These homemade all-purpose cleaner recipes are perfect if you want to reduce the number of harmful chemicals in your home. They’re natural, effective, healthier for you and your family, and cheap to make! Keep reading to see how to make your own natural all-purpose surface cleaners using just a few simple ingredients.
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Have you ever heard of the Environmental Working Group?
It’s an organization that offers tons of valuable information so consumers like you and me can make educated decisions about the products we buy and use.
One of my favorite features on the EWG website is the healthy cleaning guide that rates more than 2,500 household cleaning products. Products can score anywhere from an “A” to an “F” depending on how hazardous the ingredients are for our health and the environment. It’s an enlightening list, for sure!
But you can imagine my dismay when I started searching for my go-to cleaning products. My favorite tub/shower cleaner rated a “D,” my favorite toilet bowl cleaner rated a “D,” my favorite laundry detergent rated an “F,” my favorite dishwashing liquid rated a “C,” and my favorite all-purpose cleaning wipes rated a “D.”
Holy cow.
Since then, I’ve been making my own homemade cleaning products using natural ingredients that I can actually pronounce and feel good about using in my home. And after trying all sorts of DIY cleaning recipes, I’ve figured out which ones work and which ones don’t.
So today I want to share with you my three favorite homemade all-purpose cleaner recipes that actually work!
Why You Should Make Your Own Natural Cleaning Products
While there are plenty of superficial reasons why you should make your own homemade cleaning products (it’s fun, you can make them smell however you want, you can use pretty bottles for a cohesive look in your cleaning caddy, etc.), the two most important reasons are that natural cleaning products are healthier and cheaper than anything you could buy in a store.
It’s true!
Let me show you why:
Reason #1: Natural Cleaning Products are Healthier
For you. For your family. For your pets. For the environment.
Homemade cleaners are healthier all around because you can choose to include natural ingredients that are safe for people, pets, and the environment.
On the other hand, commercial cleaning products use ingredients that can cause respiratory problems/asthma, skin allergies, nervous system problems, endocrine problems, cancer, and plenty of other health concerns. Not to mention the havoc they wreak on the environment! (Sources: Source 1, Source 2)
Commercial all-purpose cleaners are just a bad idea, period. Yes, they smell good. And yes, they do a great job of cleaning. But it’s at the expense of your health and wellbeing.
For me, it just isn’t worth it when I can make my own homemade cleaning products that are waaaayy healthier and cheaper, too!
Which brings me to my next point.
Reason #2: Natural Cleaning Products are Cheaper
Depending on how familiar you are with homemade cleaning products, you may or may not realize just how cheap they are! Making your own natural cleaning products is way more cost effective than buying commercial cleaners, so it’s no wonder they’re so popular among the frugal living community as well as the natural living community.
Think about it:
You can buy a gallon of white distilled vinegar for $2.64 and use it to make SIXTEEN 16 oz. bottles of all-purpose cleaner!
Assuming you use one cup of vinegar and one cup of water in your cleaner, which is what I do.
That’s $.17 per bottle! That’s CRAZY cheap!!
And if you decide to get a little bit fancy with your DIY cleaners and buy some of Young Living’s Thieves Household Cleaner, you’d still only pay about $22.50 (membership price) for a 14.4 oz. bottle, and that bottle would make about SIXTY 16 oz. bottles of all-purpose cleaner!
Assuming you use one capful of Thieves Household Cleaner and 2 cups of water in your cleaner, which is what I do.
That’s $.38 per bottle! Again, CRAZY cheap!!
And if you wanted to throw some essential oils into the mix, you could get a 1 oz. bottle of NOW lemon essential oil for less than $8 to add to your vinegar all-purpose cleaner, and that bottle would last through THIRTY 16 oz. bottles of all-purpose cleaner!
Assuming you use 20 drops of essential oil in your 16 oz. bottle of cleaner, which is what I do.
