Natural DIY All-Purpose Cleaner Recipes

Learn how to make an all-purpose cleaner that smells great and cleans like a prize-winning champ with this DIY natural cleaning solution recipe.

Here’s a DIY all-purpose cleaner that makes it easy to keep the whole house naturally clean and disinfected. Cleaning with natural cleaners is an easy way to keep pets and children, especially those still mouthing objects, away from harmful detergents and harsh chemicals. You will notice there are a few recipe alternatives to choose between in this handy guide that make it easy clean most household surfaces, including marble, tile, laminate, and vinyl.

First, gather the non-toxic ingredients for the natural DIY all-purpose cleaner recipe you’d like to make from the options listed below. Most of the ingredients are common household items you are likely to have on hand. If not, pick them up at your local grocery store. Then follow the simple step-by-step instructions below to make your own all-purpose cleaner that makes clean-up a snap.

Finally, use your homemade cleaner to clean bathroom and kitchen surfaces, and other areas where an all-purpose cleaner is needed. This DIY tutorial includes recipes specifically designed for the gentle cleaning of marble, granite, and other delicate hard surfaces. It also includes a heavy-duty cleaner recipe recommended for tougher jobs. For more information, please review this list of natural cleaning products, complete with homemade cleaning recipes, to learn more about each ingredient and stock up on cleaning supplies.

Best DIY All-Purpose Cleaner Recipes:

The “best” homemade cleaner depends on the task. When making DIY cleaners, always avoid mixing vinegar with bleach, as it can create toxic fumes. Use the homemade recipes below to make your own all-purpose cleaner that fits your needs. Then use it to clean and disinfect floors, counters, and other surfaces in the home.

DIY Natural All-Purpose Cleaning Recipe:

A versatile, all-purpose spray for a 16-ounce bottle combines equal parts distilled water and white vinegar to prevent streaks, with a few drops of dish soap for extra cleaning power and/or essential oils for a fresh scent with a gentle fragrance:

• 8-ounces water (distilled is best)
• 8-ounces white vinegar
• A few drops of dish soap
• (Optional) 15-25 drops Lemon, Orange, Lavender, Tea Tree, Rosemary, Clove, Cinnamon, or Thieves essential oil (You can also add a squeeze of real lemon)
• (Optional for recipes containing essential oils) A small drop of polysorbate 80. Polysorbate is a food-grade emulsifier that can improve the solubility of oil- and water-based ingredients. It is used to disperse the essential oils in this all-purpose cleaning recipe, preventing them from separating. Some say it can also help boost the cleaning power of the solution.

All-Purpose Cleaning Recipe for Heavy-Duty Jobs:

A stronger version for heavy-duty cleaning adds rubbing alcohol to disinfect and provide a streak-free shine on glass. Make your own heavy-duty, all-purpose DIY cleaner by mixing 1:1 white vinegar and water, with up to 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol for quick drying and disinfecting. Please do not use this cleaning solution on marble or granite surfaces. Instead, use the recipe for marble and other delicate surfaces in the next section to clean them. A simple recipe for filling a 16-ounce spray bottle follows:

• 6-7 oz water (distilled is best)
• 6-7 oz white vinegar
• 2-4 oz rubbing alcohol
• A few drops of natural dish soap
• (Optional) 15-25 drops Lemon, Orange, Lavender, Tea Tree, or Thieves essential oil (You can also add a squeeze of real lemon)
• (Optional for recipes containing essential oils) A small drop of polysorbate 80.

Another common recipe calls for 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of alcohol, and 1/2 to 1 cup of water:

• 4 oz white vinegar
• 4 oz rubbing alcohol
• 4-8 oz water (distilled is best)

DIY All-Purpose Cleaner for Marble, Granite, and Other Delicate Surfaces:

This natural cleaning recipe can be used on light marble, tile, granite, laminate, and vinyl, but please do not use it on natural wooden surfaces. Spot test a small patch of dark marble and wait at least 24 hours to ensure it does not stain.

• 8 oz Water distiller – Countertopdistilled water
• 8 oz hydrogen Peroxide
• (Optional) 15 – 25 drops Lemon, Orange, Lavender, Tea Tree, or Thieves essential oil. (You can also add a squeeze of real lemon)
• (Optional for recipes containing essential oils) Small drop of polysorbate 80.

All-Purpose Cleaning Paste for Stubborn Grease and Grime:

For stubborn grime, mix baking soda or borax with water to make a paste to the desired consistency. With a little elbow grease, this mixture can provide effective scrubbing power for tough stains and dried-on grease. Please do not use this homemade DIY cleaning paste on marble or delicate surfaces.

• Baking soda or borax
• Distilled water

Other Supplies and Materials Needed for Making Homemade Cleaners:

• Spray bottle with silicone protector for mixing ingredients and spraying onto household surfaces such as countertops and sinks.

Making all-natural cleaning products is quick and easy when you keep the supplies you need in the cleaning pantry. So, grab the ingredients above to make the DIY all-purpose cleaner best suited to your needs, and be sure to keep them on hand for refills. Choose other natural cleaning products you want to keep in the pantry, ready to make cleaning solutions for every job on this comprehensive list of homemade cleaning supplies.

