All Purpose Cleaner - this is all you need!

Really it is.

I use this All Purpose Cleaner to clean my entire house, including kitchen cabinets, stainless sink appliances, washrooms, counters, and mirrors.  I can honestly keep going!  Except for granite counters, you should not use vinegar or any other acidic cleaner on granite as it will etch the surface.  I make a cleaner just for granite counters, I'll post that soon.

B's All Purpose Cleaner: 

• Spray Bottle (that can hold at least 450ml)
• 1 cup White Vinegar
• 1 1/2 cup Warm Water
• 2 tbsp Castile Soap
• Few drops Tea Tree Oil 
• Funnel (to pour the ingredients into spray bottle)

You may tweak the amounts as you need depending on the size of the spray bottle.  This is what I use and works for me.

Instructions:

Make sure your spray bottle is clean before you begin.  Using the funnel, add the castile soap first to the spray bottle, then warm water.  Give it a slight shake to mix.  Then add as many drops of the tea tree oil as you like, I do about 5.  Then add in your vinegar and shake to mix.  That's pretty much it!  You've got yourself an excellent all purpose cleaner.

If you do not have or are unable to purchase castile soap, you may substitute with regular dish washing soap.  For most surfaces you should have no issues, however you will need to test on glass and mirrored surfaces. (To ensure there is no streaking, I have no streaking with my above cleaner, and prefer castile soap as it is natural).

PLEASE READ THIS:  Follow the instructions exactly as posted as castile soap and vinegar should not be mixed together directly.  You must dilute the castile soap in water first, otherwise the soap will curdle when mixed with vinegar.  I learned this the hard way!

Check out this glass table before and after.  All I used was the All Purpose Cleaner and a microfiber cloth, no Windex!  Yes I took left over pizza and did a nice extra smear for demonstration and wow purposes.                                 

BEFORE

AFTER

Leave me a comment and let me know if you try it!

Where do you begin??

In your pantry of course!  If you're going to be making natural cleaners they should be safe enough to eat (use common sense here and please don't eat anything just because I say it's edible).   *Side note, Wikipedia helped to write some of the definitions, just a little.

Let's begin with the basics:

Vinegar- It is mostly used in the kitchen for cooking and salads however it has historically been used as a mild acid.  It has a wide variety of domestic uses, including as a household cleaner.  Vinegar is a staple ingredient for my cleaners and my hair and I bet it's already in your kitchen!  The most basic cleaner you can make is equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle.  Using a sponge and some liquid dish washing soap, you are good to go!  For those of you worried about the smell of vinegar, it wears off once dry.  

Baking Soda- Another standard kitchen ingredient used in baking (obviously) however it is very effective when used for cleaning and scrubbing, especially the kitchen sink.  I haven't scrubbed anything that baking soda hasn't been able to shine!  (Dump the Comet and use this!)

Castile Soap- is a soap, (either in liquid or bar form), that is mainly made from plant oils, such as olives, palm and coconut.  The one I use is Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap (shown in the middle picture above) and here in Canada it's available at Loblaws/Zehrs in their natural food aisle.  It runs at about $17 which may sound hefty, but you get a generous 944ml size bottle, and only need a tablespoon in your spray bottles.  It is without question a very multipurpose product. 
You may substitute regular liquid dish washing soap, however I haven't tried this in my cleaners.  I'm not sure about how it will work on mirrored surfaces, but no harm in trying when I post my cleaner mixes!

Tea Tree Oil- is an essential oil which has historically been used for its antiseptic/antibacterial properties.  I've read there may be allergens related to tea tree oil if you use it undiluted, (please do your research), however I use a few drops in my cleaners and have had no issues.  (Also the smell of tea tree oil reminds me of that clean hospital smell)!  I use Aura Cacia Tea Tree Oil, which is 100% pure and available again at Loblaws/Zehrs in their natural food aisle. 

Lemons- are a fantastic natural cleaner.  I use it to disinfect, remove stains and odors and as a natural bleach substitute. 

That's about it!  With these few ingredients you will be able to clean your ENTIRE house, I mean everything, the kitchen, bathrooms, mirrors, glass tables, floors, the list is endless (I sound like a broken record)!  

Stay tuned as I post the different mixes I use of these ingredients and the supplies needed to make your own cleaners.