DIY Natural Cleaning Spray || Quick And Easy To Make
DIY natural cleaning spray is quick and easy to make. It’s a far better alternative to the commercially produced, chemical laden cleaning product options so widely available in stores. And it costs considerably less as well.
The recipe I’m sharing with you today is for an all-purpose spray. It takes just a few minutes to put together and it’s really pleasant to work with. There’s something incredibly satisfying about being able to breathe normally while you clean. No holding your breathe to avoid the chemicals in this spray.
If you are new to DIY cleaning products, this spray is a really great place to start your journey to toxin-free cleaning.
WHY MAKE YOUR OWN CLEANING PRODUCTS
Making your own cleaning products can save you a great deal of money. It’s very easy to get caught up on the marketing campaigns of the cleaning product companies. Before you know it your cabinets are full of products. One for countertops, one for ovens, one for floors, one for showers, etc.
This is really not necessary. Just a few simple handmade products are really all that you need. And they can all be made with a few inexpensive household ingredients.
But, I have to be honest, it’s never been about saving money for me. I have always been drawn to the fact that when I make my own cleaning products I get to control the ingredients. And that’s important to me.
I want a product that isn’t harmful to myself, my family (bulldogge included), or the environment. I want a product that I feel good about using; mentally and physically.
Handmade, chemical-free products provide me with the tools I need to feel as though cleaning my home is not destructive to the beings (plants, animals, and humans) who live there. While making it a pleasant, comfortable, clean environment to thrive in.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE DIY CLEANING SPRAY
This DIY natural cleaning spray is made with just 4 ingredients. And while you’ll find many recipes out there that have more complicated composition, you will also find that many natural cleaning ingredients cancel each other out when mixed together.
It’s much better to keep it simple. I used to make my DIY natural cleaning spray by infusing orange peels in white vinegar. But that limited me quite a bit as vinegar can be destructive to several household surfaces.
It seems like making a spray with vinegar and then labeling it ‘all-purpose’ lacks a bit of common sense to me. This spary is much more versatile. And while you should spot check it like any other cleaning product, you will find that it works well on just about any surface.
Essential ingredients list for DIY cleaning spray …
- Castile Soap – Castile soap is a gentle, yet effective liquid soap that is chemical-free and pleasant to work with. It may seem expensive when looking at the price alone. But don’t let that fool you. A little castile soap goes a long way.
- Tea Tree Essential Oil – Tea tree essential oil is highly anti-microbial. And that’s a quality you want to have in your DIY natural cleaning spray, for sure.
- Lavender Essential Oil – Lavender essentail oil is also antimicrobial. And it offsets the less pleasant smell of the tea tree essential oil quite effectively.
- Water – Water is probably the most overlooked ingredient in the natural cleaning world. Everyone uses it. Most don’t give it credit for how much it adds to the recipe. Water is an essential element. One of the big four: water, fire, air, and earth. Use water from a source that pleases you. Straight from the kitchen sink is fine, particularly if you are blessed with fresh well water.
Add a fresh sprig of rosemary when it’s available …
In the summer months, when there are fresh herbs readily available to me, I like to put a sprig of rosemary right in the bottle of cleaning spray I make.
Rosemary has antifungal, antibacterial, and antiseptic properites. When it’s growing right out in the yard it seems like a waste to not take a minute to grab a few sprigs and include them in my handmade cleaning products. But I don’t go out of the way to try to obtain it in the winter months.
HOW TO USE DIY CLEANING SPRAY
As stated earlier, it is always best to test your DIY natural cleaning spray on an inconspicuous area of the surface you’ll be cleaning before you go ahead and spray the whole thing. It is unlikely that you will find an issue with this particular recipe, as it is very surface friendly.
However, please do use common sense. It is easy enough for me to say there won’t be an issue, but I have no idea what you may be thinking of using it on.
Other than that, all you really do with this DIY natural cleaning spray is apply it to the surface you wish to clean and wipe it off with a lint free cloth.
WHERE TO USE DIY CLEANING SPRAY
This spray can be used on countertops, tabletops, stovetops, sinks, showers, toilets, and much more! I simply carry it around from room to room with me while I’m tidying the house and use it on just about everything. If I’m armed with a bottle of DIY natural cleaning spray and a vacuum I’ve pretty much got the housecleaning covered.
The one thing that I do wish it worked on is windows. Unfortunately, the soap and oil in it leave a glass surface covered in streaks.
But windows don’t make the every day cleaning list cut anyway. They are on their own cleaning schedule. They are done more seasonally than regularly. And nothing works better on a window than vinegar and newspaper. If my grandma were here she’d tell you so!
SHELF LIFE OF HANDMADE SPRAY
This handmade spray should last a good month or so in your cabinet. It will likely remain usable for much longer than that. But the soap and oils will break down in the water over time, reducing it’s efficacy.
It’s inexpensive and it’s lovely to use. So, use it liberally and use it often. You’ll be glad you did.
Too often I see people make handmade products and then squirrel them away like they are made of gold. It is much more gratifying to use them as they were intended. Use them to make your life better. And in this case … use them to improve the safety and air quality of your personal living space.
I’d love to hear about your experience with DIY natural cleaning products. Or maybe you can share why it’s important to you to use them in your own home. Let’s meet in the comments and chat all about it!
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If you try this recipe and love it, please give it 5 stars! It supports my work more than you may realize, and I appreciate that a great deal!
You can also show your support by tagging me on Facebook @sustainableslowliving and/or Instagram @slowlivingbydianegail when you post a pic of your finished spray.
DIY NATURAL CLEANING SPRAY
DIY natural cleaning spray is quick and easy to make. It's a far better alternative to the commercially produced, chemical laden cleaning product options so widely available in stores. And it costs considerably less as well.
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1 tbls liquid castille soap
- 10 drops tea tree essential oil
- 20 drops lavender essential oil
Instructions
- Pour water into a spray bottle
- Add remaining ingredients to the bottle
- Gently rock bottle back and forth to blend ingredients
I love that you can make homemade cleaner yourself! Can’t wait to give this a try soon
Hope you love it as much as I do 😉
Yes yes all the things Castile soap. I’ve really come to love it so much. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
I also love castile soap. I’ve been using it for more than a decade. And my only regret is I didn’t start sooner 😉
I love homemade cleaning products! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Oh you’re welcome Ada! Thanks for being here 😉
Hi! Do you use plain Castile Soap? Or a scent version
I use unscented most of the time. But a scented version will certainly work 😉