How to Make Natural All-Purpose Cleaner

Learn how to make a natural DIY all-purpose cleaner and disinfectant that smells great and cleans like a prize-winning champ with the simple step-by-step DIY natural cleaning solution instructions below.

1. Add water directly to the spray bottle:

• Depending on the recipe you are following from the options above, pour 1/2 to 1 cup (8 ounces) of water directly into a 16-ounce spray bottle.

2. (Optional) Add a few drops of essential oils directly to the spray bottle:

• Add drops of essential oils directly into the glass spray bottle for the natural cleaning solution recipe. This step is optional; skip to the next step in the process if you will not be adding essential oils to your homemade cleaning solution.
• Add a small drop of polysorbate 80 to help the essential oils mix into the cleaning solution. This step is optional only if you add essential oils to the spray cleaning recipe, as it can help the oil and water mix.
• Give the bottle a gentle clockwise and counterclockwise swirl to mix the oils and water as best as possible, then move on to the next step.

• Add the remaining ingredients from the recipe to the spray bottle to fill it.
• Please ensure that you leave enough room for the spray nozzle to fit inside the bottle so the homemade cleaning solution does not overflow.
• In other words, you may need to add just under the amounts listed in the homemade cleaning solution recipe so the ingredients fit inside the bottle without overflowing.
• Finally, put the nozzle on, give it a few good shakes, and swirl the ingredients to gently mix the DIY spray cleaner.

Storing and Using DIY All-Purpose Cleaner:

At home, I use a blue glass spray bottle with measurements for our all-purpose cleaner. Glass is eco-friendly and ideal for storing and using essential oils. Using glass spray bottles is also much better for the environment and for our homes. If the idea of glass spray bottles and the possibility of breakage puts you on edge, put a silicone protector on each to ease your nerves and put your mind at rest.

There are also clear glass and amber spray bottles available. However, I prefer a clear glass spray bottle for our DIY glass and window cleaner and an amber-colored bottle for our wood cleaner and polish. Using a different-colored bottle for each homemade cleaning solution makes it easier for everyone in the household to know at a glance which cleaner is which, without needing labels.

Another added bonus of using different-colored glass bottles for DIY spray cleaners is that I don’t mind them sitting on my kitchen counter, ready to use. Not only do they look much nicer than a plastic bottle with a big, ugly logo, but they also help reduce waste. Besides, leaving it sitting on the kitchen counter makes my children and husband more likely to use it, and there’s no harm in that. Maybe it will work for you, too!

How to Clean with Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner:

Follow the steps below to use these excellent, all-purpose DIY cleaners to naturally clean most household surfaces, including kitchen counters and bathroom floors! Make the appropriate cleaning solution for your needs to use on laminate, tile, and marble surfaces, but please do not use any of these all-purpose cleaner recipes on real wood floors or wooden furniture. Instead, use this DIY Wood Cleaner for any actual wood surfaces in the home, classroom, or office.

• Give the bottle of DIY cleaning solution a good shake and a swirl before using.
• Grab a sponge, cotton rag, microfiber cloth, or a terry cloth mop with washable cotton refills, and you are ready for some serious all-purpose cleaning.
• Spray the appropriate cleaning mixture from the DIY recipe options above directly onto countertops, sinks, toilets, laminate tabletops, fixtures, floors (tile, laminate, or vinyl), and more. These DIY cleaning recipes make it easy to clean and disinfect in one go!

Another Simple Natural All-Purpose DIY Cleaner Tip

When you need more cleaning power, sprinkle baking soda onto the surface or item you wish to clean after spraying it with your homemade cleaning solution. The mild abrasive power of baking soda makes this optional step less than desirable for some cleaning tasks.

For example, please do not use baking soda on marble countertops and fixtures, glass or windows, ceramic stovetops, aluminum, antique silver, wood furniture, or wooden floors. Because baking soda is an abrasive powder, cleaning these items will likely cause more harm than good. Another less abrasive option is to use a toothbrush. For more natural cleaning tips, visit How to Make All-Natural Cleaning Products.

Homemade All-purpose Cleaning Solution Recipe

When it comes to making homemade cleaning recipes and keeping the house clean, creating household cleaning routines has been the ticket to my success. And today, making natural cleaning solutions is a part of the household rhythms that I enjoy.

Let me show you how to create rhythms and routines that make keeping the house clean and tidy effortless. Building a home cleaning routine is easy when you have excellent tools and resources to help. Get started with our FREE Guide–> QuickStart Weekly Planning Guide.

Learn more about Nell Regan Kartychok, author of this guide to getting started with HERE, and Rhythms of Play HERE!

More DIY Natural Cleaning Recipes

• Homemade Natural Wood Cleaner and Polish
• DIY Glass and Window Cleaner
• Homemade Cleaning Kit for Kids

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• Teach Children to Care for the Earth: 12 Tips
• 20 Ways to Detoxify Your Home
• Getting Started with Essential Oils for a Healthy Home