DIY all purpose cleaner

I’m a fan of a clean citrus scent when cleaning.

It just smells so fresh to me.  I also love simple no-fuss cleaning recipes that don’t require a lot of time, energy, or money to make.  If a recipe requires more than five minutes to make or I have to order a ton of ingredients, I am not very likely to follow through with it.  It will probably go in the file of a long list of pins on Pinterest that don’t actually happen.  You know the ones.  Maybe I’m lazy.  Maybe I’m cheap.  Maybe both.

This recipe is neither time consuming, expensive, difficult, or requires fancy ingredients.

I use this recipe to clean my countertops, bathroom sink, toilet, and shower walls.  As of right now, it’s my most used cleaner.

Don’t have essential oils?

I’m just getting started in the world of essential oils.  I especially love them for cleaning.  They are also easy to find.  You can find some at a local health food store, purchase on Amazon, or an online retailer such as Plant Therapy or Mountain Rose Herbs.  Lemon and orange essential oils are both inexpensive oils, readily available, and are excellent for cleaning.

When using essential oils, I always store my cleaners in glass bottles as plastic bottles can leach undesirable properties into your cleaners.  You can use an old bottle or buy one from the store for very little money.  Also it’s very important when using these oils, that you store them in a dark area and not expose them to sunlight or heat.  I store mine in a dark cabinet.  Always take care when using essential oils in your home.  Do your research and err on the side of caution.  They are powerful and incredibly beneficial, but should be used with care.

Also important to note, do not be tempted to put a soap in this like Castile soap.  Vinegar is an acid and Castile soap is a base and they will create a chemical reaction that will curdle the soap and make it really weird.  If you want to use Castile soap in your cleaning instead of vinegar, try a different recipe all together, like this one from Lisa Bronner.

 

 

DIY All Purpose Cleaner
Author: Tara-We Got Real
Prep time:
Total time:
An easy DIY all purpose cleaner that you can use all around the home.
Ingredients
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups white vinegar
  • 20-30 drops lemon or orange essential oil
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to a spray bottle.
  2. Shake and spray on countertops, sinks, toilets, etc.
  3. With a wet rag, wipe down surface.
  4. With a dry towel wipe up water spots.

 

2016-12-18T04:49:04+00:00

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