Based on lore received from Lady Etipdorpha and many others over the past 4 decades.

Begin with a large pan of water and bring it to a boil.

Add any or all of the following to the water as it comes to a boil (if you don’t have the ingredients in this form, substitute 1 teaspoon of ground herb/spice, or a few drops of the essential oil of the same):

• 3 Whole Cloves– (protection, to attract prosperity, drive away negativity and hostility.)
• 3 Star Anise pods – (good luck and purification.)
• 2 Cardamom pods – (love and respect.)
• 1 Cinnamon stick – (attract prosperity.)
• 1 teaspoon of Rue – (bring peaceful vibrations or remove a jinx, protection against evil eye, healing, health, love.)
• Chamomile (handful) – (peace, love, tranquility and purification.)
• Chrysanthemum (handful) – (truth, honesty and protection against unwanted/negative spirits

Strain this into a mop bucket or similar container, and add

• Spic and Span powder cleanser (see edits below!!) in equal amount with Kosher or sea salt to water as the directions on the box of Spic’n’Span;
• add ¼ cup Blessed thistle (herb of protection, and bestows spiritual, physical and financial blessings.)
• add ¼ cup Mint (any variety, but I’m partial to peppermint, wintermint or even catmint for this). (cleansing, consecration, dreams, happiness, healing, love, money, passion, prosperity, protection, psychic development, purification, release, renewal, rest, sleep, energy, exorcism, good luck, spirit offering, success.)

Mix well.

Mop all the floors, wash all the mirrors, windows & doors/doorways (internal and external doors) and counter tops in all rooms.

For carpeted surfaces, you can put the water mixture into a spray bottle and lightly spary the carpets (DO NOT OVER WET THE CARPETS – YOU DO NOT WANT MOLDY CARPET!!) Allow them to dry and then vacuum well.

Burn some pleasant incense or sage/sweetgrass.

Rinse all surfaces previously washed/mopped with fresh water to which has been added ¼ cup white vinegar (and a little Cascarilla Powder*, if you have it and want to include it).

Repeat as needed. (I really suggest quarterly, but if annually is what you have the spoons for…)

And pour salt water down the drains! all of the drains! if there are drains you can see but can’t get to (which happens), then you can do this by flicking the salt water in that general direction with feeling – “Bad Things GO AWAY!” Also remember that drains include toilets…

~Helpful Hint~ Keep a mixture of the herbs and spices in a large brown jar with the Spic and Span already added so you always have it ready when needed!

• Cascarilla Powder is well dried, finely powdered white eggshell. Dry white eggshells in a low heat oven for an hour or so – do not let the shells turn brown!! (or freeze them, either way works.) Grind them as finely as you can with a mortar and pestle or herb grinder that has been well cleaned and store in a moisture-proof container until you need to use it. You can also find it at Hoodoo or Botanicas or other stores selling to Santeria or other African Diaspora Religions. It has become popular with some Neopagan and new age practitioners, and wasn’t part of the original recipes for this particular recipe, although I have seen it mentioned frequently in more recent versions of house cleansing, hence its mention here.

Edited 13 Dec 2015 to add: You know it’s been a long time since you made this recipe when you didn’t realize that Spic’n’Span now came in a spray formula… if you can find it, you want to use the powder version, not the spray. I’m going to have to experiment around with this to see how the spray works with it.
#TraditionalWitchNotAmusedByTheMarchForwardOfTechnology!

Edited 2 April 2016: Okay, the liquid reformulation is not suitable for our purposes here. You will want to find the Proctor and Gamble version of Spic and Span POWDER -=- NOT “Spic’n’Span” -=- probably in the janitorial supplies section or online. it will look something like this:

Major retailers such as KMart, WalMart and Sears appear to carry a version of it online; you do not want the “SunFresh” or other scented version, you want plain, unscented if at all possible. It should run between $5 – $15 or so depending on size and vendor and whether you find in in a physical store or order it online.

Edit 22 Nov 2021:  over on Facebook, Helen Honeycutt, a semi-local Georgian and Alexandrian priestess (and a friend of around 35 years or so) posted the following in response to a question on cleansing. I thought it so well said that I’m appending to the above.

“So, first get it as mundanely clean as possible. Put EVERYTHING away. Clean all your stuff, scrub the kitchen and bath especially well, because your kitchen is your hearth, the spice of physical, emotional, spiritual nourishment. And your bath is your space of all kinds of cleansing, not just physical.

One you have dealt with dirt and disorganization you can do the rest. You can use tap water. To a clean bucket, half a bucket of really cold water, a handful of salt (any kind) a few drops of scented oil or a splash of Florida water or dried flowers. Some green leaves, bonus if they smell good. Set to the side. In a glass or stainless pot on the stove or a cup of water, a cup of vinegar, some mixed pickling spice, a bay leaf, a punch of salt and some lavender. Set it to simmer.

Starting at your front door facing out, with a clean rag or sponge, start at the bottom left and wash all around the frame going counter clockwise. Moving your hand always counterclockwise, wash the inside of the door. Walk along the walls, always counterclockwise, sprinkling the water on the walls. At every opening- windows, doors, outlets, pipes- wash around the whole thing, once again counterclockwise. At toilets and drains pour a bit of water down. When you have fine all the way around to the front door- go out to the property line, however you define that, and dispose of the water. Throw away the trash or sponge- do not bring it back into the house. Rinse the bucket into the toilet and flush away the last of the impurities, set the bucket upside down to dry. Go to your kitchen and make a cup of tea, Any kind. Dump the vinegar water down the drain.

Take your tea and bless it with clean and calm intentions. Walk clockwise around your house, spreading the scent of the tea and sipping as you go. Take in those blessings. Spread them to every space. You don’t need anything really special, just what’s in your house or the local grocery. Steam works as well as smoke and doesn’t set off alarms. Salt purifies everything.”