*This post may contain affiliate links. Purchases made from these links help with any costs associated with running this site, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use and believe in! You can find my full disclosure here.
Homemade household cleaners are an outstanding way to save money! Not only is it frugal, but it can also be a healthier option. Healthier for your home and the environment. There are all sorts of options for homemade cleaners. This disinfecting lavender all-purpose cleaner recipe uses a concentrated castile soap and essential oil. It is one of my favorite cleaners for sure!
It works very well on stainless steel! No streaks. I use it in my car, on my bathroom sinks, toilets, kitchen counters, and even the greasy grimy stovetop! I do believe the stovetop is my favorite use for this cleaner! Even when there is dried stuck on food because the kids did a shoddy job on last night’s kitchen patrol left from the night before!
I just spray it down let it sit for a couple of minutes and wipe it with a wet washcloth. It loosens everything up! I don’t even have to use an abrasive scrubber. Which by the way, Kenmore recommends that you don’t use abrasive sponges on enameled stovetop surfaces. Nor do they recommend you use abrasives on the stainless and glass doors. In fact, they specifically discourage it.
I don’t recommend it for mirrors or windows. Believe me, I tried it. I have a different recipe for that! Can I really call it an ALL purpose cleaner? Maybe Multi-purpose is better. I guess technically it’s not an “ALL” purpose cleaner, but I digress!
Here is my super awesome streak-free glass cleaner recipe!
The Best Bottle For Disinfecting Lavender All-purpose Cleaner Recipe.
You will need a spray bottle that holds at least 20 oz of liquid. I bought these pretty glass bottles on Amazon. They have such a clean classic look to them, don’t you think?
By the way, the sprayer that comes with these bottles is outstanding! I have had absolutely no leakage issues. Some of the reviews reported leakage problems. However, Amazon is great about replacing products and/or giving refunds! No sticking or other trigger issues, which is a common problem in trigger sprayers. And, it puts out a nice even spray! The sprayer is also a 360-degree sprayer. This means it sprays in all directions, even upside down!
Just an all-around great product that I highly recommend! There are some that are a bit cheaper. However, the sprayer definitely reflects that. I have both and I despise the cheaper of the two. The sprayer is very sticky and the spray comes out all wonky. I have to fight with it constantly!
Love, love, love them!
You will need
You’ll also need Dr. Bronner’s castile soap and essential oil.
For this recipe, I used Dr. Bronner’s Hemp Tea Tree pure castile soap and, lavender cedarwood essential oil. I chose lavender to add even more disinfectant properties. More on that later.
Dr. Bronner’s Castile soaps are incredible. There are many things that make the brand incredible. But here are just a few:
- It’s made in the USA let’s face it, this means jobs! Jobs=strong economy. I’m certain we can all agree a strong economy is good.
- Minimal organic ingredients that are fair trade certified-Organic ingredients, we all know by now that this is a good thing! Choosing fair trade is a choice that supports responsible companies. It protects workers by ensuring fair wages. Fairtrade puts workers and the environment first.
- Dr. Bronner’s has been in the soap making business for over 150 years! Nuff said!
There are different types to choose from. Some of my favorites are the almond, tea tree, and peppermint!
You can find Dr. Bronner’s at most local health food stores. It is also available here on Amazon, which is where I get mine. The Amazon price is about $4.00 cheaper than what I found at the store. At full price, I still save a ton of money making my own cleaners with Dr. Bronner’s.
Money savings break down
For product price comparison I’m going to use Windex Multi-surface disinfectant spray. At my local Kroger store, I found a 23 oz spray bottle for $3.49, regular price.
A 32 oz bottle of Dr. Bronner’s tea tree castile soap is $15.99 on Amazon. Remember it is a concentrated soap!
For a 16 oz bottle of DIY cleaner, I use 1 Tbs of Dr. Bronner’s. 1 Tbs equals 1/2 an ounce. 32 oz divided by .5 oz = 64. So I get 64 Tbs of castile soap. That will make 64, sixteen oz bottles of all-purpose disinfecting cleaner. $15.99 divided by 64=0.24984375. Remember elementary school math? We round the first 4, up one making it $.24!
TWENTY FOUR CENTS PER 16 OZ BOTTLE! WHAAAAAAT!!!!!!
You can't even buy one piece of lousy candy for less than a quarter! Click To Tweet
Why pay almost 13 times more for an inferior product?!
Even if I bought a generic 16 oz bottle of cleaner from the dollar store for $1.00, I’d still be paying 3 times more! Again, for an inferior product. Let’s face it, that Dollar store stuff is so…NOT…Awesome! Pun intended!
Do homemade cleaners work well?
YES!
Speaking from experience! I have been a homemaker for about 17 years, 12 of which I have been using DIY cleaners. Does that give me enough cred?
In those years there hasn’t been much sickness. The only time we ever seem to get sick is during school. Yuk!
The stink factor is also a good indication of how well it works. This all-purpose cleaner is excellent at disinfecting in the bathroom and the kitchen! You can tell because if it stinks, it’s got germs.
Both lavender and tea tree essential oils have outstanding disinfecting properties! And, never has a disinfectant smelled so good! It is very important to get 100% pure essential oil. Otherwise, you won’t have the disinfecting properties.
Essential oils are fairly inexpensive and a little goes a long way! I found mine at Walmart! However, you can find essential oils pretty much anywhere.
Before & after
Grimy fridge before:
To prove I actually used this lavender cleaner: Ha!
For stainless steel, a dry cloth works best!
So Shiny!
My favorite, the stove!
THE RECIPE
- 1 Tbs Dr. Bronner’s Hemp Tea Tree pure castile soap concentrate
- 20-30 drops lavender cedarwood essential oil
In a 16 oz spray bottle pour 1 Tbs Dr. Bronner’s tea tree Castile soap.
Add 20-30 drops lavender essential oil. Depending on how strong a scent you like add more or less. Next, for a bit of pretty color add one drop of food coloring. This is completely optional of course. However, it looks pretty and makes it easier for other members of the family to know which cleaner to use.
But…
Whatever floats your boat. Click To TweetBlue is my go-to color for homemade glass cleaner. Click here to find the recipe for my homemade glass cleaner recipe. But since this is a Lavender scented cleaner I went with a light purple food coloring.
Lastly, fill the bottle with water. I filled mine from the filtered water dispenser on my fridge. But tap water is just fine. You could also use distilled water if you like.
Oh, so pretty and purple and lavendery!
What are some of your favorite DIY cleaners?
🙂 Leigh Ann
Leigh Ann
Leigh Ann Schooley is the owner and founder of Making My Abode, a blog dedicated to helping homemakers live well and simply on one income. She is a believer, wife, and mother of three with more than sixteen years of homemaking experience. Leigh Ann is the recipient of the Wife of The Year award eighteen years running. She has also won the Mother of The Year award every year for the past sixteen years. She is a Colorado native raised by her dad who taught her almost everything she knows. Leigh Ann lives with her husband and family in Colorado.
