How to Make Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner and Spray Bottles That Won’t Leach
Yesterday, My Son Ate Some Laundry Detergent
Being the kind, thoughtful mother than I am, I handed him a glass of water to wash it down. That, folks, is the beauty of making your own non-toxic cleaning supplies.
The best part? They WORK. As in, move over Clorox – oregano essential oil can kill spores from anthrax, e. coli and a broad spectrum of bacteria – work. ¹ Certain essential oils have also been found to kill MRSA on contact in under two minutes, while others neutralize salmonella, e. coli and pneumonia. (source)
Yep, you can clear out 90% of your toxic cleaning supplies with some baking soda, vinegar, castile soap and a few essential oils! Laundry and dish detergent need a few extra ingredients, but that’s for another day . . .
Unfortunately, Essential Oils Tend To . . .
Increase the likelihood that plastic bottles will leach the kind of nasties you’re trying to avoid by making your own cleaners in the first place. No worries, though! It’s super easy to make your own glass spray bottle.
Simply take an old screw top bottle (I use an apple cider vinegar bottle) and fit the nozzle from your old spray bottle on top. Voila!
Need something to put inside your little container of absolute genius? Here’s a recipe to get you started!
Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar or white (non-GMO) vinegar
- 20 drops essential oil (see below for options)
OR
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons castile soap
- 20 drops essential oil (see below for options)
Instructions
- Pour ingredients into a spray bottle, preferably made of glass
- Shake well before use
- Store in a cool, dark place. (Essential oils oxidize in sunlight)
Choosing your essential oils:
In various studies, these oils have demonstrated potent antimicrobial properties. Some are more effective in killing e. coli, while others are more effective with salmonella, etc., so it’s best to use them blended together.
If there’s a particular strain you’re trying to target check out this study, but in general find that they all work well for run-of-the-mill house cooties.
For those of you with littles ones who like to “taste test,” the ones with asterisks are considered “generally recognized as safe” for internal use by the FDA.
- lemongrass
- lavender
- lemon* (especially in the kitchen as a degreaser)
- grapefruit*
- pine
- cinnamon
- tea tree
- clove*
- eucalyptus
- peppermint**
- rosemary
- oregano*
- thyme*
** Though peppermint oil is safe to consume, it is not recommended for children under five due to the possibility that it can cause distressed breathing.
What do you want to learn to make next?
¹ Archives Microbiology, Volume 174, October 2000; Quarterly Review Biology, Volume 73, March 1998
Shirlee
Would theives essential oil work for a cleaner?
Heather
Yes!
Susie
Thieves oil works great to add for the cleaner. But even better yet, Use the Thieves cleaner. It is great as a degreaser, tub, shower, floors…very concentrated, and you can add 1 capful per spray bottle of water.
Edi Keller
First, I love your new bio picture, you look great! Second, I’ve been trying to remember where I saw a liquid hand soap recipe without glycerine? I love your DIY Beauty book (on day two of my own sandalwood& vanilla skin care line!) and I’m excited to try the all purpose cleaner. Thanks for the bottle tip too I know over enough time tea tree oil can “eat” away at the plastic so I like the option and our ACV bottle is almost empty!
Amanda
I have always assumed Kiss My Face brand soap is totally natural- if you know its not ignore this reply. A few weeks ago I took one bar of Kiss My Face Olive Oil soap and grated it then boiled it with four cups of water until dissolved and it got kind of slimy and gross. But I let it sit in a bowl overnight then put it in my hand pumps. It comes out a pretty good consistency for hand soap.
Heather
I haven’t purchased their products so I’m not sure, Amanda! The olive oil looks pretty good, but I’m not sure why they put refined salt in it. Refined salt is not healthy, but I’m not sure it would have much of an impact in small amounts. The “fragrance” in their other soaps could be just about anything, so I personally would steer clear of those.
Leah
Do you/anyone have any combination recommendations for the above oils? I’m so new to all this I don’t feel comfortable jumping right in combining my own (:
Andrea
You shouldn’t combine vinegar and castile soap. See Dr. Bronner blog below…
http://lisa.drbronner.com/?p=292
Isla
This is great! I just bought oregano oil for a mouthwash recipe from Diane Kidman’s Beauty Gone WIld book. Now I have something else to use it for. Thanks!
