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Homemade All Purpose Cleaner without Vinegar

Non-Toxic All Purpose Cleaner Without Vinegar – DIY Recipe!

Learn how to make an all purpose cleaner without vinegar. This is a simple recipe that removes dirt, oils, and other grime from surfaces. Since it doesn’t have vinegar, it’s safe to use on granite or marble.

If you search for an all purpose cleaner recipe on Pinterest or Google, chances are that you’ll find several recipes with vinegar. Vinegar is a great natural cleaner, but it’s not safe for all surfaces.

Obviously, you want to be sure to use only safe cleaners for your counters and appliances, but some people don’t like to clean with vinegar because of the smell. 

It does dissipate in a few minutes, but the pungent odor can bother some people.

This all purpose cleaner without vinegar recipe is quick and easy to make, and it works great to remove dirt and grease.  

Homemade all purpose cleaner without vinegar

Why Make Your Own All Purpose Cleaner no Vinegar?

If you buy a natural cleaner in the store, expect to pay about $5 per bottle.  While it’s not much, the cost does add up. This recipe uses a $10 bottle of liquid castile soap, but you can make 8 times with a 16-ounce bottle of liquid castile soap. That’s just $1.25 per bottle!

Since there’s no vinegar, you don’t have to worry about an offensive odor lingering in the air. Liquid castile soap doesn’t have an odor, so this will be odorless unless you add essential oils. You can add one essential oil or a blend to create an uplifting scent.

This natural cleaning recipe does have some limitations, however. It works best on fresh messes, but dried on grease will be tough to remove. 

You can spray and let it soak for 10 or 15 minutes to make cleaning easier. 

diy all purpose cleaner recipe with no vinegar

What You Should Never Clean with Vinegar

Vinegar is an inexpensive natural cleaner, and it works very well in your home. However, not everything can be cleaned with vinegar.  

Do not use vinegar to clean the following items:

  • Granite
  • Marble
  • Electronics
  • Furniture or floors with wax
  • Rubber seals on a refrigerator or dishwasher
  • Grout

You should also avoid mixing cleaning supplies, be careful not to mix vinegar with bleach. If you are using a cleaner with bleach, don’t use a vinegar based cleaner at the same time.  It can create toxic fumes.

Related: What is the Best Vinegar for Cleaning?

What You Need for This DIY Multi Purpose Cleaner Recipe

Liquid Castile Soap

La Almona - Pure Castile Liquid Soap (Unscented), 1 GallonLa Almona – Pure Castile Liquid Soap (Unscented), 1 GallonLa Almona - Pure Castile Liquid Soap (Unscented), 1 Gallon

Liquid castile soap is what cleans in this natural cleaning recipe. This gentle soap is often used in DIY bath and body recipes, hand soaps, and for cleaning. It’s a plant based liquid soap, so it’s non toxic and biodegradable.  

Liquid castile soap is traditionally made only with olive oil, but most brands today also use coconut oil. Although olive oil soap is excellent and very gentle, it doesn’t lather well. 

You don’t need lather to clean, but people like that visual cue. Therefore, most liquid castile soaps today are made with a mixture of olive oil and coconut oil.  

Like a bar of soap, it’s made with lye, but it’s a different type of lye. It’s made with potassium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide. You can make your own, but it’s inexpensive to buy from the store. You’ll dilute it in most recipes, making it even cheaper.  

It’s important to note that liquid castile soap works very well to remove dirt and oils, but it doesn’t kill germs, including bacteria. It does, however, work to lift dirt and germs so they can be rinsed away.

Distilled Water

It’s not recommended to use tap water in any DIY cleaning recipes. Water from the faucet can have bacteria and other germs in it. It’s safe to drink, but the germs can grow if the water sits. 

Tap water also has some minerals that can leave a film on your surfaces.  

For those reasons, it’s recommended that you buy a gallon of distilled water and use that to make this cleaning recipe.

Essential Oils

The essential oils are optional in this recipe. It works very well without them, but it won’t have a scent.  

If you want to add essential oils, you can use a single oil or a blend.  

Some of the best essential oils for cleaning include lavender, lemon, peppermint, tea tree oil and eucalyptus.

Lemon and wild orange are both popular cleaning scents, and lavender can be relaxing. Peppermint is said to be uplifting, which may help you get through your chores easier.

I used a cleaning blend that I made with 2 drops of lemon essential oil to 1 drops of peppermint essential oil. It has a light and fresh scent that leaves your home smelling fantastic.

Learn more about the best essential oils for cleaning and how to use them.

Glass Bottle

Glass Spray Bottles for Essential Oils, Cleaning Solutions, DIY AromatherapyGlass Spray Bottles for Essential Oils, Cleaning Solutions, DIY AromatherapyGlass Spray Bottles for Essential Oils, Cleaning Solutions, DIY Aromatherapy

Since this all purpose cleaner without vinegar has essential oils, you should use a glass bottle. Essential oils can break down plastic over time.  

This set has three bottles in different colors, so you can make three different recipes. In addition to the sprayers, it also has caps and pumps so you can use them for storage or for hand soap.

How to Make All Purpose Cleaner without Vinegar – DIY Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients to a spray bottle. Place the cap on and shake gently to combine.
  2. This will separate, so shake gently before using.
  3. Spray on surfaces and wipe clean.

Uses for this DIY Multi Purpose Spray Cleaner with No Vinegar

You can use this all purpose cleaner on pretty much any surface that can get wet, with the exceptions listed above.  

This easy recipe is great for greasy stove tops and cleans counters beautifully (as long as they aren’t marble or granite). 

You can also use it in the bathroom to clean the counter, and it’s especially good for removing toothpaste off of the counter.

It also makes a really good spot remover for clothes and fabrics. Some people do use liquid castile soap for their laundry or as a pretreatment, so reach for this no vinegar all purpose cleaner to treat stains before you wash your clothes.

Related Cleaning Articles:

Now that you know how to make all purpose cleaner without vinegar, go ahead and give this recipe a try and tell us how it goes.

Non toxic multi purpose cleaner diy without vinegar

 

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Nancy Rodriguez

Tuesday 12th of March 2024

I love this diy recipe for cleaning thank you

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