What makes my teeth clean and my breath fresh?
Mouthwash! I love it!
And yet… I don’t feel comfortable buying the commercial brands. My family and I strive to use natural dental care, but only recently did I discover just how easy it is to make my own all natural mouthwash!
Happy discovery! It cleans teeth and gums naturally, it’s inexpensive, and it’s made from good, simple ingredients that I recognize (no chemicals or unnatural dyes!). Not to mention, it gives me peace of mind.
Simple Clove All Natural Mouthwash
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 cup pure water boiling
Instructions
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Place cloves in a heat-proof container (such as a canning jar).
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Pour boiling water over cloves.
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Cover the container with a lid or plate and leave mixture to cool.
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Once cool, strain out the cloves and pour the clove-infused water into a clean container.
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Rinse mouth with approximately 1 teaspoon of the mixture.
Recipe Notes
This mouthwash will keep approximately one week.
Parsley Mint Homemade Mouthwash
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1 tablespoon vodka
Instructions
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Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for about 2 minutes (or until everything is mixed well).
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Pour through a strainer to remove any residual herbs.
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Pour into a clean jar and close tightly with lid.
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Rinse mouth with 1 tablespoon of mixture.
Salt Water Rinse
Ingredients
- 1 cup pure water warm
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
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Mix together the warm water and salt.
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Gargle and rinse with the mixture.
It’s so simple to learn how to make your own all natural mouthwash. It’s a great way to save money and good step in the direction of all-natural dental care.
What do you think about homemade mouthwash? Do you know how to make all natural mouthwash? What is your favorite recipe or tip?
...without giving up the foods you love or spending all day in the kitchen!
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Here’s a natural mouthwash recipe using only filtered water and essential oils. Super easy and you can use peppermint, orange, lemon, lime… no need to boil it and it stores indefinitely. 10 drops essential oil mixed with 2 cups filtered water. Put in a dark bottle to store. Shake before use.
Thank you I use clove essential oil on my mouthwash
I use either 1 drop of grapefruit seed extract or 4 Thieves blend in some water. GSE is great at fighting the smelly bacteria and 4 Thieves brightens up a dull mouth everytime!
I am curious about trying clove EO now….hmmm!?
Really good article on natural mouthwashes, thank you. I love the Parsley Mint. Can’t wait for the mint to come up in the spring!
Baking soda and water makes a good rinse as well!
Thanks. I have a big family and pressing to do thing economically and naturally! Thanks to all who posted what they do too.
I make a curcumin mouthwash based on the specs provided in the paper published last year that showed it to be just as or more effective than icky chemical chlorhexidine mouthwash. It’s just curcumin and eugenol (clove oil) in water.
I’d like to know how you make the mouthwash with curcumin if you wouldn’t mind sharing? 🙂
-Judy
I would think the curcumin would yellow the teeth? What has been your experience?
I’d love to know, too, @Amanda
I hate mint!!
i use a 50/50 hydrogen peroxide and water and a few drops of peppermint! stores indefinitely and whitens and sanitizes and so much more!
i also use a homemade toothpaste: baking soda, coconut oil, honey, sea salt, and peppermint oil.
store in glass jar. i love this combination, works great together!
What’s the ratio’s for your toothpaste??
Yes, I’d like to know as well. Are there concerns using honey in a toothpaste? Seems counterintuitive…
Is the peroxide safe to use?
you can find ratios with a search online. something like a teaspoon of this and the other. I add crushed egg shells to mine to strengthen the enamel/bone. I find the DIY online just searching.
I’m starting to think there’s a correlation btwn diluted H2O2 rinsing weakening of dental crowns? I lost three in relatively short order. Does anyone knows more about this?
Also, great mouthwash post! Inclusion of warm saltwater was a very nice touch!
I like the H2O2 but suspect it weakens the crowns. I lost three. Even though it was dikuted . No other de tal isurs besides this. Its worth looking i to.
What kind of parsley would be best to use?
Curly Leaf or Italian. I am assuming curly leaf but I will wait for the comment on the correct one!
I would use flat leaf parsley IMO it is the more beneficial of the two.
I would also like the recipe for the coconut oil/honey/etc toothpaste….thanks!
I use about a teaspoon of coconut Oil and about a half teaspoon of baking soda mixed together in a Dixie cup. I haven’t tried adding salt or honey. Brush teeth, tongue, and gums. The left overs I swish in mouth for a while, like an oil pull then spit. Then using hot tap water to rinse cup and swish in mouth, like a mouthwash. My mouth loves it. Brightens my smile too!
I like mouthwash too. But those mouthwash products I have tried are either to strong or of terrible taste. I never thought making my own mouthwash can be this easy and I will definitely give it a try. Thanks!
cannot wait to try these thank you they are safe for my three school age kids right
Hmmm. I make an insect repellent by soaking whole cloves in 100 proof vodka. I think I’ll try a tablespoon of that in 8 oz. of distilled water for a mouth rinse. My tooth powder is baking soda, salt, and peppermint EO, but I have tossed in both finely ground clove and finely ground cinnamon just to make a difference.
