Citrus All-Purpose DIY Surface Cleaner

It’s a warm spring Saturday, the windows are open with a light breeze drifting through the house, and it’s a perfect day to catch up on some housework.  What better time to share one of my favorite DIY house cleaning products?  This Citrus All-Purpose DIY Surface Cleaner is inexpensive, only takes 5 minutes to make, and cleans as well as any commercial surface cleaner I’ve ever tried (think Windex, 409, Clorox Green Works, etc).  It’s not only practical but it’s also fun to create a custom natural scent with your favorite essential oils.  Never thought I’d be this excited about anything related to cleaning, but there you have it.

ingredients citrus all-purpose surface cleaner
Vinegar, essential oils and a spray bottle are all you need to make your own cleaner.

The base for this all-purpose cleaner is distilled white vinegar.  I keep two large jugs of distilled white vinegar on hand at all times as I use it for all sorts of different household purposes.  It has tons of practical applications, it’s cheap and it’s eco-friendly.  *swoon*  All my favorite things!  Dilute it with water (I do about 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water), add essential oils and that’s it.  Now all you need is a spray bottle and some dirty household messes to test it out on.

behind scenes citrus all-purpose surface cleaner
Exclusive behind the scenes look at our makeshift photography studio!

Some of you may question the logic of using vinegar to clean as it is generally regarded as a “stinky” substance, but do not be fooled!  Vinegar is actually notorious for getting rid of bad smells, and regardless of whether you use essential oils the vinegar smell will dissipate rapidly after use.  If you do use the essential oils they will almost entirely mask the vinegar smell during use and leave a nice pleasant aroma in their wake.  I am partial to the light, fresh citrus scent that I use here.  For me, citrus evokes the notion of cleanliness and is the perfect finishing touch to this all-purpose cleaner.

final citrus all-purpose surface cleaner 2
Ready to clean all the messes!

Citrus All-Purpose DIY Surface Cleaner

Ingredients:

12 oz distilled white vinegar

10 drops grapefruit essential oil

5 drops orange essential oil

5 drops lemongrass essential oil

20 oz water

Method:

Pour vinegar into a 32 oz spray bottle.  You can use a clean recycled spray bottle left over from a store-bought cleaner, or you can buy a new spray bottle from any home improvement/gardening store.  I’ve found that eventually the sprayers on store-bought cleaner bottles will stop working, although I’ve probably gotten 1-2 years of use out of them before they give out.  Otherwise the garden spray bottle we paid a few bucks for has held up for several years thus far.  Next add essential oils to the vinegar.  20-30 drops is generally enough for a lightly scented cleaner and you can play around with what oils you use.  Fill bottle with water to about an inch from top, cap and shake to combine.  That’s all folks, it’s now ready for you to clean and deodorize to your heart’s content.

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