Pine Needle Cleaner
A simple recipe
I FINALLY DID IT!
I ran into my neighbor, and she’s a sweet older woman from Louisiana. I kindly asked her if her tree was indeed a pine, and she said yes. I then asked her if I could harvest needles and cones because I’m an herbalist, and I have some things I would love to make. She told me that I’m free to come take as much of it as I want, any time. Safe to say, I didn’t hesitate! After getting my family inside, I went back outside with my plant shears and a bag.
Just my luck, she had a newly fallen tree branch that didn’t survive this crazy Kentucky weather we’ve been having. Now, this is important. When I harvest anything, there are several steps I take to ensure it’s a positive experience:
I approach the plant with respect. Trees are nature’s royalty to me. They ‘see’ and experience so much of the world (often more than we do). This beauty losing a branch is no small thing, and I wanted to honor this loss was going to be a gift to me.
I pause before I cut. It doesn’t matter how much abundance is before me, I stop. I let the plant or tree know why I’m there, and I want to sense how much I’m able to take. People always ask, “How do you know the amount or if you’ve been given permission?” And honestly, it’s a gut feeling. You can just sense it, but you have to wait. Don’t just jump in.
I’m gentle. I never go hacking away, and I’m strategic on how I cut so it doesn’t make the area look naked or scarce. When I hold the area to cut, I’m not aggressive, ever. Instead, I try to be as soft as possible. I think of it like giving a loved one a haircut. I wouldn’t grab them by the scalp and cut without feeling.
I show gratitude. This one is so important! I always say thank you and ask God to grow it back exponentially and maintain its health. I also usually sing or hum when I harvest as a gift. (I treat my plants at home the same way.)
Once I had my side quest for the day. It was time to get to work. I inspected the needles and noted some browning on the needles. Now, can you technically use these for tea? Yes. Would I recommend it? No. Why? Brown needles mean that it’s no longer full of life, and that life is what helps create the oils you need for a proper medicinal tea. So, I had to pivot because I already had my bag, and I don’t waste these gifts. A light bulb came on: I can make pine cleaner for my house! Not only is it eco-friendly, but it can also cut through grease like nobody’s business, all while making your house smell like a forest.
First, rinse your needles. Sometimes they can get dirt or hidden insects on them. We don’t want that. I use cool water to maintain as much of the properties as possible.
After they’ve been cleaned, I gently pat them dry with paper towel.
Next, I cut off the stems, remove any pine nuts, and chop them up. THE CHOPPING IS KEY. By doing that, you open up the oils in the pine needles. You can literally start smelling them, and it’s so glorious.
Fill a jar about 3/4 full, then fill it with white vinegar with a 5% acidity. Just my luck, my husband was cooking this past weekend and happened to buy a bottle of white vinegar. Divine timing.
Place a piece of parchment paper and close it tightly. You want to store it in a cool, dark place for 2-4 weeks. Make sure to shake it once every couple of days to keep the oils ‘awake’ and extracting. Once the time is up, you strain it and dilute it 1:1 with water. You can add lemon or other complementary essential oils if you like. You can use the cleaner on mirrors (top tier), floors, or countertops. Always do a patch test before using it to avoid destroying anything.
Let me know what you think in the comments!