I use the toothpaste formula mentioned previously. My recipe is 1 t. baking soda, 1 t. honey, 1/2 t coconut oil, 1/8 t sea salt and 1 drop spearmint oil. (I don’t like peppermint much) That makes about enough for one person for a week. I keep it in a small jar on the bathroom counter and wash the jar out every week. You could make more for a family.
I am vegan so cannot use honey do you think agave nectar would do the same or does it have to be honey
I don’t see why you couldn’t use Agave instead of honey.
Honey is antiseptic. Agave is not
Nice stuff
I just refill my mouthwash bottle with purified water and add in some cinnamon sticks. Sometimes I add just a tad of stevia extract (the organic powdered kind that I buy at Trader Joe’s) but I actually prefer it without the stevia. It’s super easy and effective plus I haven’t had to buy mouthwash in years!
I use water, baking soda, peppermint oil, clove oil, and tea tree oil. I love how strong it is I like a super clean mouth! I also make my own toothpaste. When I make it for the kids I dumb it down a bit and put in some stevia to sweeten it up a bit.
Cloves also have painkilling potential, so this could be a good mouth rinse for sore gums or mouth sores as well.
I wish I had seen this earlier today. I just bought some store brand mouth wash to try.
I had been using a tooth cleaner mixture in a small container of baking soda, cinnamon, and then putting one drop of peppermint EO on the toothbrush. My teeth have never felt cleaner and my breath was fresh for so long each day. I think I would like to see if my family will use the other recipes for toothpaste included here as I have all the ingredients at home to make those.
I think the parsley mint mouthwash sounds like a great solution for my husband. I look forward to trying it.
Thank you for sharing!
Do you store the mouthwashes in the bathroom cabinet, or do they need to be refrigerated?
It is good to hear that there’s a substitute for mouthwash. I just have one question, is this safe to use? Because I’ve read a lot of articles regarding mouthwash, that it can cause oral cancer especially those with alcohol content.
Thanks Stacy,
This nice list of Natural Mouthwash, I am dentist I also prefer natural things and recommends same to patients, Most of pharmaceutical mouthwash contains harmful chemical that leads to oral cancer and enamel loss .
I also want to add into list
6 oz dark glass bottle
1/2 cup aloe vera juice
1/4 cup distilled water
1/2 tbsp. witch hazel
1 tsp. baking soda
10 drops peppermint essential oil
Aloevera Mouthwash Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl with a spout (liquid measuring cup works great). Then use a whisk to mix together. Pour into a bottle with the help of a funnel and shake to mix. This will store for two weeks in a dark, cool cupboard. Swish and spit morning and night., It will make your teeth pearl white without any harm or loss
Is there something just as good with inexpensive products to use and of course not harmful in any way? The oils are expensive, I’m on a very tight budget.
For toothpaste i use coconut oil, baking soda, xylitol (for sweetness and has been shown to be good for teeth ) & mint or orange essential oil. It will last on bathroom counter top out of sun
No chemicals, huh? Let’s see. Whole cloves, which contain the active compounds: eugenol, acetyl eugenol, beta-caryophyllene, vanillin, crategolic acid, tannins (bicornin, gallotannic acid, methyl salicylate), flavonoids (eugenin, kaempferol, rhamnetin eugenitin), triterpenoids (oleanolic acid, stigmasterol, campesterol) and sesquiterpenes.
I think they mean unnatural chemicals that are bad for you not the good natural ones.
i make my mouthwash with
1/2 tbsp cloves
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 to 2 Tbsp xylitol (proven for healthy gums) my kids prefer it slightly sweeter.
Sweet orange EO (optional) for a bit of variation 2 to 3 drops to taste.
2 cup Distilled water
Alcohol (optional) if you want your mouthwash to last longer. Mine goes within a week though as we are a big family so I don’t need this ingredient.
Simmer for about 30mins with the lid on till it halves in liquid then strain.
My mom used to use salt water and I never believed her that it has any benefits until now. Thanks. 🙂
I like to use a simple milk or a juice (grapefruit or orange) as a natural mouthwash. Sometimes I added essential oils to juice. Try it 🙂
I assume you could add vodka to the clove mouthwash to make it last longer?
Yep, a local pharmacist told me about the salt water rinse and I use it all the time, especially when I feel like I’m coming down with a cold or sore throat. My mouth does feel cleaner each time.
I like the salt water rinse best. It is easy to make and the ingredients are in every household. Even when traveling you can just take a small bag of salt with you and mix it every day.
Is it helpful to use clove powder and water to use as a rinse? Maybe add some stevia. I only have clove powder at the moment.
Thank you!