Kelli B
I just read an article the other day about not mixing castile soap with vinegar – have you ever heard this? It was news to me because I always make my cleaner very similar to the recipe you posted but now I’m rethinking it! here’s the article: http://lisa.drbronner.com/?p=292
Heather
Yikes, I actually knew that from when I formulated shampoos, but somehow forgot! It’s never been an issue for me with this recipe – maybe because it’s such a small amount of castile soap?? Whatever the reason, I’m correcting it now. Thanks, Kelli!
Robin @ Thank Your Body
Um, that whole glass spray bottle thing is brilliant. Simple and brilliant.
Robin @ Thank Your Body´s last [type] ..Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor Giveaway ($325 value!)
Jacquelyn
I made a recipe similar to this a few years ago, was really excited about it—but when the spritzer hopelessly clogged I read (the same article commenter Kelli B. posted above actually) that some say it’s best not to combine vinegar and soap. Thoughts?
Love your vinegar bottle tip! Was just thinking how I’d like to switch to glass!
mamanina
as far as i know( cuz i also tried it myself without success), vinegar and castille soap do NOT mix together. here’s why: http://lisa.drbronner.com/?p=292
Heather
Yikes! I actually knew that from when I formulated shampoos, but somehow forgot it! It’s never been an issue for me with this recipe (maybe because it’s such a small amount of castile soap) but I’m correcting it now. Thank you!
Emily
Can you recommend any brands of non GMO white vinegar? Thanks.
Heather
Whole Foods says theirs is non-GMO, but some of their other “non-GMO” stuff was recently busted for being falsely labeled
Cathy
I had no idea white vinegar contained GMOs!! I’m used to buying a super-cheap gallon jug of it at the local grocery store for cleaning…I guess nothing good comes cheap these days. The Spectrum brand is verified as non-GMO white vinegar. I found this out on the Non-GMO Project page: http://www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/search-participating-products/search-by-name/
Kandi
I only use Young Living EO’s for purity, for cleaning you might find something priced for less, but chances are they are not as pure.
Kandi
hit reply on the wrong post, sorry!
Debbie
So do you have a brand of essential oils that you recommend? Thanks.
Kandi
I only use Young Living EO’s for purity, for cleaning you might find something priced for less, but chances are they are not as pure.
Laura L
I use doTerra Pure essential oils. They are tested and proved for safety and one of the best EO’s available. There is also Essential Vitality , Mountain Rose Herbs and Young Living.
Nicki
thank you for this heather! i used plain vinegar this week to sanitize our *sick* house but now that i have a handful of oils on hand i will try this out!
i LOVE the glass bottle idea…i agree…its brilliant! and so good to know that using EO can cause leaching w plastic!
Katie
My husband and I have made cleanser like this for the past six months, but I love your recipe better than the other! And it’s great to know what each essential oil you can use in cleaners. I am going to give this a try
Katie´s last [type] ..Three Alternative Therapies to Combat Infertility
Aimee
Interesting post. I will try doing the glass bottle. It hadn’t even popped into my head that my plastic bottle was leaching.
Adriana
Great site. Thanks. I already shared my new find
On the bottle, may I suggest. A brown glass bottle, say from ACV maybe? It may help the cleaner las longer should you forget to return it to the cupboard.
Looking forward to trying many of your recipes.
Monica
I love using essential oils to clean! I’m using OnGuard right now and it smells so good. Thanks for the bottle trick! I will definitely be saving my acv bottle now!
Tara
I was going to look into purchasing glass spray bottles, so the used ACV bottle trick will save me some money.
Regarding which oils are safe for children in case of ingestion, like a poster above, I would appreciate some guidance about which oils to combine to get an effective cleanser, particularly which ones are safe for babies. I do have a new bottle of OnGuard oil; would it be safe if accidentally ingested? Also, this gives me an opportunity to ask something I’ve been wondering about the homemade hand sanitizer (with lavender and rosemary oils). Is that safe to spray on baby’s hands? I see that lavender isn’t marked above as one that is safe for internal use. But of course my baby puts his hands directly into the mouth – all the time! So if the hand sanitizer is on the hands, it will be ingested. 
