Suburban Homesteading – Frugal Living

Cleaning toilets is my least favorite household chore!

In reality…cleaning house is not my favorite thing at all. I’d much rather be in the barn or in the garden.

There, I said it. I’m not a great housekeeper!

But, living on a farm, even a suburban one, requires proper sanitation because of all the muck and mire we farm girls track in, so a clean bathroom is more than just a nicety. It’s a necessity.

Over the years I have tried to reduce the amount of chemicals in my home and use more natural cleaners. I have already made the switch to homemade laundry detergent, glass cleaner, dish soap and many others, but a toilet bowl cleaner has been pretty elusive—until now.

I have never used those stinky tables that hang in the tank and turn the water blue. I hate the smell of them, really! But, I still want my bowl to be fresh and clean. So—what’s the solution?

Homemade toilet tables!!

Honestly.

These tiny little tablets are made of baking soda and citric acid with a bit of water to hold the whole thing together and some essential oil to make it smell nice. They are powerful little things that keep the bowl sparkling with very little effort.

I’m in!

They are so easy to use…simply give your toilet an initial scrub (which may take some elbow grease the first time), drop in a tablet and watch it fizz and bubble. After about 20 minutes it should be dissolved (if not give it a few more minutes), then give the bowl a quick swish with your brush. Now you have a wonderful smelling bowl and bathroom that any farm girl can be proud of. Here’s a tip: change the essential oils you use to match the seasons—lavender or citrus for spring and summer, cinnamon for fall, or pine to chase away those winter time blues.

Ready to make your own natural toilet tablets? Here’s how…

Natural Toilet Table Recipe

Ingredients
1 cup Baking Soda
1/3 cup Citric Acid
30-40 drops Essential Oil (your choice)
Spray bottle of water (to moisten)

Directions

1.  Combine baking soda and citric acid in a glass bowl, mix well.

2.  Add essential oil and mix vigorously with a fork.  The mixture will be very dry.

3.  Spritz the mixture with water, while mixing and fluffing it with a fork.

4.  When the mixture starts to clump slightly, test it. If you can take a small amount and form a ball, you’re done. If it doesn’t, spritz, mix and retest. Be careful, though, if you add too much water the mix will begin to fizz, and you want that to happen in the bowl.

5. Now you can form your tablets. Either take a spoonful and form it into single use sizes on a cutting board, or use a 24-cube silicone ice cube tray and fill each square, packing down the mixture. That size is perfect for one batch.

6. Let your tray dry overnight. To release the tablets, turn the try upside down and tap it gently. Store tablets in an airtight container. Although I’m a nut for Mason jars, I don’t really like glass jars in the bathroom so I use a plastic lidded container for storage.

On cleaning day, drop tablet into the bowl, let it bubble and fizz until dissolved, and wait for about 20 minutes so it can do its thing.  Give the bowl a quick swish with your toilet brush and you are done.

Need a few ideas on which essential oils to use?

Here are 10 of the best essential oils for homemade cleaning products…

Tea Tree Oil – antimicrobial, antiseptic, and disinfecting

Lemon – antiviral and antibacterial

Rosemary – antibacterial and antiseptic

Wild Orange – cuts grease

Lavender – naturally antibacterial

Eucalyptus – a natural germicide

Peppermint – antibacterial

Cinnamon – antibacterial and antiseptic

Pine – it just smells great

Thyme – a powerhouse against germs