I ditched household cleansers a few years ago after reading too much on the horrors of regular cleansers. Just read the warning labels on the back of your products. If my child will die if they drink it, I don’t want it in the house or sprayed all over everything!
Making your own DIY green cleansing products is actually very simple and VERY cost effective. Essential oils are antibacterial, antiviral, anti fungal and anti microbial and do an excellent job cleaning everything from counter tops to toilets!
Green Cleaning DIYs with Essential Oils:
I’m going to start with an all-purpose cleanser. It’s so easy, it doesn’t merit it’s own post (at least not on a beauty blog!). I use this for everything, literally. I clean granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, wood floors, tile floors, mirrors, windows etc. I spray it in my washing machine, on toilet seats and use it on door knobs. It gives a streak free shine and costs pennies to make.
All-Purpose Cleanser:
- 3/4 full White Vinegar
- 1/4 full water
- 15 drops Lemon Essential Oil (find it HERE)
- 15 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil (find it HERE)
Lemon, lavender, tea tree and Shield blend(Thieves) work really well. I sometimes just use Shield when we are under attack during flu and cold season. (you know when your kid gets in the car after school and thinks it’s so funny that so and so threw up on their shoe?)
All-Natural Lysol:
- Full glass bottle with water
- 1 TBSP. (cheap) Vodka
- 30 drops essential oil
I use 30-40 drops of Shield during winter months but prefer lavender in the spring and summer. I love adding citrus essential oils but now that my cats are 100% indoors, citrus oils and tea tree are not a good idea (certain essential oils are poison to cats. Learn more HERE).
I use this spray anywhere and everywhere. I freshen up upholstery, spray over comforters and sheets, spray over clothes that smell stale and of course we have a bottle in each bathroom.
Wood Polish:
- 1 cup distilled water
- 2 tsp. castile soap (find it HERE)
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 5 drops lemon essential oil (find it HERE)
Mix all ingredients into a spray bottle and shake. To use, spray on wood surfaces and remove with a dusting cloth.
Carpet Deodorizer:
- 2 cups baking soda
- 30 drops lavender essential oil (find it HERE)
Add both ingredients in a sifter canister like THIS. Gently sprinkle evenly over carpet, wait at least an hour then vacuum thoroughly. I like to do this as soon as my girls go to school then vacuum up before they get home. We’ve had a couple of stomach bugs as well as a few animals having accidents so this little DIY comes in handy!
Sinks & Tubs:
I use my All-Purpose Spray for light cleaning (see above for recipe). For grime and mold, I gotta be honest…. I rarely do much. It’s not been so bad that my spray couldn’t handle and the last time I scrubbed my shower and grout, I used super toxic stuff (which was a while ago). One of my favorite blogs, One Good Thing By Jillee has a recipe that I’m going to try this weekend. It sounds amazing and super promising. However, it does include Dawn dish soap which is not natural-at all but this recipe is 500 times better then Comet or Soft Scrub. Go HERE for her recipe. It’s easy, cheap and she even includes before and afters!
Toilets:
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 3/4 cup Borax (find HERE)
- 15 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil (find it HERE)
- 5 drops Lemon Essential Oil (find it HERE)
I use this recipe for super bad toilets. We live on a well and wells don’t contain chlorine or fluoride so toilet rings are inevitable. I find this recipe is the most effective.
To Use: Dump all ingredients into the toilet bowl and scrub. Allow to set in the toilet for several hours then scrub again and flush.
If you are on city water and don’t deal with super dirty toilets, you can make a simple spray solution of white vinegar and about 20 drops of lemon essential oil. Spray outside of toilet, the seat and inside the bowl thoroughly. Sprinkle baking soda inside the bowl and use a toilet brush to scrub.
More Essential Oil Posts:
- 5 Essential Oils to Never be Without
- Essential Oils 101
- DIY Healing Salve (neosporin)
- Essential Oils for Allergies
- Skin Benefits of Geranium Essential Oil
- Essential Oil Conversions and Dilutions
- DIY Thieves Blend
- Essential Oils and Photosensitivity
- Essential Oils and Pregnancy
BEST “Cleansing” Essential Oils:
I hope this has been a helpful post. DIY green cleaning with essential oil are so easy compared to DIY skin care! Commercial cleansing products are so incredibly toxic not to mention the money adds up. If you aren’t into DIYing, I also love using THIS multi purpose product and wrote a post HERE on how I use it. I also love Seventh Generation products.
xx, Jenni
P.S. One more tip I almost forgot-Markers can be a real problem, next time your kiddo gets marker on a surface, try using orange oil to remove it-it works like a charm 99% of the time!
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Jenni,
First of all, I am crazy about your nail polish! Have to have it! I’ve been using a cleaner like your all purpose cleaner for years and it really works. Eucalyptus oil is one I through in sometimes…it just smells so clean and refreshing. And I’m going to try the cleaner with the vinegar and dawn. My tub could use a little help. Thanks as always for the great ideas!
Elizabeth-Thanks!! I hadn’t thought of eucalyptus-that’s a good one! I’m not sure what my polish is-it was super cheap from Target and I don’t like to use it because I’m not sure if it’s free from most of the harmful ingredients. I’ll see if I can find a safer hunter green!
I am so inspired by your recipes and information. I love the carpet deodorizer; it really makes the whole house smell great. Since I have dogs, I like to vacuum up a tablespoon of it directly into my vacuums weekly. Then when I am vacuuming, it permeates into the vacuum filter, bags, or canister making my chore a lot more enjoyable. I enjoy using the citrus oils to combat old vacuum smells.