink and Tub Scrub, just a few ingredients, a few minutes prep and you have an inexpensive green cleaner. Essentials may cost a little up front, but this recipe, in fact most recipes uses a small amount.

Ingredients:

• 1 part borax
• 1 part baking soda
• 5 drops of lemon grass essential oil per cup of Sink and Tub Scrub
• 5 drops of tea tree oil per cup of Sink and Tub Scrub

In a small glass bowl or the container the Sink and Tub Scrub will be store in, combine borax, baking soda, and essentials oils.

Essentials oils can be absorbed in plastic so use containers or mixing bowls that are separate from kitchen utensils.

Store cleaner in a recycled container with a flip top lid. A non-dairy creamer container works well for this purpose.

Once the cleaner is ready to use, go in search of a dirty sink (not usually hard to find) to use your cleaner.

Sprinkle the sink and tub scrub on the dirty sink and wipe with a sponge or rag and follow with rinse water. It works well on stainless faucets. I try cleaning an area of the sink with just water and it left watermark and did not clean all the makeup and gunk. Once I use the cleaner, it got off the makeup and gunk and left no watermarks.

Following is a breakdown of the ingredients:

Baking soda is a cleaning agent which is good at dissolving dirt, grease, and grime. It maintains pH.

Borax is sodium borate  which is mildly alkaline mineral. Borax cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, soften water, bleaches (without the harsh chemicals found in regular bleach) and is consider safe but can irritate skin. If you have sensitive skin use gloves while cleaning.

Some essentials oils can be harsher than others, so again if you have sensitive skin substitute lavender for the lemon grass. And use gloves.

Most essential oils will work in this recipe. Following is a list of essential oils with antibacterial properties:

• Chamomile, lavender, lemon, lemon grass, lemon verbena, lime, marjoram, rosemary, spearmint, tea tree, thyme

Essentials oils with antiviral properties include:

• Cinnamon, clove, lavender, lemon, oregano, tea tree, thyme

Essential oils with anti fungal properties include:

• Eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, myrtle, patchouli,, sandalwood, tea tree

When choosing essentials, just remember not to use too much, because they might irritate the skin.

If you would like to add whitening, try about 2 tsp. of cream of tartar for every cup of product.

This Sink and Tub Scrub will save you money as well as being good for the environment. The baking soda can be found for less than $1.00 for a box and the borax cost me $4.00 for a 4 pound 12 ounce box.

Have fun making up your own environmentally friendly cleansers.