Any suggestions which combination of oils would be best for the cleaner AND what would be best for the hand sanitizer? (for the sanitizer, I just combined the oils with water, but am questioning which oils)
Sara Gordon
What do the single * next to the EO mean?
Heather
Just that they’re the ones with “GRAS” status from the FDA
Rena
Please share your recipe for laundry detergent! I found one I like but it is involved enough that I know I will not make it very often.
Cate
Where do you get your glass spray bottles?
Heather
Hi Cate! I actually repurposed and old apple cider vinegar container for this one. Details in the post!
Shaundra
Dish soap! I have tried and the recipes I’ve used can never quite cut the grease (all those delicious healthy fats we eat).
Ellen Kristine
Hi! Thank you for this great blog and recipe! I will definitely try this! I would also love to learn how to make laundry detergent(I am about to try soapnuts) and dishwasher detergent( I have tried vinegar and it seems to work : ) Thank you again!
Rena
I am curious where to find glass spray bottle. thx
Heather
Hi Rena! I explain how I made my own in the post
Kristen
such a good idea with the glass bottle! I’ve been slowly but surely getting rid of plastics. I usually just mix water and vinegar but need to add essential oils and get rid of the plastic spray bottle. Ugh, plastics are everywhere!!! Please post the laundry detergent recipe
Krissy
You can use vinegar and peroxide to disinfect also. For my kitchen sink, I keep seperate spray bottles under the sink. Keep your peroxide in it’s brown bottle, as light will degrade it. Also it’s not ok to mix the two in the same spray bottle and use…once again it will degrade. Spray your sink with vinegar and then spray with peroxide and just let sit a while–I actually just do it right before bed when I start our dishwasher, no rinse needed.
Chrystal @ Happy Mothering
Thanks for the tips about using an old ACV bottle! Great tip. You also want to make sure your vinegar is made from non-gmo grains and not petroleum!
Chrystal @ Happy Mothering´s last [type] ..Treat Your Skin Condition with Healing Natural Oils
Ashley
Wild using grapefruit seed extract be as effective? Or is it the same a grapefruit eo?
Heather
Hi Ashley! I avoid grapefruit seeds extract for the reasons listed in this article
http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/most-controversial/2010/1/27/the-truth-about-grapefruit-seed-extract.html
Jessica
What do you use for wood surfaces or leather? Great post!
Lisa
I’ve been using a homemade cleaner recipe for about 2 years now, and I’ve loved it. The recipe does have both vinegar and Castile soap in it, but I’ve never had the separating described in the article two people left in the comments. The recipe I use is:
2 cups water
1/2 cup vinegar
3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide
1 tsp. peppermint Castile soap
20 drops tea tree oil
20 drops lavender oil
I would love to know if I’ve been doing something wrong! LOVE the ACV bottle repurpose idea. I had’nt given a moments thought to something being wrong with my dollar store spray bottles
. Also, is it wrong to use white vinegar that may have GMO origin if it’s only for cleaning?
Rebecca
Is there any rule of thumb on using lemon juice as opposed to lemon essential oil? I haven’t discovered the answer in my google searches. In trying to be frugal and use what I had on hand, I thought I could just use juice, but I’m not sure if it acts the same in the recipe as the EO. Also, I found a recipe recently where you packed lemon or orange rinds into a mason jar and covered them with vinegar and stored for two weeks, then strain the liquid off and use that as a cleaner. I’m just looking for a quick fix I can make today and not have to wait two weeks or until I can get some EO at the store!
Heather
You can totally use lemon rinds to make an all-purpose cleaner! Here’s the recipe I use: http://www.mommypotamus.com/uses-for-lemon-oil-and-peel/
Tara
I’ve been told that vinegar (and other acidic things, I think?) can damage granite countertops. So I totally like the lemon/vinegar infusion you linked to, and all the all-purpose cleaners with vinegar, but I’m wondering if there is another option for granite that is still safe and effective and smells good.
Heather
Hmmm, I’m not really sure Tara! If it were me I’d probably a recipe like this one with organic alcohol (due to GMO contamination) and castile soap instead of Dawn (I’d probably use a few more drops).
Audrey
I know this might be a dumb question, but will this all purpose cleaner work for carpets? I used to spray some smelly stuff before I vacuumed and it made the house smell soo good!!
