When you allow children to do chores, the need to have child-safe cleaning products becomes super important. But, even mamas need to consider what kind of cleaners they are exposing themselves to. I don’t want to sacrifice a clean home for a natural cleaner and I don’t want to sacrifice my family’s health for a commercial cleaner that really works. I was certain there was a way to get the best of both worlds – safe, natural AND clean!
Now, before you tell me, “just use vinegar”, let me explain something. My husband does not like the house smelling of vinegar, and no matter how much essential oil I add to my vinegar-based cleaners, he can still smell it. So, I knew vinegar wasn’t going to be an option.
I also needed an easy recipe. I have a large family, which equals large messes, which in turn equals a lot of cleaning products. If I was going to have to make a recipe several times a month, then it would have to be simple.
It also needed to be all-purpose. I have no desire to spend precious time making a cleaner that can only do one thing. It had to be able to clean a multitude of things.
The original basis for this recipe comes from Lisa Barthuly’s Homestead Simplicity. I highly recommend Lisa’s ebooks. You can find them on her webiste HomesteadOriginals.com or on Amazon.)
This recipe smells great, is easy to make, and is a workhorse! You can tweak it a thousand different ways depending on your needs, so feel free to experiment with it.
All you really need are a 32 oz spray bottle, water, and liquid Grapfruit Seed Extract. HOWEVER, notice the little essential oil bottle in the photo above? That’s where the tweaking begins! The Grapefruit Seed Extract and water are a must, but that little bottle of essential oils can be as unique as you are!
A quick note about the GSE:
I purchased this as a nutritional supplement for one of our children who proceeded to spit it out every time I made her drink it. I finally gave up and resorted to using it to disinfect my cutting boards. However, one little bottle of GSE goes a LONG way, so I was thrilled to find a way to use more of it!
In our home, we use a mixture of Tea Tree Oil and Lavender. These are good all-around cleansing oils and I like the way they smell. We use this spray to clean counters and floors, toilets and bathtubs, and just about anything else you can think of that would typically be cleaned by an all-purpose, harsh-chemical spray. I’m sure you will find this cleaner becomes a staple cleaning product in your home as well!
{p.s. I wanted to write about this cleaner before I dove into Homemaking Basics because I will refer to this cleaner a lot!}
How to Make Your Own All-Natural, All-Purpose Cleaner
1. Fill a 32 oz spray bottle with water.
2. Add 35 drops of Liquid Grapefruit Seed Extract.
3. Add 20 drops of essential oil like tea tree or lavender.
4. Shake well.
5. Label bottle and place in convenient location.
I keep 3 bottles of this on hand – 1 in each bathroom and 1 under the kitchen sink. Not only does this make it quick and easy to clean up messes, it also keeps the kids from fighting over the cleaner during Home Blessing chores on Friday mornings! Win-Win!
So, whip up a batch of this cleaner, figure out what essential oil combinations you like best (don’t forget to ask the kiddos!), and let’s get to cleaning!
Rébecca says
Thank you for this great tip ! I’ve tried vinegar too, but my husband has the same reaction as yours, so this is a nice alternative.
Amy J. says
Thanks a bunch for this. I ditto the vinegar smell. Great for cleaning out coffee makers etc. but not as a cleaner. Can’t wait to get the supplies to make some and even thought about making extra as gifts for family. Thank you.
Shannon M says
I just need to get some bottles and I’m going to make some of this! I have GSE- recently purchased for treating thrush. I had some from two children ago but it expired and I threw it away. What a waste! Didn’t think about using it as a cleaner! Thanks for posting this! 🙂
Suanna says
Thank you for this recipe. The kids use a vinegar cleaner, but my husband won’t touch it. I am going to try this and see if he likes it.
Christian Cunard says
thanks for this recipe. I will defiantly have to try this. I want my kids to help, and they want to help too, but I’m so concerned with the chemicals. My only question is, does this cleaner disinfect? I nave a son with health problems and I need the home to stay disinfected for germs.
S.T. says
I would also like to know the answer to the question of if it disinfects.
Thank you!
Amy says
Yes, it does! That is what the Grapefruit Seed Extract does. 🙂
Amy says
Yes, that is what the Grapefruit Seed Extract does. 🙂
Tonia says
I use a homemade vinegar cleaner and it is a bit strong. I’ll have to give this recipe a try.
Amanda says
Looks great! And I actually have GSE in my cabinet 🙂 I also don’t like the smell of vinegar, and no matter what – I can still smell it if I’ve used it for cleaning. Thanks for the alternative!
Rhoda says
Thank you for the recipe and recommendation. Looking forward to trying this as I recently read that vinegar breaks up the grouting on tile and my house has a lot of tile. Was wondering what I could use in place of the vinegar as I want to keep things natural and healthy for me and for my family. I already have the water and tree tea oil, just need to find the grapefruit seed extract.
shiloh says
I love homemade cleaners. Vinegar works great for cleaning almost anything as well.
sharon says
Hi, I was wondering if have ever used clove oil as an essential oil in the mix. I live in very warm, humid Brisbane, Australia (think Florida) and clove oil is supposed to be good for mould. Have you used it and would you use it with the tea tree oil as well or separately. Thanks for any tips. 🙂
Amy says
I have not used it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Great idea!
