Well, I finally ran out of the all-purpose cleaner that I usually use, and rather than buy more I decided to make some on my own! I tried two different recipes and I really like them both so far…

All-Purpose Cleaner: Vinegar-Based

1. Add ten ounces of water to a spray bottle (I got mine at Lowe’s for less than $1.00 each).

2. Add ten ounces of white vinegar (I got mine at Sam’s Club for $1.79 per gallon, which makes ten ounces…carry the one…about $0.14)

3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of tea tree oil. Have we had a conversation about tea tree oil already? It is pretty much magic when it comes to anti-bacterializing. Read about it here. ($0.37)

 Total Cost Per Ounce: $0.03

All-Purpose Cleaner: Castile Soap-Based

1. Put 25 ounces of hot water in a spray bottle.

2. Add 1/4 cup of liquid castile soap. I used Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Liquid Soap
because once again, tea tree = antibacterial! ($0.92).

3. Add 1/4 teaspoon of tea tree oil for good measure. ANTIBACTERIAL! ($0.19)

4. Put the top on and invert the spray bottle a few times to mix the ingredients. Do this gently so you don’t get lots of foam!

Total Cost Per Ounce = $0.04

While the castile soap-based cleaner is slightly more expensive than the vinegar-based, both are substantially cheaper than any commercial product you might find, not to mention that they are non-toxic to both humans and the environment.

Happy cleaning!

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