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Homemade All Purpose Cleaner (All Natural!)

qmbln · March 3, 2020 ·


Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links which means if you click and buy,
we may receive a small commission. See full Disclosure for details.

How to make your own non toxic, natural, all purpose cleaner with this super easy recipe

After years of research and experimentation with a variety of homemade cleaner recipes, I finally came across an all natural recipe that really works! The basic recipe is called “Infused Cleaning Vinegar” which I found in Ashlee Piper’s awesome book Give A Sh*t (page 88).

Ashlee’s recipe is super simple, inexpensive and uses all natural ingredients. This is truly the first homemade cleaning solution that actually works. But, since we have very hard water here in Kentucky, I have made a few adjustments to her recipe.


(This page may contain affiliate links which means if you click and buy,
we may receive a small commission. See full Disclosure here for details.)

DIY Handmade Lemon Lemon Vinegar Cleaner Recipe

Like most of you, I have been getting increasingly more concerned about the many toxic chemicals we are exposed to on any given day. According to EnviroAlternatives, the average American household contains 62 toxic chemicals!

4 of the 5 top toxic household chemicals are Ammonia, Bleach, Drain Cleaners and Air Fresheners. Most of us have these items in our homes right now.


Mason Jar and Lemon for homemade all purpose cleaner

The past several years, we have been working hard to eliminate all toxic chemicals from our home. And while I have always been a big fan of using white vinegar, it didn’t always do the job. Our granite countertops were usually left with a film.

So, I was super excited to try Ashlee Piper’s eco-friendly, lemon and vinegar recipe and to my surprise, it works great. No more hazy film left on my counters.

Not only that, but this cleaner also does a great job in the bathroom sink and shower.

Check out the Give A Sh*t Book!


How to make this Homemade All Purpose Cleaner:

This recipe really couldn’t be any easier. I keep a gallon zip bag in the freezer at all times. As I use lemons, limes or oranges in my everyday cooking or baking, I simply toss the leftover rinds into my freezer bag.

When it is time to make the homemade cleaner, I place the fruits in a saucepan and add about 1/2 cup of water. This is then heated to a boil and simmered to bring out all of the natural oils.


Lemons and Limes for a Homemade All Purpose Cleaner

When the lemons are done cooking, I place them in a quart size mason jar and cover and fill the jar with white vinegar.

To use the cleaner, all you have to do is strain the liquid (at least twice) through a fine mesh sieve or strainer. Then, just pour the strained liquid into a spray bottle and you’re good to go.

If you have hard water like we do, you may want to add a little castile soap to the mix (we like Dr. Bronners). This is completely optional. I recommend you try it with and without the soap to see which works best for you.


Cut up Lemons and Limes for all purpose cleaner

GREEN TIP: When buying vinegar, choose the largest, recyclable container available to help cut down on waste.


Yield: 1 Quart

Best Homemade All Purpose Cleaner Recipe

DIY Handmade Lemon Lemon Vinegar Cleaner Recipe

This homemade, all natural, all purpose cleaner is adapted from a basic recipe out of the book, Give A Sh*t, by Ashlee Piper.

Ashlee's recipe works great but since we have very hard water, I made a few changes.

To give this cleaner a bit more power, I simmer the citrus fruit in a little water before adding the vinegar. This helps to extract the natural juices.

Also, for tougher jobs like the tile in my shower, I like to add a squirt or two of pure Castile Soap, such as Dr. Bronners.

Store this cleaning solution in your mason jar in the refrigerator and use as needed.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Materials

  • 5 - 10 Lemons, Limes and/or Oranges (cut in chunks)
  • White Vinegar
  • 1/2 Cup Water
  • 2 TB Castile Soap (optional)
  • (Note: you can buy the fruit specifically for this recipe but I prefer to save my leftover citrus fruit from other recipes. Store them in the freezer until you have enough)

Tools

  • 1 Quart Mason Jar
  • Small Saucepan
  • Fine Sieve or Strainer
  • Spray Bottle

Instructions

  1. Place your cut up citrus fruit in the saucepan. Add the water and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for about 30 minutes.
  2. Place the lemons and water mixture in your mason jar.
  3. Fill the jar to the top with white vinegar.

Notes

Optional: for added cleaning power, add the castile soap.

To keep from clogging the spray bottle, strain your liquid at least two times.

For super tough cleaning jobs, it helps to heat your vinegar, lemon cleaner on the stove before using.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • 1 Quart Mason Jar
    1 Quart Mason Jar
  • Fine Mesh Sieve
    Fine Mesh Sieve
  • Spray Bottle
    Spray Bottle
  • Pure Castile Soap
© qmbln
Category: Green Living

About “Give A Sh*t”

This book was an absolute game changer for me! No exaggeration. I had been on a sustainability, eco friendly lifestyle quest for a while and Ashlee Piper’s book really helped me focus on what is important.

It is chock full of practical changes anybody can make in their daily lives to make a huge difference. Let’s face it … our planet is in trouble and we all need to pitch in to clean it up.

And as you can probably tell by the title, it is a super funny read as well! But be warned, if you are not a fan of cuss words, this might not be the book for you.

Oh, and you will definitely want to try the plant based Mac & Cheese recipe on Page 146! That was the one thing I truly missed since going vegan and this recipe is the bomb!

Also check out: Going Zero Waste in the Kitchen


More DIY Cleaner Recipes

Why buy toxic chemical cleaners when you can make much better cleaning solutions at home using simple, natural ingredients. For more homemade household cleaner recipes, make sure and check out this article from the Good Housekeeping website.


DIY All Purpose Cleaner

Lemon Vinegar Cleaning Solution

Homemade All Purpose Cleaner


Filed Under: Green Living Tagged With: all natural cleaner, all natural household cleaner, diy all purpose cleaner, diy spray cleaner, homemade cleaner, how to make all purpose cleaner, lemon cleaner, lemon vinegar cleaning solution, the best homemade cleaner, vinegar cleaner, vinegar spray cleaner recipe

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