And could I used wild orange or any citrus eo for the receipe?
Jennifer
Heather, I would absolutely LOVE a hand washing dish detergent recipe! I’ve tried quite a few and haven’t liked any of them. Your recipes always work. Thanks!
Sarah
Wow, why didn’t I think of that. I’ve been converting all of my containers to glass for the past couple years and just hadn’t thought of how to do that one yet!
Jill
Great post! I have been thinking about making my own household cleaner, but had no idea that the plastic bottle would leach chemicals into the cleanser! Thanks for the glass bottle idea, I’ll definitely be doing that instead.
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Kristen
Do you have a homemade dish soap recipe? Could castile soap work? Thanks for awesome recipes!
Stacy
I would love to know what you use to clean your bathroom with… I’ve tried several and they are really messy.
Amanda
Okay, I have been making my own cleaning supplies for years now and am just now doing research and trying to find ways to make things better and more natural. Can you explain what leaching is a little better? I had never heard of this. In my recipes I was typically using water, essential oils and vinegar. And I just put it into an old plastic spray bottle. Are you saying I should stop using plastic bottles? I defiantly will, I just want to understand why that is. THanks so much!!!
Heather
Some essential oils can actually dissolve the chemicals in plastic, which could then be sprayed on the surfaces you’re cleaning.
adrienne
this is so great! thank you! i am wondering if you can suggest the best bug deterring essential oil. we have house centipedes :::shudder::: and i am wondering if i clean with this in the areas they like to say hi, maybe i can scare them away with some oils. any suggestions? truthfully, i just want to move. but bugs are everywhere…unfortunately
adrienne´s last [type] ..Less Do-ing, More Be-ing
Heather
Sorry, I’m not sure what would deter centipedes!
adrienne
no worries! thought i’d ask in case any essential oils were known to scare bugs away. i’m gonna keep trying…or move…or just cry
adrienne´s last [type] ..Less Do-ing, More Be-ing
Amanda
I have always heard that lemongrass deters bugs- not sure if that would work for centipedes also, but always worth a try.
adrienne
thank you! i’ll try anything. bugs in general do not like essential oils but wasn’t sure if any were known for doing it
Amanda
Thanks Heather! Some how I never knew that could happen when you use plastic bottles. Are there certain essential oils that do this more than others?
Stephanie
I just wanted to add that fermented cod liver oil darkened bottles also work as reusable bottles!! They fit the sprayers at walmart in the travel stuff section…and they are amber so it’ll would work for light sensitive products!!
Heather
That’s brilliant, Stephanie! I have a few of those laying around
Thank you!
cara dube
I have looked and don’t see that the question about which oils was answered. I am new to this and need more specific instruction. Sorry.
Amanda
I just made some cleaner and was looking all around the kitchen for a glass bottle that would work. My husband got a bottle of Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey for xmas from work- and it worked perfectly!!! I used a spray top from another bottle. So glad I didn’t throw out that bottle when it was empty!
Kristen
I love the idea of re-using an ACV bottle, but I didn’t have any tops to go with it.
If anyone is interested, I ordered some cheap trigger-spray tops from Midwest Bottles. They were cheap (at only 65 cents a top, and some others were cheaper!), and came quickly. I didn’t want to go to the dollar store (the only place I’ve found plastic spray bottles) and be left with a bunch of plastic bottles with no top. So for me, this was the next best thing.
This is the kind I got: http://www.midwestbottles.com/index.php?p=product&id=1474
In my experience, the 28-400 size fits my Braggs ACV bottle as well as my Eden Organics ACV bottle. I’m pretty sure that’s a “standard” size. There are other kinds/colors on the site as well.
Anyway, it’s not recycling. But if you’re like me, and don’t have any trigger-spray tops to reuse, this is a cheap alternative. (Also, in my opinion, because of shipping, it would be easiest to order a lot with a few people, just a thought!).
MIchael
What about chemicals leaching from the plastic suction nozzle
Heather
It’s less-than-ideal for the nozzle and hose to be made of plastic, but I consider it the best option given what’s commonly available.
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melanie
But what about the plastic spray nozzle? All the cleaner has to pass through the little plastic tube. Won’t that leach with the exposure to the essential oil too?
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