Making your own all-natural cleaning spray is not as challenging as you think. And it’s not just for ‘crunchy granola’ people either. My guess is that you have all that you need right in your home. You will probably never go back to traditional cleaning sprays again!
This simple recipe can be made in minutes and used all over your home. The best part is, you can customize the essential oils to your scent preference, or to the level of grime. Citrus Fresh is perfect for an everyday countertop spray, while I might substitute in Tea Tree if I’m dealing with a grimy mess.
The base of this recipe is vinegar and water. Now to some people, vinegar has a slightly putrid smell. In this DIY cleaning spray, the vinegar smell is no match for the powerful citrus punch that Citrus Fresh essential oil adds to the bottle.
I usually add about 10 to 15 drops of Citrus Fresh essential oil when I’m making up a batch with 1 cup of water-vinegar solution, but you can always do it ‘to smell.’ The uplifting aroma of Citrus Fresh perfectly masks the strong, vinegar odor and gives it a cheery scent. Cleaning can be enjoyable again with essential oils!
Alternative essential oils to use in your cleaner: Tea Tree essential oil, Thieves essential oil Purification essential oil, Pine essential oil, or one of the three varieties of Eucalyptus essential oil
All-Purpose Simple Cleaning Spray is perfect for:
- wiping off kitchen counters
- quick cleaning in the bathroom
- cleaning mirrors (use a lint-free cloth like these)
- everyday cleaning of small kitchen appliances
- taking care of spills
- wiping up pet messes
New to essential oils? Learn more about how we use them and why you should use them as well.
DIY Cleaning Spray
Ingredients
- 16 oz dark glass spray bottle
- 1 part distilled white vinegar
- 1 part water
- 10 to 15 drops Citrus Fresh essential oil per cup of cleaning spray
Directions
- Carefully add the vinegar and water to the spray bottle
- Drop 10 to 15 drops of essential oils for each cup of cleaning solution
- Swirl to combine
- Spray on dirty surface and wipe with a clean, lint free cloth
NOTE: Vinegar should not be used on granite countertops. You might prefer the modification on our Kitchen Cleaning Wipes recipe found here.
P.S. My 2 1/2-year-old is in the ‘I wanna help clean with you mama’ phase and I’d much rather him clean with this all-natural spray than a spray bottle loaded with chemicals. I just kept reminding him to be careful with the glass bottle. He did a fantastic job cleaning the counters and our dinner table.
I love that my children can safely participate in household chores!
Recipe Tips:
- If you plan on storing this cleaning spray, use distilled water instead of tap water. It will prolong the shelf life.
- We also recommend using glass bottles for homemade cleaners.
- Essential oils can break down plastic over time. Plus, I think glass bottles just look fancier. I love adding a reusable chalkboard label so I don’t mix up my cleaners.
Emmy says
August 22, 2015 at 6:06 pmSince citrus oils aren’t supposed to be used with plastic, how do you find a spray bottle that doesn’t have plastic tube inside?
Beth K says
August 22, 2015 at 8:24 pmThanks for the question, Emmy. We’ve not had any issues with the concentration of oils used in this recipe damaging the spray assembly. 10 drops per cup of cleaner is pretty diluted. There are probably stainless steel spray nozzle assemblies available if you’re concerned.
Dawn Milford says
August 3, 2016 at 1:46 pmI bet Thieves oil would really punch up the clean factor with this, lol
Marciaren says
August 18, 2016 at 10:46 pmI was thinking the same idea. Why not?
Beth K says
September 4, 2016 at 4:00 pmThat would definitely boost the cleaning power! Let us know how that works for you!
Tammy says
March 5, 2017 at 6:04 amHi….I love the site. I am looking for a cleaner for my granite countertops, and from the pics above it looks like the above recipe was used on granite, however, vinegar and acidic cleaners (like citrus) aren’t supposed to be used on granite. I am new to essential oils and thought about using Thieves, but that has citrus in it. Any advice or recipe that is safe for granite?
Jenn says
March 5, 2017 at 7:17 pmYou are correct! We’ve got some tips for granite on this recipe if that helps: http://www.recipeswithessentialoils.com/homemade-kitchen-cleaning-wipes/
Donna says
October 26, 2017 at 2:17 pmI like your orange cleaner for a quick spritz wipe but to really clean, Thieves Household Cleaner (diluted per instructions) in a glass spray bottle is my go-to for cleaning.
I enjoy your recipes & work you do to develop them.
Lorette says
January 24, 2019 at 8:36 pmI use use vodka in place of vinegar for the countertop cleaner. There’s no alcohol smell.