How To Make Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
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I started making my own homemade all-purpose cleaner a while back and I love it. Why make your own household cleaner? It’s super cheap, really easy to make, there are also no toxic chemicals, and you don’t have to buy more plastic to add to the landfills since you can reuse plastic spray bottles.
Best of all is the smell. I use essential oils — and it’s nice because I can try different kinds. I’ve used orange, lavender, vetiver, lime, lemon, ylang ylang, and peppermint. Peppermint is my absolute favorite.
I used to use regular store bought cleaners like 409 — but I after I got pregnant, I couldn’t stand the harsh and nasty smell. And I didn’t like the idea of all those chemicals with a baby in the house. I also used to use Trader Joe’s environmentally friendly cleaners, which are a lot cheaper, but I don’t find that they work as well and I’m not very fond of the aroma.
This homemade cleaner achieves the same result as a store bought all-purpose cleaner at a fraction of the cost. Plus it smells a lot better. Now cleaning has become a sensual experience.
How much cheaper is it to make your own? Store bought all-purpose cleaners can cost anywhere from 20-30 cents per ounce. This homemade cleaner will run you anywhere from 1-3 cents per ounce (depending on what you pay for the vinegar).
You can use this cleaner on most surfaces. It even works well on glass. It also does a great job of cleaning wood floors. In fact, this is the very best solution for wood floors, according to Martha Stewart. And there is nothing like a freshly mopped hardwood floor that smells like peppermint. It makes your whole house feel like springtime.
Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
Equipment
Spray bottle – either rinse out an old one or buy a new one from a hardware store or restaurant supply store
Ingredients
Plain white vinegar (I buy mine in bulk at Costco)
Water
Essential oil
1. Fill a spray bottle halfway with vinegar and halfway with water.
2. Add drops of essential oil, cap, and shake the bottle. Keep adding drops until the aroma is strong enough. You can tell by spraying the bottle and smelling the air.
To use for wood floors, mix vinegar and hot water in a bucket and add essential oil.
For stainless steel, just use straight vinegar — no water or essential oil.
For more environmentally-friendly, healthy cleaning products, please see my resources page.
Photo credit: scmtngirl on Flickr
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22/11/2009 at 3:23 am Permalink
I have been making this for a few years now. Sometimes without any essential oil. Another bonus for me is my kids enjoy helping make it and then it makes it fun for them to help clean. Even my little one can spray this and I give him a microfiber clothe and he loves to wash the door,tv, etc. Since it is only vinegar and water, it is safe for the kids too.
22/11/2009 at 3:32 am Permalink
I love lemon on my wood floors! Lavendar on windows, lol.
22/11/2009 at 6:36 am Permalink
I have been making this for some years as well. I love lemon & clove – just a bit of clove, for my favorite scent.
22/11/2009 at 6:42 am Permalink
Wow! That’s too simple, Ann Marie! Thanks for posting!
Cathy Payne´s last blog ..ONL055 The Liberation Diet
22/11/2009 at 6:47 am Permalink
When I make this, I change the fragrance with the season. I love citrus in spring, mint in summer, clove in autumn and rosemary in winter.
Peggy´s last blog ..What if Teflon is just the whipping boy?
22/11/2009 at 8:08 am Permalink
I have been using this mixture for years, too. I love it! I just tried orange and cinnamon oils recently and it is an awesome fall scent!
22/11/2009 at 9:10 am Permalink
I like the spray bottles that Costco carries, 3 in a pack. They last a long time and work very well at any spray level, stream to mist. I tried some slightly cheaper generic spray bottles from Home Depot, but they aren’t as comfortable or efficient with repeated pumping action, and the pump device often breaks down prematurely leading to dribbles, lack of spray range, and other problems. The slight savings wasn’t worth the aggravation and shortened spray life.
I used to use a sharpie permanent pen to mark the contents of generic spray bottles, but the ink fades over time and is difficult to edit if the contents are changed. Now I use a label maker with self-adhesive laminated label strips (Brother brand, which I also buy at Costco). If I need to make changes to the labeling, the strips just peel off without leaving an adhesive residue. The printing never fades.
I love using distilled vinegar to clean. I also like to have bulk containers of baking soda on hand for times when I need a mild scrubbing powder.
22/11/2009 at 10:40 am Permalink
This sounds interesting. I just started making my own laundry soap. I can add this natural cleaner also. Thanks!
Mindy´s last blog ..Coconut Fudge
22/11/2009 at 11:16 am Permalink
I’ve been making cleaner for quite a while, I generally use Dr Bronners and water.
22/11/2009 at 11:52 am Permalink
I’ve been using vinegar, water and EOs for cleaning since my first was born as well. I really like peppermint for the toilet, guess it’s a carry over from the 7th Generation toilet bowl cleaner, which has a screw top so I just reuse the old container and make my own now.
I’ve also started making my own stain spray using 1/4 c. glycerin, 1/4 c. dish soap, 2 cups water. It works about as well as the Oxyclean spray that I was addicted to (with 2 little boys and a daddy in the house) but kept leaving nasty buildup on my washing machine and clothes. For fresh blood and berry stains I use hydrogen peroxide and make sure to rinse it clean after the stain fades. Works wonderfully with my Charlie’s.
