I am absolutely loving essential oils, and I am especially loving using them in my homemade cleaning products! What could be better than adding a little lavender to my homemade multipurpose cleaner so it not only cleans my house but also provides a relaxing aroma? Now housework is actually enjoyable.
Citrus cleaner is something I have been making for a few years now using simply citrus peels and vinegar. It seriously saves you money on household cleaners, and in my opinion, it does a way better job than anything I have purchased at the store! First, why is this cleaner such an effective homemade multipurpose cleaner?Â
- Lemon masks the vinegar smell so you get the cleaning power of vinegar and the fresh citrus scent of lemons
- Lemon is a degreaser so it helps remove grease from surfaces (works particularly well on greasy fingerprints that are left all over the house!)
- Lavender is uplifting, so it makes house work seem not so bad after-all
- Vinegar is a multipurpose cleaner, degreaser, polisher, and so much more
- Vinegar makes your surfaces shiny (when we first got granite counter tops I was told by the store clerk to clean them with Windex to keep them shiny, I loved how well it worked but hated the chemical smell. Well, vinegar cleaner works just as well and is chemical free!)
Lemon Lavender Homemade Multipurpose Cleaner
What you will need:
- white vinegar —Â where to find
- organic lemon peels, enough to fill a large mason jar 3/4 full
- lavender essential oil
- 1 glass mason jar
- 1 glass spray bottle (I reuse these bottles and add a spray top)
Directions:
- Add your lemon peels to the glass jar until it is about 3/4 full
- Pour vinegar over peels until the jar is almost full
- Screw lid on jar and place in a cupboard or dark room for a few weeks
- Strain peels through a mesh strainer
- Add lemon vinegar back to jar and add 30 drops of lavender essential oil
- In glass spray bottle, add 1 cup lemon lavender vinegar and 2 cups filtered water (I store the remaining vinegar in the fridge for future use)
- Screw spray nozzle onto jar and use your homemade multipurpose cleaner to clean away!
*Note: As I indicated above, I only use essential oils that are therapeutic grade in my household cleaning products, recipes, and personal care. It is very important to me that I know the quality of my oils because I use them on surfaces my kids touch and I do not want to put my children at risk.
12 Replies to “Lemon Lavender Homemade Multipurpose Cleaner”
Do you think it would be okay to use lemon EO instead of the peals?
Yes, but the lemon EO can damage surfaces if they have any plastic in them so use with caution
I’ve seen quite a few home made cleaning solutions before, but I really like the sound of this one! I’m going to have to try it, and that says a lot…I haven’t tried any of the others…I’m older and old fashion, I guess. I have Enjo products but always seem to grab my Windex or Mr. Clean. It’s hard to break old habits.
Best regards!
Stoke Newington Carpet Cleaners Ltd.
I love this recipe. The last time I made it I left it in the closet for about two months instead of two weeks. It was a little darker than the first time, but other than that it seemed fine. Do you think it is still good?
It should still be good
I have read on several websites not to use vinegar, citrus based, or anything acidic to clean granite, marble, etc. because it will damage the surface over time. With granite, the acidity from vinegar or citrus gets in the cracks and over time, breaks down the granite. Your thoughts?
I have heard a few suggestions like that too. So far I have not experienced any damage though, and I have been using this for years!
Do you have any recipes that use lemon juice? I’m hoping to use up the leftover lemons after making this cleaner.
You could try adding it to these