Lately I’ve been obsessed with finding DIY cleaners for my home. I’m just tired of buying expensive organic brands and wouldn’t think of using brands that load up bleach and other chemicals to clean my house.
This was is my favorite. I was inspired to use tea tree oil because my Pilates studio uses it to clean their equipment after each class, and I’ve come to find the scent soothing.
This mixture is great for spraying down counters, stove tops, kitchen cabinets, dining tables and chairs, bathroom counters, and even toilets. The hydrogen peroxide and tea tree oil are natural disinfectants. It’s my go-to household cleaner. Use it with a reusable kitchen cloth to save on paper towels.
Ingredients
- Water
- Hydrogen peroxide
- 5-10 drops of tea tree oil (I use the Trader Joe’s brand)
- A capful of Dr. Bronner’s castile liquid soap (I love peppermint)
- Spray bottle
Directions
- Mix an equal amount of water and hydrogen peroxide. I recommend either 1/2 cup each or no more than 1 cup each. There’s a reason why hydrogen peroxide bottles are in a dark brown container. If hydrogen peroxide is exposed to sunlight then it isn’t as effective as a disinfectant. So I prefer to use small amounts and just make a new batch as needed.
- Add Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap and tea tree oil (for 1/2 cup each of water and hydrogen peroxide use about 5 drops – for 1 cup each water/peroxide use 10 drops).
- Put mixture into a spray bottle. Shake and start using.
This post was written by
Tracey Black is the founder and editor-in-chief for Don't Mess with Mama, the sassy mom's guide to parenting, green living and travel. She is a regular contributor to Redbook's Mamarama blog, and a social media strategist working with eco-friendly brands such as Stonyfield, Juice Beauty and others. She has three boys and lives in San Diego, Calif.
Thanks for sharing, I will have to try this! I have use Tea Tree oil facial pads before, I had no idea you could use it for cleaning.
Camille recently posted..Flashback Friday Linky!!
Thanks for stopping by. Tea tree oil is a great antiseptic – so great for cleaning your face (for me it clears up acne so well) as well as cleaning countertops. If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, I’ve found their tea tree oil bottle to be the best price.
This sounds great! I’m definitely going to try it
~Kelly
Kelly recently posted..How Do Kids Learn? Play Time Might Be More Important Than You Think
Thanks for visiting. Yes, please try and let me know what you think. Do you have any favorite homemade cleaners?
Hmm…I imagine it smells so good!
Asianmommy recently posted..Discovering Chinese
It does. I love it. Thanks for visiting.
I’m excited to try this, especially considering how much my 4 year old wants to help me clean by spraying and wiping.
Christine@TheAums recently posted..What To Really Expect When You Become A Parent
My boys love to do that too. And I’m not so worried about them spraying the same spot 20 times because this cleaner is so cheap to make.