At my bridal shower, my husband’s cousin gave me a green spray bottle filled with homemade cleaner. She told me it was vinegar based, and I just assumed that it would smell up the house and wouldn’t be worth using.After we tied the knot and moved into our rental duplex, I decided to give the cleaner a try, and it worked so well that I have been using it ever since! The best part is that it’s made up of inexpensive ingredients that are easy to find. And the essential oils mask the vinegar stench. Here is the breakdown:
Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
1 part white vinegar
3 parts water
Big squirt dish soap
10-15 drops essential oils (I use lavender or tea tree oil)
Just mix the ingredients, and pour into a spray bottle. (Make sure to label the bottle.) I use this cleaner weekly in my bathrooms and kitchen to wipe down the counters, sinks, toilets, and shower. What are your favorite cleaners?
*According to the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, the following essential oils have antiseptic, disinfectant, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties and are great for cleaning: lemon, lime, orange, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, eucalyptus, and tea tree.
When I clean my microwave, I put a bowl with 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Start the microwave for 4-5 minutes, and just wipe the inside. All natural cleaning! Sorry for my English, I'm from Québec. Bonne journée! 🙂
I'll have to try that, Josee. Thanks!
Ellie
I have got to try this!
My favourite toilet cleaner is……………….
COKE it really cleans very well.
Just imagine what it does inside of you!
:0
Natural products that are environment friendly are a good thing. I enjoy using these, however, there are still some of the store brand products that I really like, one of them being the magic eraser sponges. Thanks for the tip!
Neat! Ilove diy cleaners. I make an antibacterial, disinfecting spray which is made by mixing a tsp of witch hazel and a few drops of Theives essential oil (maybe 20 drops?recipie on pinterest) with water in a spray bottle. So it costs a bit to first buy the oil and witch hazel but once you have it on hand you can make tons batches before ever running out of supplies. So much cheaper in the long run. It even kills mold as well and best part is that it smells like Christmas! Love your blogs. Thanks for sharing!
I am a cleaner in Australia and for bathroom mirrors ect I simply use water and a squeegee or the hand paper towel used in shop toilets (it has no fluff) other wise just no name paper towel the cheaper the better. For Outside windows Bucket of hot water with dishwashing liquid and Rinse Aid used for the glasses in the dishwasher, Hose window, apply with a sponge, rinse off. For inside you can put the liquid into a spray bottle and wipe off with a microfibre cloth or the paper towel 🙂 Cheers Robyn Australia
This is basically the same cleaner that we use in our house! It works so well, is super economical and no chemicals!
If you want to be super frugal you could use orange peels instead of essential oils! http://fountainavenuekitchen.com/orange-vinegar-a-green-cleaner/
I like to make my own glass cleaner. Use equal amounts of rubbing alcohol and water. Mix in a spray bottle. Easy, cheap, and NO streaks!!
I haven't ever thought of making my own glass cleaner, but I might just give your recipe a try. 🙂
Ellie
I use vinegar mixed with a few drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle to clean the outside of my toilets, and baking soda for the bowl of the toilet. I also make my own laundry detergent, which you can find on my blog: http://amakajoys.blogspot.com/2015/04/homemade-laundry-detergent.html
Essential oils are the bomb!
I clean my tile counters with a spray bottle of 50-50 rubbing alcohol and water. It's cheap and effective.
Old newspapers are amazing for windows (use with windex) 🙂
I also love Clorox for heavy duty messes (I have two boys under two)
Alexis
I use the same cleaner. I came up with the recipe myself, and I use eucalyptus oil currently instead of lavender. For cleaning windows I use the same solution, just leaving out the oil as that can leave streaks. So the only thing I need to buy cleaner for is the toilets.
Ellie,
Thank you for the recipe . Where do you find essential oils? I normally use vinegar and baking soda for my toilets. Does borax work better?
Hi there,
I only have a few bottles of essential oils (lemon, lavender, and peppermint), but they were a gift from someone who sells doTerra oils. Borax works well for me, but I may try vinegar and baking soda because it would be even cheaper! How much do you use of each?
Ellie
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup vinegar
Thanks!
Ellie
Thank you. Do you have any more food recipes to share?
I do! I plan to share another one this week.
Ellie
Just tried your all purpose cleaner and am SO happy with the results!!! Thanks for posting!
My pleasure! Glad to hear it worked for you!
Ellie
I use chlorine bleach often but I know it has some negative things about it. Still it has been my friend in the rooming house cleaning business. I don't feel so alone in the face of all those dirty rooms when I am together there with a jug of powerful beach and not water. After the rooms are certainly clean and smell distinctively cleaned too. And I always feel my friend and I have done a service for the people who live there.
To clean your microwave, you should try this: in a bowl, mix 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water. Start the microwave for 4-5 minutes, to get enough steam. Then, just wipe the inside. Bonne journée! De la part d'une fan du Québec 🙂
Interesting! I've never tried a homemade cleaner before, but on the topic of homemade, I make homemade eye makeup remover that I would definitely recommend to anyone reading this! It's super easy: one part water and one part vegetable oil with a squirt of baby shampoo. It works really well and is WAY cheaper than buying eye makeup remover! One warning, though, is that it does NOT work well for waterproof makeup!!
Do u like Chickfila its a Christian company? If so what's ur fav sauce their?
I love Chick-fil-a! Their signature sauce is my favorite.
Ellie
Do u write books?
I'm in the planning stages of my first book, which will tell my grandmother's WWII story.
Blessings,
Ellie
Ellie,
If you don't mind me asking…
Did you save your first kiss for your wedding?
Alex
awesome!! i use naturel cleaners, but they are usually store-bought or online. they usual do a fine job on my carpet. (I am currently potty training a puppy.) Ill have to give this a shot! will winter-green work for the essential oil? I tried making homemade toothpaste once (it was ok) out of baking soda, winter-green oil and Xylitol.
I like Clorox disinfectant wipes for wiping down walls every time we move in or out of a rental.
My favorite is Cinch. I use it for countertops and windows etc. But I'd like to try your homemade kind
Love the idea of homemade cleaners! I currently use one made up of equal parts of water and white vinegar, with a tablespoon or two of lemon juice, and a few drops of essential oils (usually Thieves' Oil). Works great as a bathroom cleaner. I use it together with baking soda to clean the sink and tub, and by itself for the toilet (too difficult to get baking soda off the toilet!) except for the bowl, which I clean with baking soda and white vinegar.
check out http://www.myecloth.com/How-Does-E-Cloth-Work_c_12.html
Thanks, Luann! 🙂
Ellie
Very easy cleaning receipt, but extremely efficient! I am also doing my own cleaners and I would not turn back to the chemical cleaners!