Mrs. Twist Makes This – How to Make Your Own Cleaning Sprays

I love to clean. Now, finding the time to do it and having energy is a different story. However, once I jump in and get it done I like how my house smells.  I like the tidy order of things. It makes me feel content.

I’ve been testing some new “homemade” cleaning recipes I’m sharing with you.  These are not my own creations – I leave it to the experts to do the chemistry.  Two reasons I am attempting to make my own supplies, rather than buy them: one, I know what’s in them; and two they are very cost-effective. Plus, I really like the results!

I’ve pinned all the recipes to my Pinterest Cleaning Board here.  And, I have included them below directly from the source with links to resources.

Everyday Counter Cleaner – 

I have Quartzite countertops and clean them every day with this counter cleaner from Clean my Space.  I keep a bottle of this handy to wipe down the counters every day after we finish cooking dinner. I also use clean microfiber E-cloths I purchase from JabosAce .  They dry quickly which means they don’t get that moldy smell.  Here’s the recipe:

• • 2 cups water
  • 1 tsp dish soap (I use Dawn)
  • 10 drops of your favorite essential oil (tea tree is a great natural disinfectant.  I also like peppermint, orange, and lavender)

Using a clean spray bottle (I like these from JabosAce because you can write on the label what the spray is designated for), add the ingredients and mix the solution together.

Floor Cleaner:

From Clean my Space here is her story on how to clean different types of hardwood floors.   I use this recipe of hers to clean my engineered floors since they are not hardwood:

• • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
  • 10 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)

Floors oftentimes look streaky and hazy after being cleaned…which shouldn’t be the case after all your effort! Working in sections, spray the mixture and wipe with a flat head microfiber mop to get rid of those streaks for good.  I use a Libman Microfiber Dustmop here.  My house smells so clean afterward, like a day spa.

Tile Floor Cleaner:

This recipe comes from One Essential Community.

1. 1.  Fill a 24 ounce or larger bottle add 2 cups of distilled water
   2. add 1 cup unscented liquid Castile soap
   3. add 50 drops pine essential oil and 30 drops cypress essential oil

How to use your homemade floor cleaner:

1. 1. add 1 gallon of hot water to mop bucket (tip: be sure to add the water first so that soap doesn’t bubble up too much)
   2. add 2 Tbsp floor cleaner to the water
   3. mix well
   4. mop floor or wash floor by hand- this one-floor cleaner works well for all types of floors (hardwood, laminate, tile, and vinyl).  It doesn’t leave any residue, so there’s no need to rinse.  This makes three cups of floor cleaner, enough for 24 moppings.  Between moppings, I use my Shark Vac Steam Mop.

Next time I will share ideas for cleaning your bathroom.  Let me know if you have homemade recipes for cleaning you’d like to share.  Happy cleaning!