DIY All-Purpose Household Cleaner
I’ve been making this all purpose household cleaner for a while now and I just love it! It checks all the boxes for me: non-toxic, simple, inexpensive ingredients, easy to make, and most importantly works well at cleaning and keeping things fresh around the house. If you’re like me, maybe you like to dabble in DIY concoctions as an attempt to create non-toxic replacements for commonly used household products. Or maybe you just buy stuff and save yourself the headache! Either way is cool.
I have struggled with trying to create products in which essential oils are combined with water based ingredients that do not separate as this is less than ideal for many reasons. The solution is: you must use some kind of emulsifier. Because oil and water do not naturally want to mix, an emulsifier is something that is both hydrophilic and lipophilic, thus capable of dissolving both water and oil. Soap is a type of emulsifier, actually and so are most types of detergents. Coco-glucoside is a non-ionic surfactant made from coconut oil and glucose. It is used in cosmetics, shampoos, and cleaning products as a non-toxic cleansing agent or emulsifier. You can purchase it on Amazon or other online sources. I love to use lemon or rosemary essential oil in this but you can use whatever you like or leave it our entirely. It will still work just as well.
This stuff cleans great, smells fresh, removes stains and tough greasy residues. It doesn’t make carpets stiff if you scrub with it either. I use it to clean counters, floors, garbage cans, bathrooms, sinks, walls, etc. Please note that this is technically not a disinfectant. Even though vinegar and essential oils do have some anti-microbial properties, this is really more of a general cleaning product.
This recipe is for a 28-32 oz. spray bottle:
Ingredients
.5 oz. Coco-Glucoside
50-100 drops of essential oil (I like lemon and rosemary but feel free to use any scents you like)
White vinegar
Water
Steps
Combine the Coco-glucoside with the essential oils and stir until combined.
Pour mixture into the spray bottle.
Fill the spray bottle the rest of the way to the top with equal parts white vinegar and water. Shake to mix
Label your bottle! I can’t tell you how many times I have made a “concoction” of some sort and didn’t label it because I was sure I would remember what it was. Trust me just label it now so that in a year you’re not playing a guessing game with mystery substances in random bottles.
If you try this recipe, let me know how it works for you in your home.
