Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
Skip the store-bought sprays! This Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner is natural, non-toxic, budget-friendly, and leaves your home sparkling clean. ✨
Servings: 1 16 oz / 473 ml spray bottle
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup white vinegar (cuts grease and disinfects)
- 1 cup distilled water (tap or filtered water is okay if using within 1–2 weeks)
- 10-15 drops essential oil (see notes for the best options and scent blends)
Instructions
- Choose your scent: Use one essential oil or create a custom blend. See the chart below for cleaning combos that smell amazing and work well. Learn more about each essential oil and its benefits in the notes.
- Mix: In a clean 16 oz spray bottle, add the vinegar, water, and essential oil(s) using a funnel. Screw on the lid and shake well.
- How to Use: Shake before each use (the oils can settle). Spray directly onto surfaces and wipe clean with a cloth or sponge.For stubborn grime or odors: Sprinkle a little baking soda on the surface first, then spray the cleaner over it. It will foam and bubble and be great scrub.✅ Safe for: Countertops, sinks, glass, appliances, and more❌ Avoid using on: Granite, marble, or other natural stone (vinegar can damage the surface)
Notes
Essential Oils for Cleaning & Their Benefits:
Essential oils not only help mask the vinegar smell, but they also boost cleaning power. You can buy individual essential oils, or if you want to experiment, picking up a mixed kit (like this one) that contains all of the essential oils mentioned below can be a great way to get started. It allows you to explore different scents and combinations to find what you like best. Here are some of the best essential oils for cleaning, along with notes on which ones are pet-safe. (While essential oils should never be applied directly to pets, these pet-safe options are generally considered safe when used in diluted cleaning sprays).Powerful Cleaning Essential Oils:
- Lemon: Cuts grease, freshens, and boosts cleaning power. (pet-safe)
- Rosemary: Antiseptic and refreshing.
- Peppermint: Antimicrobial and deodorizing.
- Tea Tree: Antibacterial, antifungal, and deodorizing.
- Eucalyptus: Antibacterial and great for bathrooms.
- Lavender: Antibacterial and deodorizing. (pet-safe)
- Orange: Cuts grease and deodorizes. (pet-safe)
- Ginger: Deodorizing and gentle cleanser. (pet-safe)
- Cedarwood: Natural deodorizer and insect repellent. (pet-safe)
- Frankincense: Antimicrobial and deodorizing. (pet-safe)
- Chamomile: Antibacterial and deodorizing. (pet-safe)
- Grapefruit: Cuts grease and deodorizes. (pet-safe)
- Lemongrass: Antibacterial and deodorizing. (use with caution around pets)
- Thyme: Strong antibacterial properties.
Essential Oil Cleaning Blends
Here are some of my favorite scent and cleaning power combos (I gave them all fun names too)! 🧼 Kitchen Shine: Lemon + Rosemary + Peppermint. Cuts grease, deodorizes, and smells bright and herbal 🛁 Bathroom Breeze: Tea Tree + Eucalyptus + Lavender. Kills bacteria, deodorizes, and smells like a spa 🍊 Citrus Zing: Orange + Lemon + Ginger. Degreases with a warm citrus twist (Pet-safe) 🌲 Woodsy Fresh: Cedarwood + Frankincense + Peppermint. Earthy, clean, and balanced with antimicrobial power (Pet-safe) 🌼 Calm & Clean: Lavender + Chamomile + Lemon. Soft, floral-citrus scent with gentle antibacterial power (Pet-safe) 🌞 Sunshine Scrub: Grapefruit + Lemongrass + Tea Tree. Zesty and citrusy with strong antibacterial power 🧊 Mint Condition: Peppermint + Eucalyptus + Lemon. Crisp, and refreshing with antimicrobial power 🪴 Garden Glow: Thyme + Lemon + Rosemary. Strong antibacterial power with a garden-fresh scentNote on Cleaning Vinegar
I recommend using regular white distilled vinegar (which is around 5% acidity) as it’s gentle on most surfaces. You can also find something called “cleaning vinegar,” which is often 6%–10% acidity and can be too strong for some surfaces. But if you have cleaning vinegar on hand and want to use it up, it should be diluted to make it gentle on surfaces.- If your cleaning vinegar is 6% acidity, use ¾ cup cleaning vinegar + 1¼ cups water + essential oils
- If your cleaning vinegar is 10% acidity, use ½ cup cleaning vinegar + 1½ cups water + essential oils