Homemade All Purpose Cleaner

6 Materials
$2
10 Minutes
Easy

I use this all purpose cleaner on most surfaces in my home. It has vinegar in it, so I don't use it on my stainless steel fridge. I use it on counters, walls, and cabinets though. It uses natural essential oils to kill germs and cut through grease.

I actually started with citrus infused vinegar. To make citrus infused vinegar, fill a quart mason jar with citrus peels and cover with white vinegar.

I peeled several lemons, being careful not to get the white parts on the peel. I put them in a mason jar but didn't stuff them in. I poured white vinegar over them to completely cover them. I let them sit for two weeks and strained out the peels

Once my vinegar was infused, I used some of it to make this all purpose cleaner.


You'll need:


1 cup lemon infused vinegar

1 cup distilled water

1/2 teaspoon dish soap

15 drops lemon essential oil

10 drops tea tree oil

Spray Bottle


I mix the cleaner right in the bottle. I use a little funnel so I don't spill and add each ingredient to the bottle. Put on the cap and shake well.



The lemon infused vinegar really helps this cut grease and gives it a fresh smell. The tea tree oil helps kill germs.


Click over to my all purpose cleaner blog post for more tips.


Learn more about the best essential oils for cleaning to create your own custom recipe.

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Frequently asked questions
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  2 questions
  • Lynne Staver Lynne Staver on Jan 15, 2021

    Where does the ginger enter in? I saw no mention of it.

  • Em Em on Mar 15, 2021

    Wouldn't you need to rinse off the surface since you have soap in the mixture?

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  • Lori T Lori T on Jan 07, 2019

    You can also put the vinegar and 🍊/ 🍋 peels in a mason jar and heat it in the microwave to infuse the oils faster... be careful about touching the hot glass! I heat mine for a couple of minutes and then let it sit for a couple hours. Then strain and you are ready to go! BONUS- you can easily wipe out your microwave after you remove the mason jar for a quick clean job 😉

  • Janice Hodge Janice Hodge on Mar 13, 2023

    One thing to keep in mind is you should not use essential oils in plastics and being citrus you should use amber or deep colored glass bottles.

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