Housekeeping isn’t a topic that I’m talking about a lot publicly. But today I’m going to step off the beaten path and focus on a book dealing with this area.

And doing so not because the cover is my work, or for the reason that I was the editor – but on the ground that Essential Oils for a Sparkling Home is good.

The cover image was made with my trusty Canon EOS 5DS R, the wonderful Zeiss Apo Sonnar T* 2/135 and of course Kuuvik Capture. This is an ideal setup for all kinds of product photography.

Agnes is my business partner and I have the privilege to be able to use her recipes and mixtures for a very long time. And, you know, I’m a perfectionist and only use stuff that works very well.

Yes, the book isn’t just for the ladies.

A real man keeps his quarters and tools clean and tidy. His house, his workshop or even his boat. It is a requirement to be able to consistently perform on a very high level, and puts him ahead of the vast majority of his competition in all aspects of life.

Fortunately, it hasn’t been easier than these days: you have machines from robot vacuums to dishwashers, and plenty of useful information on how to do it effectively.

But some of those tips and how-tos use chemicals that would rather belong to the warfare than to the household.

Agnes’ recipes are all natural and non-toxic. Which doesn’t mean that they are not effective: you can still hurt yourself with these mixtures if you are stupid, so common sense applies here as well.

And the scope of applicability is much broader than your household.

For example, I regularly use the “disinfectant blend for the kitchen” to terminate ecosystems that would otherwise flourish on the bottom boards of my jon boat below the floor grid – before they could surprise me with various kinds of infection.

This mixture is a perfect fit, since Lake Tisza is a nature reserve and using harsh chemicals is a no-no at this place, plus these chemicals could also damage sensitive parts of my cameras and lenses.

So grab a copy of the book, and be creative with the application!