I love making my own products to use in and around the home, there’s just something so satisfying about it, especially when someone comes round and comments on how nice it smells! Now the making of products doesn’t necessarily fall under the umbrella of witchcraft, but if you consider the ritual harvesting of herbs and so on then it is easy to see how the crafting of items and products can fall within the realm of folk practice. And if you want to get witchy with it, then consecrate the final product in a ritual setting before use.
Yesterday I made a batch of my all purpose cleaner and I thought I’d share how with you guys! It smells divine and will cut through grease and grime leaving your home beautifully clean without worrying about harmful chemicals.
You will need:
- Herbs of your choice (I used sage, rosemary, lavender and jasmine but use whatever you like or have to hand).
- Spirit like rum or vodka.
- Essential oils of your choice.
- Water to dilute.
Method
Gather your herbs together. I took mine fresh from the garden without drying as I’m only making a small amount of cleaner that will be used quickly. If you want to make a big batch that will last you months, then use dried plant matter.
Now you can use whatever herbs you have or like, but it might be worth considering their attributes and qualities. I chose sage and lavender for their antiseptic qualities, rosemary is antibacterial and anti-fungal as well as being antiseptic and jasmine is antimicrobial. As well as the practical qualities, the above herbs smell good together when combined and also can affect moods and feelings in a positive way, helping to create a happy, relaxed and calm home.
Don’t worry too much about quantities right now. Once you have your herbs, you’ll want to agitate them by scrunching the leaves and flowers or grinding them together in a mortar and pestle which helps to release the active ingredients found within the juices of the plant. This is my favourite step because the smell is just glorious!
Now place the plant matter into a jar. If you’re making a big batch to last, then simply pour the alcohol into the jar so that the plant matter is fully submerged. Leave for at least a week, shaking daily and then simply strain the liquid into a clean bottle, adding whatever essential oils you like the scent of and store until needed. You can then pour some into a spray bottle and dilute with water at a ratio of about half and half.
Alternatively, if using fresh herbs, once you’ve got the plant matter in the jar, add the alcohol and water (the same amount of each, about half and half) and leave to stand for around a week. Strain into a clean jar, adding any essential oils and voila, it’s good to go. I use mine for cleaning kitchen surfaces, the bathroom, glass and windows. For surfaces with a varnish or soft furnishings (it can also be used as a fabric freshener), make sure you do a patch test first.
Recommended
If you’ve liked what you’ve read here and want to learn more, then check out these books, all of which I can personally recommend! And if you’ve got your own recipes for home cleaning, feel free to share in the comments.
The Handmade Apothecary: Healing herbal remedies
The Naturally Clean Home: 150 Super Easy Herbal Formulas for Green Cleaning
Emma Kathryn Wild Witchcraft 
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