We’ve developed this Lemon Dust Spray recipe with essential oils for those of you looking for a natural replacement for your store-bought, lemon-scented dust and furniture spray. It’s all-natural, easy to mix up, and it smells amazing!
“There’s nothing like a fresh-squeezed day of cleaning!” That’s what I tried to tell my kids when I was testing this recipe. They didn’t buy it either.
I would say my kids inherited their desire to avoid chores at all costs. I’m pretty confident that I have strong genes in that manner. That’s no secret to you, of course. You’ve already seen my super-gross oven [1] and even the shower that started a life of its own [2].
But I hope you’re rooting for me to turn over a new leaf and actually try to do better at keeping up with this cleaning thing. Please tell me I’m not alone on this.
Well, this Lemon Dust Spray actually does smell great and makes my sometimes-stuffy house a little more fresh.
It left my wood pieces shiny, too. That was one thing I wanted when I was trying to develop this. I didn’t want my wood to get all dried out and cracked. This is accomplished with the touch of olive oil in the recipe. It’s a glorious natural wood conditioner…and I don’t mean in the chemical pre-treatment sort of way!
And you know I have more secret ingredients, right?
The tiny amount of unscented Castile soap [3] in this recipe helps the liquid to “grab” the dust. I feel like without the Castile soap the spray doesn’t really have any “oomph.” The Castile soap offers the added bonus of making this spray great for wiping down wooden door frames and wooden doors to easily get rid of all the tiny little dirty handprints.
(It’s like filthy pizza eating miniature humans come to my house JUST to grab my doors everywhere but the DOOR KNOB!)
If you prefer, you can substitute Young Living’s Thieves Cleaner for the Castile soap.
Another key ingredient in this recipe is the addition of witch hazel [4] or vinegar. I know we don’t like the smell of either of these. But the addition of witch hazel or vinegar preserves the recipe longer in storage. I prefer the witch hazel, but it really is up to your preference and what you have on hand.
Worried about the witch hazel drying up your wood pieces?
I didn’t have any issues, but it’s always best to make sure to spot test new recipes on your own furniture. Pick a spot that nobody can see and do a little swipe. Check in 24 hours and see what you think.
Don’t want to use witch hazel or vinegar?
Alternately, if you choose not use witch hazel or vinegar, you could make single-use batches without them. Simply add a drop of olive oil, a drop of Castile soap, 1/4 cup of water, and 3 drops of Lemon essential oil. Dispose of any leftovers because they will not last long on the shelf.
That’s it. Try the recipe and make sure to come back and tell us what you think!
Note about our spray bottle: We get questions all the time about the safety of storing our recipes in anything but glass. We’ve looked it up and feel comfortable using these HDPE bottles. Yes, they can still be affected by the citrus essential oil in the recipe after prolonged use. But the recipe is extremely diluted and there is no way that this bottle is going to last long enough for us to notice any damage or change to the bottle. Please use whichever bottles make you the most comfortable.
New to essential oils? Learn more about how we use them and why you should use them as well. [5]
Lemon Dust Spray with Essential Oils
Ingredients
- 32 oz spray bottle (made with HDPE or PET plastic [6])
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1/2 cup witch hazel [4] or vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unscented Castile soap [3]
- 15 drops Lemon essential oil
Directions
- Pour all of the ingredients into the spray bottle.
- Replace the lid and swirl to combine.
- To use: Shake before each use. Spray onto surface and wipe with a clean cloth [7].
- To store: Store in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight.
I personally adore the lemon aroma of this dusting spray. If you’re looking for a little something different, try some other essential oils in your dust spray. We like combinations of herbs, woods, and citrus! You might try:
- Bergamot
- Cistus
- Citronella
- Clary Sage
- Cypress
- Elemi
- Eucalyptus Radiata
- Grapefruit
- Idaho Balsam Fir
- Northern Lights Black Spruce
- Jade Lemon
- Juniper
- Lavender
- Lemon Myrtle
- Lemongrass
- Lime
- Marjoram
- Tea Tree
- Orange
- Petitgrain
- Pine
- Rosemary
- Tangerine
- Thyme
- Vetiver
Bonus Tip: If you store recipes in a plastic bottle that dents, gets sticky, or discolors, this is a sign that the oils have deteriorated and damaged the bottle. Dispose of the container and its contents and start over with a different type of plastic or a more diluted recipe for the next go-around.