I want my home to be clean with sustainable, minimal, simple, natural, chemical and toxic free cleaners. My favourite is our homemade natural all purpose house cleaner, simply using vinegar, tea tree oil and water. This cleaner is super effective, versatile and it is also safe for your family and the environment.
I’ve been on the journey for about eight years now to make my home chemical and toxic free. It takes time to make the switch from what we are used to. Switch & ditching toxic chemical filled cleaning products for natural ones takes time. One product, one room at a time adds up. The journey is beautiful as it gave me confidence that I am creating a safe & clean, toxic & chemical free home for my family.
I’m here to help you in your journey of switching & ditching toxic cleaning products for natural ones. This DIY all-purpose natural cleaner is a great place to start!
Do natural cleaners really work?
The simple answer is yes! Speaking from personal experience, I’ve been amazed over and over again at how well simple natural cleaners work when up agains conventional products.
I know it may seem hard to believe as many other products are well marketed. Think back to how our grandmothers have done it for many years. What they did worked! Natural cleaners like vinegar, soap, baking soda and a little elbow grease do the trick quite well.
Why should I use natural cleaners?
There are several reasons, natural cleaners are simple but profoundly impactful. Natural cleaners are environmentally friendly. They are gentle on your skin and better for your health. You don’t have to worry as much about your little ones putting their hands into their mouths after touching a service that was cleaned with a natural cleaner. You are reducing you and your family’s exposure to harsh and harmful chemicals.
The other thing I love about natural homemade cleaners is that they are usually super quick and easy to make. The ingredients are usually quite accessible and inexpensive.
You know all the ingredients in the cleaning product, as you are in charge of what you use. Speaking of ingredients, let’s delve into what’s in this DIY natural all purpose house cleaner.
Ingredients in this homemade natural All Purpose Cleaner:
Vinegar
Vinegar is a powerful natural cleaning agent that has been used for centuries. Its acidic nature makes it effective in cutting through grease, grime, and dirt. Vinegar also has antimicrobial properties, making it the perfect choice for disinfecting surfaces around your home. It’s also super easy to make yourself too.
Water
Water is a necessary ingredient. When using vinegar as a cleaning agent, it’s important to dilute it with water. A common ratio is one part vinegar to one part water, but you can adjust the concentration based on the level of cleaning required. For tougher stains, mold or dirt buildup, you can use a higher concentration of vinegar.
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Tea tree oil is derived from the leaves of the Melaleuca Alternifolia tree, native to Australia. It is known for its powerful anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial properties. When added to a homemade cleaner, tea tree oil increases its disinfecting abilities.
Tea tree essential oil kills bacteria, fungus and viruses plus it also helps to inhibit their growth. This is why I love adding tea tree essential oil to my house cleaner. It’s especially good in areas prone to mold, such as kitchens, bathrooms and washing machines.
How to make a natural All Purpose Cleaner
- Fill a spray bottle half way with distilled white vinegar.
- Fill the rest of it with water. You are aiming for a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water.
- Add about 10-20 drops of tea tree oil to the mixture. This adds more disinfecting properties.
- Put the spray bottle’s lid on and give it a gentle shake to mix the ingredients.
That’s it, now you are ready to start cleaning!
I absolutely love how quickly this homemade natural all purpose cleaner recipe comes together, as well as how versatile this natural cleaner is!
Other essential oils for cleaning
You can mix it up with other essential oils that have great cleaning properties. Here are some suggestions:
- tea tree
- peppermint
- lemon
- cinnamon
- cloves
These oils smell fresh as well has have fantastic purifying and cleansing properties.
How to use the natural All-Purpose House Cleaner?
I love the versatility of this homemade toxic-free cleaner as you can be used on a variety of surfaces. It works to clean most
- countertops,
- sinks,
- floors,
- mirrors,
- mold
- washing machines,
- compost pails,
- windows
- gross window sills.
Read more about how I use vinegar, tea tree essential oil, and a few other natural ingredients to clean mold out of our washing machine and keep mildew out here.
Be careful though, as vinegar is acidic and may damage certain surfaces, such as marble or granite. You can test the cleaner on a small, inconspicuous area before trying it on a larger surface.
When using this all-purpose natural cleaner, simply spray it onto the surface and wipe it clean with a cloth. For tougher stains or dirt, let the cleaner sit for a few minutes before wiping it away. The vinegar smell will dissipate as the surface dries, make sure to not directly breath it in too much as vinegar is acetic acid. I like to turn the bathroom fan on or open a window to get more ventilation when cleaning.
How to store natural cleaners?
Make sure to clearly label the bottle properly!
Then everyone in your home will also knows what’s in the bottle and what it’s for. This will also keep you from wondering what’s in it later.
Ideally use an amber glass bottle and store the cleaner in a cool, dark place to maintain its effectiveness. Essential oils loose their potency in direct sunlight or with heat, amber helps prevent this, so does a dark cupboard.
Plastic leaches into whatever it’s touching. Glass bottles are the best. They are also reusable and easy to clean.
Don’t let this hang you up though if all you have is a plastic spray bottle just start. Using a natural cleaner in a dollar store plastic bottle is much better than using a conventional toxic product stored in a plastic bottle!
How to make the switch to natural cleaners?
Start small. Make a list of each area of your house you use products. Kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, etc. Then list our what you use on a daily basis. Pick one area of your house and every week or month aim to swap out one product.
Creating a natural laundry routine is another fantastic way to start! Read all about my 6 natural and toxic free laundry routine tips in this post.
If you don’t want to make DIY natural cleaning products then I have a solution for you. Try using the Yuka app or EWG app when shopping to help find natural healthy products. You can the bar code of your own house products. With the Yuka app it will suggest a more healthy product you could use instead.
Give it a try! Let me know how I can help you in your journey to wholesome natural cleaning in the comments below.
Grab a Label
Snag these FREE natural cleaning printable labels I created for you to download and use on your own homemade natural cleaning products.
There are two styles of labels for you to choose from! One is a tag version that you can tie onto your cleaner with some pretty burlap twine. The other is rectangular and can be pasted directly onto your cleaning bottle. Cleaning naturally should be beautiful.
Natural All Purpose Cleaner
Go toxic free with this homemade natural all purpose house cleaner.
Ingredients
- 16-ounce glass spray bottle
- 8 oz white vinegar
- 8 oz water
- 10-20 drops tea tree essential oil
Instructions
- Shake before each use.
- Ideally, store in a cool, dark place.
Notes
If you need to clean mold or need a stronger cleaner simply change the 1:1 ratio of water to vinegar, increasing the amount of vinegar.
Shop what you need to make this natural All Purpose cleaner:
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Love this! I”m saving it for later.
Thank you for this! I’ve been thinking about making my own cleaners and this post makes it look so easy.
I’ll be making this! I love using essential oils for cleaning instead of harsh cleaners
I’ve just stocked up with things like white vinegar and baking soda to make my own cleaners, and your explanations make it seem so easy! I saved this post for later =D
I *love* having this all purpose cleaner on hand. I have littles at home who like to help with everything, and I don’t mind them using this to wash the walls on cleaning day! I never worry about them getting exposed to something or other in a commercial cleaner.
We put a few drops of glycerin liquid soap for extra oomph when we need it!
This is almost exactly what I do. The only difference is that I also add about a tablespoon of natural dish liquid. Been cleaning like this for many years!