How to make homemade all-purpose cleaner (for free)

Winner, would you like to get your hands on a recipe for homemade all-purpose cleaner that will clean your house thoroughly without you having to spend all your hard-earned money?

Then keep reading. Because I’m about to share with you a recipe that uses only 2 main ingredients.

That’s right. Only 2 ingredients for a homemade all-purpose cleaner that will tackle most of your cleaning needs.

Why do you need this homemade all-purpose cleaner?

As the name suggests, you need only 1 product for all your cleaning purposes.

In the stores, there’s practically a different product for every cleaning surface. Imagine spending all your money to buy at least 5 different cleaning products.

That’s a lot of money!

But this homemade all-purpose cleaner eliminates the need for all these products. Just by combining possibly 5 different products into 1. Using only 2 simple ingredients.

You can make as much of it as you want. And as often as your cleaning needs dictate.

In a nutshell, you want this homemade all-purpose cleaner because it saves you Money. Energy. Space. And time.

Ingredients for homemade all-purpose cleaner

Tools for homemade all-purpose cleaner

8 steps for homemade all-purpose cleaner

Step 1: Pour water into glass container

How much water you use for your cleaner recipe will depend on how much cleaner you’ll be making in the first place.

That means the more cleaner you want, the more the water. And vice versa.

You should use distilled water for your recipe.

Why should you use distilled water for your homemade all-purpose cleaner?

Because it’s free from any hardness that might damage your home surfaces.

But if you’re like me, you don’t have access to distilled water from stores. In that case, what do you do?

You boil your normal tap water for a few minutes. Because boiling the water gets rid of any hardness.

And now you can cool your water. And use that water for your cleaner recipe.

Step 2: Add white vinegar to water

How much vinegar you add will depend on how much water you’ve used. Which in turn is dependent on how much homemade all-purpose cleaner you want.

But you want to mix equal parts of vinegar and water in your recipe.

Use white vinegar for this recipe as it is good for cutting through most dirt, including grease.

Step 3: Add lemon/orange rind to mixture (optional)

The lemon/orange rind will dilute the smell of vinegar. (On these pictures I used lemon rind.)

Plus, remember, lemons are generally used for cleaning. So, that’s an added bonus.

Just the rind of one piece of fruit is enough for your recipe. Even if you’re making a lot of cleaner.

Step 4: Add herb sprigs (Optional)

I’m all about some fragrance. Because that’s what makes your cleaner smell like a store-bought one.

So, to double up on the fragrance, I add a fresh branch of Lippia Javanica herb.

This is the herb we also use for our tea.

And you’ll remember that I also add it to my fermented rice water for hair.

Step 5: Add essential oil (Optional)

You can skip this step if you don’t have any essential oil.

I actually only started including this step aftter I borrowed a bottle of eucalyptus oil from my sister.

The oil will add extra fragrance to cleaner.

I add my eucalyptus oil to my coffee sugar scrub and fermented rice water for hair.

Step 6: Stir the ingredients together

Use a spoon to blend all your ingredients.

Alternatively. Or additionally, you can seal your bottle. And give it a good shake for a minute to ensure that the ingredients are well blended.

Step 7: Seal the container and set it aside for at least 1 week

By setting your mixture aside, you’re allowing enough time for the mixture to become infused so it can effectively clean.

During this time, the smell of the vinegar will also disappear. (That’s a plus if you dislike the smell.)

Step 8: Pour mixture into a spray bottle and use

You can either choose to sieve out the solid ingredients. Or put them into the spray bottle as well.

But if you do decide to keep them in the spray bottle (like I do,) then they’ll continue to become infused into your cleaning mixture for as long as use it.

By the way, using only white vinegar and water for your homemade all-purpose cleaner will allow you to keep your cleaner indefinitely.

But adding the lemon/orange rind and herbs will render it stale after about a month.

So, if you’re going to be adding the herbs and lemon/orange rind, make just enough cleaner to last you a month, at most.

What should you clean with your homemade all-purpose cleaner?

Caution: Though this is a homemade all-purpose cleaner, you should always test your surfaces to make sure they’ll receive the cleaner without any damage.

Since vinegar is an acid, educate yourself on what surfaces you can use it. And what surfaces you cannot.

You should use your cleaner for:

• Floors

• Fabrics

• Windows and mirrors

• Toilet surfaces and bowls

• Bathtubs

• Walls

• Refrigerators and freezers

• Microwaves
• Baking trays

• Stovetops
• Sinks

• Garbage disposals

• Garbage cans

What should you NOT clean with your homemade all-purpose cleaner?

• Marble

• Granite

• Rhinestone

Final thoughts

Learning this homemade all-purpose cleaner recipe can help you effectively clean your house using the simple ingredients you already have in your house, and thereby saving money. The steps in this post will help you make your cleaner.

I hope this post has been helpful to you? In that case, please share your thoughts with us by commenting:

Winner, by sharing your feedback, you can inspire another Winner out there to also make their own all-purpose cleaner that tackles their cleaning needs without breaking their budget.

Last but not least, remember that it’s your journey. So, there’s no rush. No right or wrong. Only progress.

Also, remember that in everything you do, you’re a Winner. And in everything that happens, your life is always a win!