Zero Waste All Purpose Cleaner

I started the transition to natural-based cleansers around the home in 2014. Since then, I’ve tried SO MANY homemade and bought options. There are some amazing options out there and others that are completely greenwashed. Be careful when making the switch to a more ‘natural’ based cleaner if you’re buying from the store. Check their ingredients, check their sourcing, and consider the packaging (if you’re concerned with excess waste.) I will make a blog post of some of my favorite purchased projects to clean the house, but today is about a simple option to make one yourself.

The benefits of a homemade cleaner are pretty awesome. You control the ingredients and their amounts. If your family has certain sensitivities or scent preferences, you get to leave things out or add them in. It’s super frugal. This specific cleaner can be used all around the home and costs less than $1 per bottle.

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What you will need:

• Glass jar with lid (varies depending on how big of a batch you’d like to make at a time. I prefer half gallon jars.)
• Spray bottle (I recommend glass, as they will last longer and feel they are a better investment.)
• Funnel for bottling your cleaner
• 1 gallon of white vinegar
• Various citrus peels
• Herbs (optional)

What to do:

You could make this super simple and just place white vinegar in your spray bottle; however, adding citrus and herbs to your vinegar masks the smell of your vinegar and adds extra antimicrobial benefits to your cleaner.

• Place your citrus peels in your glass jar (I use 1/2 gallon jars. Ball jars work well, but I’ve also picked up old honey or pickle jars up from family.)
• Add in your chosen herbs. I have one batch currently going with lemon, oranges, and rosemary and another with only oranges and mint.
• Pour in your white vinegar to cover the citrus and herbs, screw on your lid, and leave in a cool spot out of direct sunlight.
• Gently shake daily (or whenever you remember!)
• To use, strain into a glass bowl, and use your funnel to fill your spray bottle!

Super simple to make! Make sure to compost your herbs and citrus peels!

Alternatives

You can totally clean with just white vinegar! It works great on countertops, windows, and floors (Although I would be careful with laminate and wood floors. Personally, I dilute our floor spray 1:1 with filtered water). The vinegar smell doesn’t linger and you still end up with a clean surface.

If you don’t have access to herbs (or would have to purchase them) you can definitely use essential oils if you have them on hand!