DIY All-Purpose Household Cleaner
Making your own cleaning supplies is one of the easiest things you can do to green your home and it will save you A LOT of money once you do. This DIY non-toxic all-purpose household cleaner takes only a few minutes to make and uses ingredients you probably already have in your home. I use this for for just about every cleaning job in my home, especially in the kitchen and bathroom, and I love knowing that it’s completely safe around my kids.
A few years ago, my second son was diagnosed (after a long ordeal and lots of doctors) with asthma. One of the changes we made that had the most impact was cutting out chemicals in our cleaning products. His symptoms cleared right up and the change was so much easier than I thought it would be.
I’ve tried a lot of non-toxic cleaners, both homemade and store bought. This is the recipe I go back to over and over again. It’s easy to make and an extremely effective cleaner.
Supplies Needed
– A glass bottle. I’m told that essential oils should not be used in plastic containers. I don’t know the science behind this but whenever possible I try and use glass. You can fit a spray nozzle on a glass vinegar bottle if you have one. I bought this glass bottle from Sally’s Organics and have been very happy with it.
– White vinegar. I buy this in bulk at Costco because I go through so much of it. It’s super cheap and very effective at killing germs so it’s the base of most of my homemade cleaners.
– Essential Oils. There are some great essential oils that not only smell great but have amazing antibacterial and cleansing properties. Some of my favorite to add into cleaning products are tea tree oil, lavender, lemon, or orange. I know there are two popular MLM essential oil companies out there that people love. I’ve held off getting involved in them at the moment. I may give them a try in the future but at the moment I’m looking at other options. I’ve been playing around with Plant Therapy essential oils and what I’ve tried so far I’ve loved.
DIY All-Purpose Household Cleaner
This is a bit more of a method than a recipe. It’s forgiving though so if you don’t get things exact it still works great.
- Mix 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water in your glass bottle.
- Add 10-15 drops of essential oil. My favorite is tea tree oil mixed with lemon. If you want a lighter scent you could do lavender and lemon. All have antibacterial properties.
EDITED: I used to make this recipe with natural dish soap or castile soap. A reader who owns a cleaning company shared that she recently stopped mixing castile soap into vinegar because one is neutral and the other acidic so they cancel each other out. Great tip! I’ve been using it this way for years and never thought of that. This recipe works just as well without the soap in it (probably better from the sounds of it).
Put the lid on your glass bottle and shake it up. You’re all done! If you want to label it these cute chalkboard labels would be perfect.
Do you have a favorite homemade cleaning product?
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