It’s time to ditch your toxic household cleaners and make your own natural cleaners instead. Today, I’m sharing my DIY all purpose cleaner recipe. It’s the best homemade all purpose cleaner you’ll ever try!
Best DIY All Purpose Cleaner
I was cleaning my bathroom the other day, and it dawned on me that I have never shared any of my DIY cleaner recipes (except for my homemade thieves cleaner).
Which is crazy because I love making my own homemade cleaners. I’ve been making them and using them for over ten years now.
When my boys were young, I learned all about the potential dangers of household cleaning products, and the thought of exposing my children to toxic chemicals on a daily basis freaked me out!
So, I learned to make my own homemade cleaners with natural ingredients, and I’ve never gone back.
(This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure statementhere.)
I am not a doctor and the statements on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products mentioned here are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please do not ask me for medical advice. Click here to read my full disclaimer.
Dangers of Household Cleaning Products
Many store-bought cleaning products contain dangerous chemicals. These chemicals can cause headaches, irritate the throat and eyes, and cause respiratory problems. Some have even been linked to cancer.
You can click here to learn more about the potential dangers of household cleaning products.
Dangers of Breathing in Cleaning Chemicals
Breathing in chemicals from household cleaners can cause damage to the lungs.
Studies have shown that women who work around cleaners showed a greater decline in lung function than women who haven’t been exposed to cleaners on a regular basis.
You can click here to check out the study.
Environmental Effects of Chemicals in Cleaning Products
Household cleaners are not only harmful to your health but also really bad for the environment.
When you use toxic cleaners to clean your sinks or showers, those chemicals are then washed down the drain.
Most of those chemicals are removed at the wastewater treatment facilities, but not all. And unfortunately, many of the chemicals end up in our lakes and rivers.
The plastic bottles used to store household cleaners also harm the environment by contributing to the already massive landfills.
You can click here to learn more about the harmful effects of cleaning products on the environment.
Harmful Household Cleaning Products
Below are some of the most dangerous household cleaners. If you own these, I would throw them out right away.
- Simple Green
- Drano
- Scrubbing Bubbles
- Aerosol Air Fresheners
- Comet
- 409
There are actually many, many more. You can visit the EWG website to discover how your favorite cleaner ranks.
And don’t let those so-called “natural” cleaners fool you.
Brands such as Mrs. Meyers and Method actually use some very questionable ingredients and are not as natural as they would like you to believe.
So be sure to also check out their ratings on the EWG website.
DIY All-Purpose Cleaner Without Vinegar
Vinegar is a very powerful cleaning agent and all-natural deodorizer.
I use vinegar in my all natural DIY glass cleaner and my .
Without vinegar, neither of those homemade cleaning products would work as well as they do.
Vinegar is amazing!
By the way, if you are looking for a non-toxic glass cleaner, I highly recommend checking out my homemade glass cleaner recipe.
It works better than any store-bought glass cleaner I have ever tried, and it is 100% natural.
But with all of that being said, this DIY all-purpose cleaner recipe does not include vinegar.
The main active ingredient in this homemade all-purpose cleaner is castile soap; castile soap and vinegar do not work well together.
Castile soap is a base, and vinegar is an acid. When they are combined, they will directly react with each other and cancel each other out.
DIY All-Purpose Cleaner With Essential Oils
Like with so many of my other homemade products, I like to add essential oils. The essential oils not only give the cleaner a little extra cleaning power, but they also make it smell amazing!
My favorite essential oils for cleaning are lemon, orange, lavender, tea tree, and peppermint. You can add whichever essential oil combinations you like best.
You can find some of my favorite combinations below in the frequently asked questions section.
Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner Ingredients
To make this homemade all-purpose cleaner, you’ll need to make sure you have a 16oz glass spray bottle as well as the ingredients below.
- Distilled or filtered water
- Unscented castile soap
- Essential oils (my favorite oil combos are below)
How To Make DIY All Purpose Cleaner
This recipe literally takes 5 minutes or less to make. Just follow the simple directions below.