Prudence says
Hi, Sharon. I live in the rainforest in Costa Rica and have been experimenting with mold prevention and clean-up, too. I’ve found that a combination of lemon juice, lemon essential oil, and jojoba oil work best to clean cabinets, tables, and the wood around my windows. I do use clove oil on cotton balls in my closet, and that really seems to help prevent moldy clothing. (I’ve alternated with camphor, and though camphor may last longer, the smell isn’t as good.) I’d just caution against using clove in things that you might be spraying onto tile, if you have white grout, since clove can stain. Please share your mold solutions as you come across them in Brisbane! It can be a full-time job dealing with it until discovering what really works.
Angela says
I will also have to try this recipe, hoping ‘all-purpose’ includes mirrors as that is the number one reason I use vinegar even though I don’t like the smell, I can clean my entire bathroom with it.
On another note if you still want to use the GSE for nutritional purposes try putting it in capsules. When I was treating myself and my young children for yeast overgrowth GSE was the only thing that helped us all, and it does seem to last forever, however, I wouldn’t blame anybody for spitting it out, it is the definition of bitter and the taste does not quickly leave your mouth. I would empty an acidophilus capsule in to the kids yogurt with a single drop of GSE, they could taste two, but one was ok, then take mine, a much stronger dose, in one of the capsules.
Amy says
I have not tried it on windows. I use Norwex cloths and water for my windows.
Cheryl Paul says
I use the equivalent here in NZ on my windows and mirrors. Nothing but water required! It’s great.
Sarah D. says
This sounds interesting. I’ve been using vinegar to clean just about everything! We don’t mind the smell, but it would be nice to have something less “scented” some times. =) Thanks for the recipe!
Allison says
Hi!
Does this work on the inside of a very dirty oven? Where do you buy GSE? I’ve never heard of it before.
Thanks!
Jessica says
Grapefruit seed extract is great stuff!
Helen says
Are the oils an essential part of the cleaning or do they just give a nice smell? Would water and GSE work?
Amy says
Depending on what you add, it may or may not be part of the cleaning aspect, but yes, you can just do GSE and water and be fine. 🙂
Sheri says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ve been using hydrogen peroxide and water mix as a bathroom cleaner for a while–it doesn’t leave a strong smell and disinfects. Anyway, I decided to try your cleaner using sweet orange for the essential oil and it smells so good!
Amy says
Yay! I thought about doing sweet orange next time too – love that smell!
laura says
you ladies are an inspiration! i was wondering where you get your essential oils from? i’m very new to this~ thanks!
Amy says
I used to buy through a Frontier coop. You can get them on Amazon, through independent dealers, and at health food stores.
Caleb says
Thanks for sharing. I would like to try this homemade cleaner to see if it really works.
Darby says
I have made this a couple of time and am now using Young Livings Thieves oil… I was going to make it again and instead of the Lavender I was going to use Thieves… it is a germ killer too… figure more germ killing power! Thanks for all you share!
Jessica says
I was wondering if there were any essential oils that smell good enough to use in this mix, but also deter insects? We are battling the little sugar ants.
Amy says
Try peppermint!
Jessica says
Thank you, also do you know if citronella is ok to use around kids inside?
Jessica says
I ordered the peppermint, tea tree and citronella for different household indoor and outdoor sprays.
Amy says
I’m not sure. We’ve always used it outside.
Paula Casey says
This is already one of my favourites as well. Thank you so much for sharing. I just love DIY cleaners.
Melissa Bennett says
Oh, this recipe seems very nice! I like the smell of a grapefruit! My recipe for an all-purpose natural cleaner is: 1 cup vinegar (no matter what kind), 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons baking soda, 1 tablespoon sea salt (you can use table salt if you don’t have another), 30 drops essential oil (optional, I use it because of the nice scent), 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Mix all the ingredients and pour down in a spray bottle. Shake it before use. By the way if you want to use it for disinfection you can add 1-2 tablespoons vodka. Thanks for sharing!
Amy says
Great idea on the vodka!
Amber says
Is this mix safe for granite?
Amy says
I would think so. There is no abrasive in it.
Laura says
Thanks, my neighbor swears by this so I will give it a try.
Robin J Pickford says
I use the grapefruit seed extract and teatree oil to clean with because I have cats and it is not harmful to them
Kristen says
Hi Amy,
Thanks for this recipe, I’m trying it out. Is this safe for wood furniture? If not, what do you use on wood? Thanks!
Amy says
I would not use it on wood. Wood does best with an oil base or beeswax to keep it from drying out. Honestly, some good old fashioned Murphy’s and some essential oils work great!