That’s $.27 per bottle! You know what I’m going to say, right? CRAZY cheap!!
The bottom line is that it’s dirt cheap to make your own natural cleaning products, so there’s really no excuse for using harmful commercial products.
Now that I’ve got you convinced, here are three of my favorite natural homemade all-purpose cleaner recipes that I use regularly in my home:
Thieves All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe
This all-purpose cleaner is a staple in my house. Not only does it work well, but it smells great too! Thieves has a warm, spicy scent that reminds me of fall and Christmas. But even though the smell does remind me of the holiday season, I love using it all year long in my home.
Supplies Needed
Ingredients
- 1 capful Thieves Household Cleaner
- 2 cups water
Directions
Add one capful Thieves Household Cleaner and 2 cups water to a dark colored glass spray bottle. Swirl to combine.
Since essential oils are light-sensitive and can corrode plastic bottles, be sure to use an amber or cobalt blue glass bottle.
To use, simply spray surfaces and wipe dry with a cloth or paper towel.
Where to Use Thieves All-Purpose Cleaner
You can use this Thieves all-purpose cleaner just about anywhere!
Here are some ideas:
- Kitchen appliances, even stainless steel ones
- Kitchen countertops **But be sure to read the next section first! **
- Sinks and faucets
- Kitchen table
- Trash cans
- Mirrors and windows (yep, this cleaner leaves a streak-free shine every time!)
- Walls
- Ceramic tile floors
- Tub/Shower
- Bathroom vanity
- Toilet body, tank, and seat (for the inside of the bowl, you might prefer a thicker product that will cling to the sides)
- Exercise equipment
Where NOT to Use Thieves All-Purpose Cleaner
There are some surfaces where you shouldn’t use Thieves all-purpose cleaner at all, and other surfaces where you should be a bit cautious before going full-steam ahead with this particular cleaner.
They include:
- Vinyl or very soft plastic. Essential oils can corrode these surfaces, so Young Living recommends not using Thieves Household Cleaner here.
- Granite and marble countertops. Young Living suggests testing in an inconspicuous area first just in case your countertops are porous. If they are non-porous, you should be fine using this all-purpose cleaner.
Citrus All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe
This used to be my go-to all-purpose cleaner before I discovered Thieves Household Cleaner. Thieves is my current favorite, but this citrus all-purpose cleaner ranks a very close second!
Supplies Needed
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
- 10 drops grapefruit essential oil
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
Directions
Add all ingredients to a dark colored glass spray bottle and swirl to combine.
Since essential oils are light-sensitive and can corrode plastic bottles, be sure to use an amber or cobalt blue glass bottle.
To use, simply spray surfaces and wipe dry with a cloth or paper towel.
Where to Use Citrus All-Purpose Cleaner
Just like the Thieves all-purpose cleaner, you can use this citrus all-purpose cleaner just about anywhere!
Here are some ideas:
- Kitchen appliances, even stainless steel ones
- Kitchen countertops **But be sure to read the next section first! **
- Sinks and faucets
- Kitchen table
- Trash cans
- Walls
- Ceramic tile floors
- Tub/Shower
- Bathroom vanity
- Toilet body, tank, and seat
- Exercise equipment
Where NOT to Use Citrus All-Purpose Cleaner
There are a few surfaces that don’t play well with vinegar, so keep them in mind when using this citrus all-purpose cleaner.
They include:
- Natural stone countertops/tile such as marble, travertine, and granite
- Wood (waxed and unfinished)
- Grout
- Electronics
Also, avoid using this all-purpose cleaner on vinyl or soft plastic. Even though vinegar is fine to use on these surfaces, it’s the essential oils that can corrode them.
Lastly, I find that this all-purpose cleaner does leave streaks on mirrors, so I don’t recommend using it on your mirrors or windows unless you just happen to like the streaky look. 😉
Lemon Infused All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe
You have to wait a week before this lemon infused all-purpose cleaner is ready to use, but it’s well worth the wait! It helps reduce that harsh vinegar smell, and it’s a great way to get the most out of your lemons instead of throwing those peels away!