22/11/2009 at 2:07 pm Permalink
I really need to do this…so far, ive been buying the “green” cleaners that i find in the store, but i like the idea of making my own and controlling the scent (i have a really sensitive sense of smell). Do you also buy your essential oils in bulk? I also like the cleaning with baking soda idea….does anyone here also use Borax?
22/11/2009 at 3:50 pm Permalink
I make my own the same way, except I add a tiny bit of castile soap. I like to use thieves oil. It smells great and kills germs.
22/11/2009 at 4:14 pm Permalink
Tamara – I use Borax and baking soda to wash my clothes. I’ve done this for a couple years with only minor complaints from my husband (ie my clothes don’t smell good.) I’m thinking about adding an essential oil to make the clothes smell better. I don’t use Borax for anything else.
I use baking soda and vinegar to clean all my toilets, sinks and tubs. I also use baking soda on my counters when needed. I use vinegar on the counters sometimes but I mostly use good ol’ soap and water to clean the the kitchen counters. I use plain vinegar on mirrors.
Once every three months, I use some chemical crap to clean my shower tile. I spray it and leave it there for a while and then wipe off and rinse really well.
22/11/2009 at 6:39 pm Permalink
Hi, I have been struggling to find acceptable alternatives since we found out we are corn allergic. Do you have any suggestions for someone that can’t tolerate vinegar (made from corn)?
Kristy
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22/11/2009 at 8:26 pm Permalink
I just mixed this up for my cleaning day tomorrow. Thankfully had all ingredients on hand – including peppermint oil
22/11/2009 at 8:55 pm Permalink
Since chemical smells really bother me, I’ve avoided a lot of cleaning products over the years – and it is amazing what hot water and elbow grease will do. (There’s a reason water is called “the universal solvent”…) But Method Eucalyptus Mint is a fresh-smelling nontoxic product that works for floors, shower, etc. (and the way I weaned my housemate off of Pine-Sol.) Maybe I could follow your example and make my own with eucalyptus oil?
Baking soda is the most incredible mild abrasive – it’s taken cooked-on grease off pans, scuffs off the old porcelain sink, and when somebody turned on the toaster oven with a plastic bag of bread on top and never noticed (!!) it scrubbed that melted-plastic residue away, too.
23/11/2009 at 1:30 am Permalink
I recently purchased hand soap, dishwashing liquid and all purpose cleaner from Sun and Earth and have been very happy with everything. They sent me some samples with my order, and I LOVE the unscented, biodegradable dryer sheets too! I haven’t used dryer sheets in ages, but these are awesome! There is no chemical coating, and they really do soften the clothes, even though the sheets feel like a piece of paper. I ordered gallon sizes, and didn’t think the prices were too bad. I’ve tried homemade cleaners, and just haven’t been totally happy with them. However, this recipe is easy enough and I have the ingredients on hand, so I will definitely give it a try. Thanks!
23/11/2009 at 2:12 am Permalink
A great alternative to shower and bath cleaners are dryer sheets. They are typically some form of cations which are not dangerous. We get the dye free, scent free kind. You get it wet and use it in the shower and bath to remove mold, mildew, and soap scum. It takes some scrubbing but it works beautifully. I like to do it after I have showered because everything is already wet and soft.
23/11/2009 at 10:02 am Permalink
I love cleaning with vinegar. It’s so simple and easy, and you can really stretch a gallon of vinegar to last for months and months. I just need to stock up on essential oils so I can enjoy some different scents!
Another natural cleaning alternative is soap nuts. It’s not quite as 1-2-3 as vinegar, but it could help those who need to avoid vinegar, like Kristy mentioned above. If you use soap nuts for laundry, then you can gently simmer a dozen of them in a few cups of water for several hours. Strain the liquid and store it in the fridge. You can use it straight, but I’ve found it to be effective even when well-diluted. It’s a really great cleaner with no chemicals at all (no vinegar smell either, if you don’t like that).
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29/11/2009 at 11:13 am Permalink
I just discovered this cleaner from other source on-line a few weeks ago and LOVE it! I use the essential oils lemon and tea tree–tea tree has wonderful antiseptic properties if you’re wanting to kill germs. I use my spray on my kitchen countertops, sink, tub, toilet, shower, stainless steel appliances, mirrors… I still can’t believe I can clean my bathroom, kitchen and glass/mirrors all with the same spray.
I recently made another type of cleaning spray–alkaline (using washing soda and borax) vs. this spray (which is acidic due to the vinegar). It’s supposed to work well on floors, walls, baseboards and to cut grease. I’m anxious to see how it works vs. this spray. I’ll be testing it and posting updates to my blog.
Beth/DIY Mom´s last blog ..DIY Mom Makes Homemade Turkey Stock
30/11/2009 at 1:53 pm Permalink
This all-purpose recipe is fantastic! I’ve been cleaning with undiluted vinegar for months, but my husband HATES the smell…..so I’m going to dilute half with water and sample different essential oils. One of my favorite ways to clear a minor clog in a drain is to pour baking soda, then vinegar, then a teapot full of hot water and it usually does the trick. I’ve heard that doing this once a month is a good habit to get into anyway.
I have this great book called “Vinegar” by Vicki Lansky with over 400 uses described! I no longer buy cleaners and I love sharing this information with people! She also has a similar book about baking soda, which I need to get my hands on!
Anyway, great idea to share this money-saving, safe way to clean!!
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