- Add 20 drops of your favorite essential oils to the bottle
- Fill with distilled or filtered water (leave a little bit of room for the castile soap)
- Add 2 tbsp of castile soap
- Attach nozzle
- Shake well
Homemade All Purpose Cleaner
Yield: 16 oz
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ditch your toxic household cleaners for this homemade all purpose cleaner. It's 100% natural and takes less then 5 minutes to make!
Materials
- 16 oz Glass Spray Bottle
- Distilled or Filtered Water
- Unscented Castile Soap
- Essential Oils
Instructions
- Add 20 drops of your favorite essential oils to bottle
- Fill with distilled or filtered water (leave a little bit of room for castile soap)
- Add 2 tbsp of castile soap
- Add nozzle & shake well
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
How To Use Homemade All Purpose Cleaner
As the name implies, this can be used for many different purposes.
I use it on countertops, floors, sinks, toilets, stovetops, refrigerators, and anything else you can think of. It is a true all purpose cleaner.
Just remember to shake the bottle well before each use!
How to Store Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
The best way to store this cleaner is in a cool, dark place.
Heat can cause mold and bacteria to grow, so try to store this DIY all-purpose cleaner in a cool, dark place, like under your kitchen sink.
It is also important to keep it in a dark glass bottle because sunlight can damage the essential oils used in this all-purpose cleaner.
And the bottle should be made out of glass because pure essential oils are very potent, and plastic may begin to deteriorate and leach into the cleaner.
How Long Does DIY All-Purpose Cleaner Last?
I recommend using this DIY all-purpose cleaner within 30 days. The water included in this recipe can breed mold and bacteria if left to sit for too long.
I personally use up a bottle of this homemade all purpose cleaner every week. As I mentioned before – I use it for a lot of different things!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use Tap Water Instead Of Distilled Or Filtered Water?
I personally only use distilled water because I know how bad my tap water is, and the whole purpose of this DIY cleaner is to avoid toxins.
Also, the minerals in tap water can clog your spray nozzle and leave residue on your home’s surfaces.
But you’re free to use whatever type of water you would like. Distilled water is just my personal preference.
If you know your tap water is safe or you are just not concerned about the potential toxic chemicals in the tap water, then by all means, use that instead.
Which Essential Oil Combinations Are Best?
I’m constantly changing up my essential oil combinations. Some of my go-to essential oil combos are below.
- 10 drops tea tree & 10 drops lemon
- 10 drops lemon & 10 drops lavender
- 10 drops orange & 10 drops lemon
- 10 drops peppermint & 10 drops lemon
As you can see, I really like lemon. It’s great for cleaning!
Can I use Scented Castile Soap?
You don’t have to use unscented castile soap. If you have a scented castile soap on hand, you can totally use that.
I prefer to use unscented because I like to create my own scent combinations with essential oils, and sometimes the scented castile soap can interfere with the scent I am trying to achieve.
What Brand Of Essential Oils Do You Recommend?
I am a huge fan of Plant Therapy and Simply Earth essential oils.
Please don’t think you have to spend a ton of money or join an MLM (or both) to use essential oils.
In my honest opinion, MLM brand essential oils are ridiculously overpriced. And I should know because I used to be a part of one.
I’ve tried their essential oils which are great, but the essential oil brands I mentioned above are just as great and a fraction of the price.
So save your money!
If you purchase fromSimply Earth, you can use the codeHAPPYHEARTFREEto receive a big bonus box and a $45 Simply Earth gift card with the purchase of an essential oil recipe box.
You’ll get the recipe box, the big bonus box, plus a $45 gift card for only $29.99 (new customers only)!!!
Click hereto take advantage of this incredible offer.
Final Thoughts About All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe
Switching out toxic household cleaners for homemade natural ones is one of the easiest ways to start eliminating toxins from your home.
A clean house should be good for your health, not bad for it.
If you are interested in learning ways to make your home more toxin-free, I recommend checking out this article – 5 Simple Steps to a Toxin-free Home.
If you have any comments or questions, please share them below!
More Natural Living Posts
- Homemade Bath Oil Recipe
- DIY Deodorant that Works
- DIY Roll-on Perfume
- DIY Body Spray With Essential Oils