Supplies Needed
Ingredients
- Lemon peels
- Vinegar
- 1 cup water
Directions
Fill the pint jar with lemon peels and cover with vinegar. Put the lid on the jar and set it aside for about a week or so.
When the vinegar is finished infusing, remove the peels.
Add 1 cup infused vinegar and 1 cup water to a glass spray bottle and swirl to combine.
To use, simply spray surfaces and wipe dry with a cloth or paper towel.
Where to Use Lemon Infused All-Purpose Cleaner
You can use this lemon infused all-purpose cleaner just about everywhere!
Here are some ideas:
- Kitchen appliances, even stainless steel ones
- Kitchen countertops **But be sure to read the next section first! **
- Sinks and faucets
- Kitchen table
- Walls
- Ceramic tile floors
- Vinyl or linoleum floors
- Tub/Shower
- Bathroom vanity
- Trash cans
- Toilet body, tank, and seat
- Exercise equipment
Where NOT to Use Lemon Infused All-Purpose Cleaner
As with the citrus all-purpose cleaner, the vinegar in this recipe doesn’t always play nice with certain surfaces.
Be sure to avoid:
- Natural stone countertops/tile such as marble, travertine, and granite
- Wood (waxed and unfinished)
- Grout
- Electronics
Also, this all-purpose cleaner left streaks on my mirrors, so I don’t recommend using it on mirrors or windows.
But Wait, Won’t My House Smell Like Vinegar?!
If you’re anything like me, you don’t relish the idea of having a home that smells like vinegar. In fact, I don’t know many people who would!
So let me go ahead and put your mind at ease before you completely ditch the idea of making your own all-purpose cleaners.
So, the Thieves all-purpose cleaner obviously doesn’t smell like vinegar because it doesn’t have vinegar in it. It smells great from the time you spray it until the scent dies down hours later.
Unfortunately, the other two recipes do smell like vinegar while you’re cleaning. However, the vinegar smell dissipates as soon as the vinegar dries, and all you’re left with is a nice citrusy scent!
Personally, I don’t mind the temporary smell of vinegar while I’m cleaning. Since I started using it a few years ago, I’ve grown to enjoy the smell because it reminds me that I’m using a cleaner that is both powerful AND healthy for my family and the environment.
It might take you a little while to get used to the smell, but once you do, it’s no big deal. In fact, smelling vinegar is much more tolerable than smelling those harsh commercial chemicals that can cause headaches and difficulty breathing!
Give me the vinegar any day.
Final Thoughts on Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
So now you know how to make three different natural homemade all-purpose cleaners!
These DIY cleaning recipes are a staple in my home, and I know you’ll love them just as much as I do. Not only do they contain natural ingredients that you can feel good about using in your home, but they actually work well too!
So go ahead and give them a try so you can start incorporating more natural cleaning products into your cleaning routines. Once you switch to natural cleaners, I promise you’ll never want to go back to the yucky stuff you used to buy in stores!
Other Natural Cleaning Articles You May Enjoy
- My Secret for Streak-Free Windows and Mirrors (and it isn’t Windex!)
- 3 Natural Glass Cleaners That Really Work (and won’t leave streaks!)
- How to Clean Your Bathroom in 15 Minutes or Less Using Natural Cleaners
- DIY All-Purpose Cleaner Using Natural Ingredients
Other Cleaning Articles You May Enjoy
- 4 Simple Rules for a Tidy Home Every Single Day
- Daily Cleaning Schedule: The Simple Solution for Your Messy Home
- Easy Homemaking Schedule for When You Just Don’t Want to Clean
- Weekend Laundry Routine for Busy Women
What about you? What’s your favorite homemade all-purpose cleaner? Let me know in the comments so I can try it out!
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