Warm weather is finally here! Unfortunately, for some folks that also means allergy season is here too. Sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose and watery eyes are just a few of the symptoms of seasonal allergies. Do you suffer from allergies? Are you looking for a natural alternative to help relieve those irritating allergy symptoms? Look no further! Relief could be just a cup of tea away!

Herbal teas are easy to make and offer wonderful therapeutic benefits. This Allergy Relief Tea recipe uses common herbs and brings results from allergy symptoms rather quickly.

Nettle, Red Clover, Fennel, Peppermint, Calendula, Lemongrass, Lavender and Stevia are the herbs included in this tea and are readily available in most areas. Growing or foraging for your own herbs is the best way to insure you’re getting quality herbs. Drying your fresh herbs is easy too. Either hang to dry, place on a screen to dry or use a dehydrator!

Each herb in this recipe has specific properties that help with eliminating allergy symptoms.

Fennel, Calendula and Red Clover work to keep the mucous membranes hydrated to prevent infection
Nettle is well-known for the natural antihistamine qualities it has and has been used in treating respiratory problems throughout history
Peppermint can help to open airways
Lavender can help to prevent infection with due to the antiseptic properties
Lemongrass and Stevia can be added to enhance the flavor of the tea

Medicinal teas should be prepared as a strong decoction (which just a fancy word for really, really strong tea!). Therefore, for an 8 oz. cup of tea, use about 2 tablespoons of each herb. My favorite way to brew this tea is in a mason jar using 4 to 5 tablespoons per quart of water.

When using a mason jar, just put your herbs in the jar and pour boiling water over herbs. Cover with lid and place in refrigerator overnight. In the morning, strain the herbs and enjoy your tea throughout the day.

To brew on the stove, bring water to boil, add herbs, cover with lid and let steep for 10-20 minutes. Strain herbs and enjoy your tea! To obtain the best relief for your allergy symptoms, drink about 32 ounces of this tea each day during allergy season.

Don’t have all of the herbs? No problem! Each herb can be brewed by itself to bring some relief. For example, the Nettle Leaf is a great antihistamine when brewed alone. A tea blend of Nettle, Peppermint and Lavender is also a tasty combination that provides results as well.

Spring is here….but sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose and watery eyes no longer have to be a part of the season! Relax, enjoy a cup of tea, and enjoy the outdoors without having to suffer with those annoying allergy symptoms!

Is your kitchen or laundry closet overflowing with cleaning supplies? Maybe under the area under the sink has become a stockpile of cleaning stuff. Just think of all the nasty chemicals and toxins you are storing in your home. Wouldn’t it be nice to declutter those areas? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to clean your home without using harsh chemicals?
You can do both! With just 10 ingredients (many of them you probably already have) you can make 10 awesome (non-toxic) homemade cleaners!
Here’s the list of 10 ingredients:

white vinegar
baking soda
lemons/oranges
salt
olive oil
Ivory soap or homemade soap
glycerin
washing soda
borax
essential oils (I recommend Grandma Bea’s Natural Products brand!)

Many of these ingredients are available at your local Buchheit Store!

And here’s the homemade cleaner recipes:

1. TOILET BOWL CLEANER

1 cup baking soda
1 cup white vinegar
10 drops Protection Essential Oil

Pour baking soda into toilet, then slowly pour in white vinegar, then add essential oil. The vinegar will cause a reaction with the baking soda and begin to fizz, this is normal. Use toilet brush to scrub the toilet, then flush.

2. TUB & SHOWER CLEANER

homemade dish soap
white vinegar

Pour homemade dish soap into a spray bottle until half full. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with white vinegar. Shake well. Spray on tub and shower surface and wait 10-15 minutes. Scrub if needed and rinse.

3. ORANGE POWER CLEANER

orange peels (about 5 oranges for quart jar)
white vinegar

Fill mason jar with orange peels. Pour white vinegar over peels until completely covered. Place lid on jar and let set for 1-2 weeks, shaking occasionally. After 1-2 weeks, strain liquid and discard peels. Pour liquid into spray bottle diluted 1 part orange peel liquid to 1 part water. Spray on any surface to clean.

4. FURNITURE POLISH

1 cup olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
5 drops lemon essential oil (available at Buchheit!)

Mix olive oil, lemon juice, and essential oils together in spray bottle. Use damp cloth to apply polish to furniture, then buff with a dry cloth.

5. DISH SOAP

1-2 Tablespoons vegetable glycerin
2 Tablespoons white distilled vinegar
1 1/2 quarts water
5-10 drops lemon essential oils
1 cup grated homemade soap or any other all-natural soap

Grate the bar of soap to get enough to fill 1 cup. (about 1/2 bar)
Pour 1 1/2 quarts water in pot and add grated soap, glycerin and vinegar.
Heat until soap is dissolved, stirring occasionally.
Let cool until mixture reaches room temperature.
Add essential oils if desired.
Mix with stick blender.
Pour into containers and get ready to wash some dishes!
This homemade dish soap will not produce the suds like the store-bought detergents. Just remember, it's not the bubbles that do the cleaning!

6. GLASS CLEANER

2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
10 drops lemongrass essential oil

Mix water, vinegar and essential oils together in a spray bottle. Spray on glass surfaces and wipe with lint-free cloth or old newspapers.

7. DISHWASHING DETERGENT

1 cup super washing soda
1 cup Borax
1/2 salt
10 drops lemongrass essential oil

Mix washing soda, borax and kosher salt together. Add lemongrass essential oil and whisk to blend. Use 1-2 Tbsp per load. For best results, use vinegar as a rinse agent.

8. FLOOR CLEANER

1 ½ cup white vinegar
½ cup baking soda
½ cup washing soda
1 tablespoon borax
10 cups hot water

25 drops Protection Essential Oil (Grandma Bea’s brand available at Buchheit!)
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bucket and proceed with mopping the floor!

9. HOMEMADE SOFT SCRUB

½ cup white vinegar
Juice from 1 lemon
¾ cup baking soda
2-3 TBSP salt
2-3 TBSP homemade dish soap
10 drops Protection or Lemon Essential Oil

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl to form a paste. Use damp rag to apply to surfaces, scrub if needed, rinse clean.

10. ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER

1 TBSP borax
1 TBSP washing soda
1 tsp homemade dish soap
1 cup white vinegar
4 cups hot water
20-30 drops Protection or Lemongrass Essential Oil

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until dry ingredients have dissolved. Pour into a spray bottle. Spray on surfaces and wipe clean. Protection Essential Oil is a great natural disinfectant!
There you have it! Everything you need to clean your house with just 10 ingredients! So, get rid of all those toxic chemical cleaners from under your sink and replace them with these natural alternatives!

Homemade Herbal Allergy Tea!

Natural Homemade Cleaners