How to Make Your Own Household Cleaners Using Essential Oils

Please use caution when using essential oils around pets and babies. Please test any homemade cleaners on an inconspicuous area before use and do not combine chemicals. See our full disclosure here.

This post contains affiliate links & photos. See our full disclosure here.

In this post: So you want to clean your house with more natural cleaners? Then you’re going to love these DIY natural cleaners! 

---

In this post, you’ll discover how you can easily replace common household cleaners and how to make your own household cleaners using essential oils.

Essential oils are one of the easiest ways to ‘Go Green’ in your household.

They are the all-natural antibacterial choice for anyone wanting to avoid the harsh chemicals that cleaning products typically carry.  

You’ll get a wonderful aroma and get to experience the many benefits that essential oils have to offer.

Using essential oils and making your own household cleaners not only keeps you safe and protected, but it will also save you precious time and hard-earned money. 

How to Make Your Own Household Cleaners Using Essential Oils

All-Purpose Spray

This spray works wonders for cleaning hard surfaces, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. It’s non-toxic yet highly effective.

In a spray bottle combine the following and give it a good shake:

• 2 cups of Water
• ¼ cup of White Vinegar
• 10 drops each of Eucalyptus, Wild Orange and Peppermint essential oils OR
• 15 drops each of Lemon and Lavender essential oils

Tile Floor Cleaner

This is a wonderful antiseptic that will make your floors shine and leave behind a fresh clean scent.

In a mop bucket, start with 1 ½ gallons of hot water and then add the following:

• 1 cup White Vinegar
• 10 drops each of Pine, Lemon and Marjoram essential oils OR
• 20 drops Lemon and 10 drops of Rosemary essential oil

Optional: If your floors tend to get especially greasy or you simply prefer the suds approach you can add a teaspoon of Dr. Bronner’s Organic Sal Suds Liquid Cleaner.

Combine ingredients, give it a swish, mop your floors as usual and allow them to air dry. No need to rinse.

You could use either tap water or distilled water in your homemade cleaning products. The reasons for using distilled vs tap water would depend on your local tap water. If your tap water has a lot of minerals in it (i.e. if you have hard water), it could leave “water marks”, which would of course be annoying when you’re trying to clean! 

DIY Dryer Sheets

This one is so simple! You can make your own dryer sheets by cutting a piece of terrycloth to size and adding a few drops of essential oil or an essential oil blend to it. Toss in your dryer cycle and you’re good to go. I’m a fan of lavender for your sheets and linens but you can use any citrus oil or blend that has a crisp clean scent.

Window Cleaner

If we’re going to do a thorough house cleaning, we can’t forget the windows and mirrors. This recipe works exceptionally well for cleaning picture frames and doorknobs.

In a 16oz spray bottle combine 2/3 cup White Vinegar with 1 cup distilled water and add 8 drops of citrus essential oil. Shake well, spray onto the glass surface and then wipe clean with a microfiber cloth; or go the old fashioned route and use newspaper, it still works great!

Any citrus oil you prefer can be used. I’m a fan of Lemon and Lime, but especially Grapefruit when it comes to cleaning. I like the sweet fresh aroma they leave behind.

Other Homemade Household Cleaners

• Make Your Own Disinfectant Spray – DIY Lysol Recipe
• Make Your Own Odor Eliminator Spray – DIY Febreze Recipe
• DIY Toilet Bombs – Clean Your Toilet the Easy Way!
• Streak Free Glass Cleaner with Essential Oils
• Make Your Own Laundry Soap

Aside from our own recipes, you could scour the internet and you’ll find plenty of recipes for other household cleaners such as laundry detergent, dish soap, and stain removers. Those recipes will require a little more effort and usually involve the addition of some type of soap, flakes, or borax. However, any essential oil recipe can be customized to suit your personal preferences.

Make sure to always choose essential oils that offer antiviral, antiseptic, or antibacterial properties and that leave behind a pleasing scent.

Here are a few of my favorite essential oil combinations for cleaners:

Lemon and Lavender essential oils complement each other while offering enough diversity they can be used in place of many other oils. Add cinnamon and clove oil for a strong, deep cleansing blend suitable for scrubbing the bathtub, garbage cans, and other areas where buildup happens.

Eucalyptus and Peppermint essential oils act as a mint refresher and work as powerful purifiers. You’ll want to use these two sparingly around areas that house pets and children at play. Add in orange essential oil to sweeten this blend.

Lime, Lemongrass and Tea Tree essential oil make for an excellent citrus cleanser and the perfect choice for fighting off germs that run rampant in the kitchen and bathroom. You can substitute the Lime with Lemon or any other citrus oil of your choosing.

I encourage you to consider making your own household cleaners using essential oils. It’s a great introduction to oils and your family can experience the amazing benefits of natural essential oils.

What’s next?

Do you want to use essential oils in your home more, but feel like there’s so much info out there? 

Check out The Complete Guide to Using Essential Oils in Your Home packed with everything you need to know to – without the overwhelm.

Includes: which grades of essential oils to use, which ones to avoid for pets and babies and the top 13 essential oils that are perfect for beginners. Plus, recipes and tips for making your own home remedies, soaps, scrubs and cleaners and more. 

Have you ever learned how to make your own household cleaners using essential oils?