3 Ingredient All Purpose Cleaner That Really Works!

This simple 3-ingredient homemade all purpose cleaner is great at cleaning grease, yet gentle on surfaces! Use this no-vinegar recipe in any room of the house.

Have you ever been so stubborn, that you’ve refused to buy something out of principle? A few years ago, just after we moved to Georgia, I refused to buy something that most people wouldn’t even think twice about buying.

Vinegar.

It sounds trivial, I KNOW, but I really didn’t want to buy anything that a) we absolutely didn’t need and b) that I knew I had packed in our moving truck.

And at the time, vinegar fell right into both of those categories.

I do love vinegar. I use it as a Homemade Conditioner. It’s a great Produce Rinse (among other things). And you CAN use it as a natural spray cleaner. I just didn’t have any on hand.

But you know what I did have? Castile soap. I already use Castile soap in my Homemade Hand Soap since I REFUSE to pay an arm and a leg for “natural” soap. So why not try it in all purpose cleaner?

And as it turns out, I was right! You can make a vinegar free all purpose cleaner with Castile soap!

HOMEMADE ALL PURPOSE CLEANER WITHOUT VINEGAR

My homemade all purpose cleaner recipe below is inspired by a Keeper of the Home recipe, except I didn’t want to add any drops of essential oils to mine (because they were packed up too!).

If you want to add essential oils for a scent booster, feel free! Lemon and lavender oils are great, but you can easily mix them up with peppermint or cinnamon if you’re in a festive season!

And I knew I wanted to keep it simple – no super long lists of chemicals and additives like in Lysol all purpose cleaner here! This article from the Environment Working Group talks about store-bought cleaning supplies and your health. Even more natural cleaning products that seem to be a safer choice like Simple Green all purpose cleaner or Method all purpose cleaner have some questionable ingredients.

Spray bottle with homemade all purpose cleaner

MULTI PURPOSE CLEANER

This is such an excellent multi purpose spray cleaner for the entire family. My favorite part is that it is non-toxic and safe to clean every room of the house, and it’s even great on laundry stains! It’s also:

Frugal. It literally costs cents to mix a spray bottle of this all purpose cleaner without vinegar! Especially because I buy my Castille soap and baking soda in bulk at Costco. (And these ingredients are great for other DIYs as well!)
And it works well. I don’t have to repeatedly scrub super hard to get surfaces clean.
Plus it smells clean and neutral. For those who are sensitive to the chemical fragrances of typical household cleaners, or who don’t like the smell of white vinegar, this homemade multi surface cleaner is a perfect option!

And lo and behold, this simple combination works really well! I’m using it…

In the kitchen to clean the stove, rather than using toxic store-bought kitchen cleaning products, I tried this cleaner, and it made my grease splatters disappear without any heavy duty scrubbing.
In the bathroom, it scrubbed off the remnants of Homemade Toothpaste in the sink (and counter and floor… which is what happens when you’ve got kids!) – again without much arm muscle.
I’ve even used it as a stain pre-treater. When I spilled Homemade Coffee Creamer on my new linens last week, I spot-treated with this cleaner. I haven’t washed them yet, but I don’t see a stain either!

Image showing recipe ingredients baking soda, castile soap, and water.

WHAT’S IN HOUSEHOLD CLEANER WITHOUT VINEGAR?

We’re only using simple ingredients here.

Because I’m kind of type-A about things like this, I also measured how much water to use in the recipe.

It’s not a deal breaker if the proportions are slightly off in relatively small quantities (1-2 cups), but if you make this recipe with an industrial size spray bottle and “just add water,” you’ll probably find the dilution to be too weak.

So yes, I actually measured the water. You’re welcome!

Some people use citric acid to lower the pH of homemade soap, but it’s not necessary with this recipe because we are using baking soda and a very gentle Castile soap.

This homemade all purpose cleaner is also a great alternative to buying Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds, because the Castile soap can overlap for body and household use, making it more cost effective. But Sal Suds is only a household cleaner.

HOW DO YOU MAKE ALL PURPOSE CLEANER?

Step 1: Measure baking soda into a clean spray bottle.

Step 2: Add 1 cup of room temperature water (not hot water) and replace the lid.

Step 3: Shake like crazy until the baking soda dissolves, less than a minute.

Step 4: Add Castile soap, replace the lid and gently swish in circles to combine.

CLEANING SPRAY TIPS

After adding the Castile soap, DO NOT shake the spray bottle like crazy, or your soap might make a bunch of bubbles (which isn’t the end of the world, but the solution won’t mix until the bubbles pop).

The mixture will be slightly cloudy at this point. If there’s room in your bottle, you can add the remaining ½ cup of water, otherwise, you’re done!

The cleaning spray might separate over time, so if it does, just swish gently in circles to re-mix. Spray directly on the surface to be cleaned (after you’ve tested in an inconspicuous spot, just to be safe) and wipe clean.

Castile soap can sometimes leave white streaks on some surfaces. If this happens, just wipe with a damp microfiber cloth!

DIY ALL PURPOSE CLEANER FAQS

What is the best all purpose cleaner?

This DIY all purpose cleaner is a great choice, because it works well and it’s gentle on a variety of surfaces in your home.

Why can’t I use vinegar on granite?

The acid in the vinegar can eat away at the granite, damaging the surface. This all purpose cleaner recipe without vinegar should be gentle enough for granite, but if you’re not sure, test it in a small area first.

Where can I use all purpose cleaner?

Use it in the kitchen to clean your sink, counters, stove, or in the fridge. Use it in the bathroom on the sink, tubs, tile, and counters. It picks up dirt and grime as well as soap scum!

Clean dusty bookshelves, fingerprints off of door knobs or stainless steel surfaces, even in your car! This cleaner works on all hard surfaces. You may want to test if you’re cleaning a porous surface.

Can I combine vinegar and Castile soap?

Nope! While both can help clean on their own, mixing vinegar and Castile soap isn’t a good idea. Vinegar reverts the Castile soap back into fat, and fat isn’t a good cleaner.

Not the DIY type?

That’s ok! There are a few brands of cleaners out there that have non-toxic ingredients. One that I like is Truly Free. They have a variety of household cleaners, laundry soap, kitchen cleansers, and related products. All made in America, free from toxins, and sold in re-usable packaging!

You can use the coupon code CRUMBS30 to get 30% off anything in their shop. This is a HUGE discount! No subscription required. Simply order through this link.