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Learn how to make the best Eco-Friendly Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner! This non-toxic all-purpose cleaner uses vinegar and essential oils to help you clean your house without harsh chemicals.

a bottle of homemade all-purpose cleaner on a wooden tray with essential oils, lemon, and fresh mint

I think I may cook too much. I know for certain I clean my counters approximately 32,810 times per day. Give or take.

At the rate I wipe down my hideous white speckled formica (<— just typing that makes me puke in my mouth a little) I would burn through $5 worth of cleaners in a week.

Making my own all-purpose cleaner has saved me a ton of money over the years. It is amazing how only a few simple ingredients already in your pantry can clean so much, and save you boatloads of cash.

This homemade eco-friendly cleaner works like a charm and smells great to boot.

And just like my Homemade Dusting Spray and Furniture Polish, this non-toxic all-purpose cleaner is safe to use around kiddos and pets.

Check out how I use this vinegar all-purpose cleaner in this post on a Cleaning Schedule for Working Moms.

What’s in All-Purpose Cleaner?

This recipe includes:

Vinegar – white and cheap
Essential oils (don’t worry, I don’t sell them)
Dish soap – use your favorite

If you’re interested in the bottle I use, it is this one from Amazon. You can also use any clean empty bottle that you have hanging around the house.

Essential Oils for Cleaning

I need to make clear that I don’t sell essential oils. I don’t think they can solve the world’s problems.

But I do think that essential oils have wonderful cleaning properties and allow you to personalize how this all-purpose spray smells.

I personally buy and use the brand Plant Therapy because they’re not an MLM, you don’t have to be a member to buy them from their site (plus they qualify for ebates), and I can purchase them from Amazon.

Personally, I have a thing for citrus (mix of sweet orange, lemon, and grapefruit), lemongrass, or peppermint.

Tea Tree oil has great anti-bacterial qualities, but I can’t get past the fact that it smells like Sasquatch’s sweaty balls.

A lightly-scented essential oil won’t be great for masking the vinegar smell. But maybe you don’t want to use oils or don’t have any on hand. That’s ok too.

The vinegar scent will dissipate about 10 minutes after you use it.

If you have asthma or other issues that make you sensitive to scents or essential oils, consult your doctor prior to using any.

How to Make Homemade Eco-Friendly All-Purpose Cleaner

*A detailed (i.e., measurements) and printable recipe card is available at the bottom of this post.

Making this homemade all-purpose cleaner couldn’t be easier. Can you add things to a bottle? Great! You’re done.

Fill half of your bottle with water, and half with vinegar.

Add 10-20 drops of dish soap in. Pro tip: make sure you add the dish soap after the water and vinegar so that the bottle doesn’t get sudsy when more liquids are added.

Then put as many drops of essential oils (I usually use about 10-30ish depending on the scent) as you’d like on top of the dish soap. Shake, and use as needed. That’s it!

How to Use Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner

We use this vinegar all-purpose cleaner for almost every surface in the house except our wood floors (we use a Boma mop for those). It’s great for kitchens, door handles, light switches, banisters, and bathrooms.

Pro tip: use peppermint essential oil for bathrooms, especially if you have male children (like me!). Seriously, what’s wrong with boys? The peppermint scent is strong without being overwhelming and smells fresh and clean.

This eco-friendly homemade all-purpose cleaner is great on most surfaces. However, I wouldn’t use it on marble, and you would want to do a few test spots on granite. As with anything, check with your manufacturer for guidance.

I do know however, it works fabulously on ugly Formica!

How to Reduce Waste While Cleaning

If you’re making a homemade all-purpose cleaner to be eco-friendly, you probably don’t want to then use paper towels for your cleaning.

Every year I invest in terrycloth washcloths from Target. I buy them all in the same color and they live in a drawer in my kitchen. I use them for cleaning up kitchen messes and wiping down counters.

I keep a rag bin in my kitchen and toss them in after a few uses. The rag bin contents get washed with bath towels every two days.

After a year, I buy more washcloths in another color and move the old ones to my stash of junkier cleaning towels.

The older cleaning towels are kept with the rest of the cleaning supplies in the basement and are used for bathrooms. Pro tip: never use kitchen towels to clean bathrooms!

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