DIY All-Purpose Cleaning Spray

Being a mother is one of the greatest achievements in my adulthood. That joy of being able to witness every skill unlocked by my little one is something I truly cherished and appreciated every moment. But no one told me that parenthood comes with mad messiness when your little angel turns into an evil little toddler who constantly throws food around and messing around with everything that he can touch. I have to say, one of the inglorious parts of parenthood is to clean up the food mess each time after my baby had a meal.

That red bolognese sauce that he constantly spilled every time he eats, that pasta and unfinished vegetable bits that he throws around like a game when he was done eating… The list is long. Some sauce is so sticky and even tricky to be removed. If you let it long enough, sometimes it could even stain your table clothes or your precious wooden floor.

I know that it is time to step up my cleaning skills. This all-purpose cleaning spray came in handy. After a few testing, I can tell you, it is one of the best cleaning sprays that I ever had. Have a try on the recipe below and you will not regret it.

How to make an all-purpose cleaning spray

This homemade all-purpose cleaning spray contains only all-natural ingredients. In this recipe, I am going to introduce you to “savon noir”. Savon noir literally means black soap in English when you translate it from french. It is a concentrated liquid soap made from cold-pressed olive oil and KOH. Depending on where you are buying it, it is not always black in color. Thanks to the saponification process, olive oil turns into a liquid foaming soap with cleaning and bubbling properties. This lovely cleaning detergent is 100% natural and biodegradable. Here in France, people use it pretty much for everything, from gardening to household to personal hygiene products, there’s pretty much nothing this savon noir can’t do. Today we are going to look into the aspect of how to turn it into a household essential — an all-purpose cleaning spray it is.

Ingredients of all-purpose cleaning spray

To turn it into an all-purpose cleaning spray, you will need the following ingredients:

If you get the concentrated version of Savon noir, you will need to dilute it with water. To enhance the cleaning power, sodium carbonate is added. It has disinfectant properties and the ability to cut through grease and soften water.

• 500ml mineral water
• 15g or 1 tablespoon of sodium carbonate (not baking soda!) [ US / Europe ]
• 22.5ml or 1.5 tablespoons of liquid savon noir [ US / Europe ]
• 20 drops Citrus Burst essential oil
• 20 drops eucalyptus globulus essential oil

I understand that sodium carbonate is not readily available in most of the supermarkets, you can however make sodium carbonate from baking soda, check out how to do it here!

Essential oils for all-purpose cleaning spray

I have included two essential oils in my recipe. They are citrus burst essential oil, a synergy blend from Plant Therapy and Eucalyptus essential oil. Citrus burst contains the 100% pure, undiluted essential oils of Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, May Chang, Mandarin, Sweet Orange. They are all from the citrus botanic family which have antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties thanks to the high concentration of limonene and β-Pinene [ Source ]. Eucalyptus oil (EO) and its major component, 1,8-cineole, have antimicrobial effects against many bacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), viruses, and fungi (including Candida) [ Source ].

Other essential oils for substitution, which contain a biochemical compound that provides antimicrobial properties. They are:

• Thieves essential oil blend (Young Living synergy blend)—Scent profile: Spicy, rich, warm
• Cinnamon Bark essential oil—Scent profile: Sweet, spicy, comforting
• Eucalyptus Radiata essential oil—Scent profile: Sharp, refreshing, cool
• Lemon essential oil—Scent profile: Fruity, sweet, bright
• Peppermint essential oil—Scent profile: Fresh, cool, clean
• Tea Tree essential oil—Scent profile: Powerful, herbaceous, crisp

DIY Tools

• 500ml spray bottle [ US / Europe ]
• plastic funnel

All-Purpose Cleaning Spray is perfect for:

• wiping off kitchen counters
• quick cleaning in the bathroom
• everyday cleaning of small kitchen appliances
• taking care of spills
• wiping up pet messes

Homemade All-Purpose Cleaning Spray

Recipe by CalleighCourse: Household RecipeDifficulty: Easy

Yield

500

ml

Prep time

5

minutes

Ingredients

• 500ml mineral water

• 15g or 1 tablespoon of sodium carbonate

• 22.5ml or 1.5 tablespoons of liquid black soap

• 20 drops Citrus Fresh essential oil

• 20 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Directions

• Dissolve 1 tablespoon of sodium carbonate in 500ml of hot water.
• Add 1.5 tablespoons of household black soap and 40 drops of essential oil(s) of your choice.
• Mix well. Your spray is ready to use!
• To use: Spray and rub with a damp sponge. Rinse and dry the area. Suitable for surfaces like enamel, stainless steel, plastic, glass, hobs, dishes …

Notes

• You can replace citrus burst and eucalyptus essential oils with other essential oils of your choice. Check on the preamble for suggestions.
• You will not need an emulsifier or solubiliser for the essential oils in this recipe because they dissolve very well with the concentrate “savon noir”
• Storage: well stored (away from heat) and if prepared in an optimal hygienic condition, your product can be stored for at least 6 months. I didn’t propose preservatives the essential oils in this recipe as the final mixture is highly alkaline. It is not microbes friendly but it still has the possibility to be spoilt.

Next time for all SOS kitchen emergency cleaning tasks, you will have this only-natural ingredient all-purpose cleaning spray to the rescue. Needless to say, you are just as brilliant as the shiny surface that you just cleaned!

For more household recipes with or without essential oils, check here!

If you like what I am doing, please consider donating a coffee. Cheers =)

Calleigh

Hi, I am Calleigh, MEng Chemical Engineering and a process engineer, and I'm here to show you how to DIY your skincare and household products with the correct formulation and using only natural ingredients. I believe that eating good food (Yes I have cooking recipes too!) and living in a chemical-free environment are the keys to having a healthy lifestyle. And that doesn't need to be expensive.