Homemade all-purpose cleaner: conquer the vinegar smell!
In my last post, I wrote about using vinegar and hydrogen peroxide as cleaners. The main downside of vinegar is the unpleasant smell. I have learned to tolerate it for the many other benefits of vinegar, relying on the fact that the smell will dissipate within minutes. (My sister has informed me that I am banned from using my cleaner when she visits!:o)
Well...I now have a solution! Yesterday, I put together the following ingredients on the assurance that the resulting cleaner would smell "beautifully fresh":
All-Purpose Surface Cleaner
2 cups (500 ml) white vinegar
1 cup (250 ml) water
20-30 drops eucalyptus oil
Pour ingredients into spray bottle, then shake well. Spray and wipe like other sprays...there is no need to rinse.
-from "Home Hints & Tips" by Rosamond Richardson
I am very impressed! Vinegar spray smells about 100 times better with the oil added! No need to assault your nose when you clean the natural way:o)
This basic cleaner, according to the book, "removes grease and dirt, smells beautifully fresh, is cheap and nontoxic, and will keep indefinitely. Use it on stainless-steel sinks and draining boards, tiled and wooden surfaces, and plastic finishes." (When cleaning heavily soiled areas, especially kitchen surfaces that have come in contact with contaminants such as raw meat, it would be best to use the vinegar / hydrogen peroxide combo described in my last post.)
A note about eucalyptus oil: This is an essential oil which also has disinfectant properties. It can be found at health food/vitamin stores or websites. I bought a small .5 oz. bottle at a vitamin store for about $4, initially fearing that it wouldn't last me very long. However, after adding 20 drops to my spray, there is still most of the bottle remaining. I believe this little bottle will last me several bottles-worth of spray...still providing a huge cost savings over regular store-bought cleaners. (Eucalytus oil is potent and should be kept out of reach of children in it's undiluted state. )
Well...I now have a solution! Yesterday, I put together the following ingredients on the assurance that the resulting cleaner would smell "beautifully fresh":
All-Purpose Surface Cleaner
2 cups (500 ml) white vinegar
1 cup (250 ml) water
20-30 drops eucalyptus oil
Pour ingredients into spray bottle, then shake well. Spray and wipe like other sprays...there is no need to rinse.
-from "Home Hints & Tips" by Rosamond Richardson
I am very impressed! Vinegar spray smells about 100 times better with the oil added! No need to assault your nose when you clean the natural way:o)
This basic cleaner, according to the book, "removes grease and dirt, smells beautifully fresh, is cheap and nontoxic, and will keep indefinitely. Use it on stainless-steel sinks and draining boards, tiled and wooden surfaces, and plastic finishes." (When cleaning heavily soiled areas, especially kitchen surfaces that have come in contact with contaminants such as raw meat, it would be best to use the vinegar / hydrogen peroxide combo described in my last post.)
A note about eucalyptus oil: This is an essential oil which also has disinfectant properties. It can be found at health food/vitamin stores or websites. I bought a small .5 oz. bottle at a vitamin store for about $4, initially fearing that it wouldn't last me very long. However, after adding 20 drops to my spray, there is still most of the bottle remaining. I believe this little bottle will last me several bottles-worth of spray...still providing a huge cost savings over regular store-bought cleaners. (Eucalytus oil is potent and should be kept out of reach of children in it's undiluted state. )
posted by Erin | 11:35 AM
3 Comments:
Thanks for posting this recipe! I will try it. :) Eucalyptus smells sooo good.
If you get tired of the eucslyptus oil, you can also use Lavender, Rosemary or Tea Tree oils. They are also disinfectants.
Erin,
I hope you don't mind...I linked to this post from my blog. The homemade cleaner recipes are circling the web lately, and it's nice that you solved the vinegar smell problem for us all. Plus, I just like your blog. :)
Emily
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