Need a vinegar free all purpose cleaner that works magic on your family’s muck and mayhem? I have the absolute perfect 3-ingredient recipe!

If your husband is like my husband, he can’t stand the smell of cleaning vinegar. And he most definitely lets you know he HATES it. In my case the complaints were almost as bad as when men get sick. You know those complaints. They get a cold and you’d think they were dying.

While the smell of cleaning vinegar does dissipate, there’s absolutely no relief from a complaint about the smell regardless of the essential oils I use to freshen the scent. On the flip side of that, you want to use non-toxic cleaning products in your home. And in an effort to use more natural cleaning products, vinegar has always been your go to thing.

So what do you do when you A.) want save money by making your own natural cleaning products and B.) your husband threatens you with divorce if you use vinegar just one more time? The good news is, you can keep your husband. The better news is, you can make a homemade vinegar free all purpose cleaner that works like magic.

I’m talking this stuff took wine stains off my laminate countertop that were two weeks old kind of magic. Not only that, but it smells simply AMAZING. And the fragrance, just a single to-die-for essential oil, was personally approved by my husband. He actually came home and COMMENTED on how great the house smelled. I mean wow, right?

Not only does my vinegar free all purpose cleaner require the purchase of just TWO products, you’ll find that these products last a long time and have so many more uses than just cleaning countertops! Plus they’re eco-friendly!

Vinegar Free All Purpose Cleaner Recipe

© Rebecca D. Dillon

Ingredients:

800 mL/27 oz. distilled water
20 mL/.67 oz. Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner
20 mL/.67 oz. 5-fold lemon essential oil

Instructions:

Measuring all ingredients by volume, add the water to a 28 oz. spray bottle then follow with Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner and the essential oil. Gently turn the bottle to mix.

If you don’t like strong scents you can halve the amount of essential oil used. (The usage rate of both the essential oil and Sal Suds is approximately 2.4%.) The amount called for in the recipe was enough to get a strong lemon fragrance that made the whole house smell fantastic.

If desired you can print out labels for your vinegar free all purpose cleaner here.

(For the BEST price on Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds, I purchase my Sal Suds from Thrive Market. Thrive Market offers wholesale prices on tons of natural, organic and eco-friendly products including food, vitamins, essential oils and household cleaning supplies. You can save 25% off your first purchase when you join risk free. Learn more here.)

How to Use Your Vinegar Free All Purpose Cleaner:

I used this specific vinegar free all purpose cleaner recipe to clean my bathroom and mirrors (without streaking,) to wipe down countertops and appliances as well as to mop my floor Swiffer style with an eco-friendly mop with reusable pads.

As this is a surfactant based cleaner, however, you’ll want to only use it on hard, sealed surfaces, painted or sealed (not waxed) wood or fabrics. For furniture and the like where you want to protect the finish, try this recipe using Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap in place of the Sal Suds. You can also use Sal Suds on fabrics to wash clothing as well as to spot treat stains.

Zap Red Wine Stains on Rugs + Countertops!

I’ve use this recipe to successfully clean red wine out of an outdoor rug as well as to remove wine stains from my laminate kitchen countertops. To clean my rug, I sparingly sprayed my vinegar free all purpose cleaner onto the stain and then rubbed it in with a rag dipped in hot water until the stain disappeared. (However, it is important to mention you do need to make sure you get all of the suds out of your rug or carpet when spot cleaning so that it doesn’t attract more dirt. You can learn more about cleaning your carpets using Sal Suds here.)

For the countertop, I heavily sprayed my vinegar free all purpose cleaner onto the wine stain and let it set. I then wiped the countertop down an hour or so later to find that the stain had magically disappeared. For tougher stains, you can repeat this step or simply let the cleaner sit on the stain longer. (You’ll want to spray enough cleaner on your countertop stain so that it forms a small puddle for best results.)

For lighter everyday cleaning, Dr Bronner’s recommends one tablespoon of Sal Suds per quart of water. You can then add lemon or other citrus based essential oils as desired for scent. (Pssst. A combination of lemon and peppermint essential oils will also deter spiders.)

You should find that my vinegar free all purpose cleaner also works better than a combination of vinegar, water and essential oils. As vinegar is primarily a degreaser, it just doesn’t have a lot of actual cleaning power.

What Else Can You Use Sal Suds For?

Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner is actually super versatile. And because most household cleaning uses call for so little of it, you’ll not only be surprised by how long it lasts, but also the savings from the products it replaces.

Wash + Spot Treat Laundry

To wash clothes in a top loading washer, use 2-3 Tablespoons of Sal Suds for a large load in place of your usual laundry detergent. For whites or extra funky smelling clothing, you can also add 1/2 cup baking soda to the wash cycle followed by one cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle. (Don’t add them both during the wash cycle or they cancel each other out.) For front loading HE washers, simply halve these amounts.

Wash Dishes + Veggies

To make a veggie wash add one drop of Sal Suds to a bowl of water. Then dunk your produce into the bowl, swish and rinse.

Or, to wash dishes, use a half teaspoon of Sal Suds in a sink of water. You can also use one drop of Sal Suds to wash a single pot.

Alternately you can create your own dish soap by combining 1/2 cup Sal Suds with 1/2 cup white vinegar,  1/2 cup warm distilled water, 1 tsp. citric acid (or lemon juice,) 2 tsp. kosher salt and 20 drops of essential oil.

Combine Sal Suds, vinegar and citric acid in a bowl and mix. In a separate bowl, combine the salt and warm water.

Once the bowl with the salt dissolves, stir in the mixture from the bowl with the Sal Suds. Add essentials oils then continuing stirring until the dish soap thickens. Then pour into a reusable dish soap container and use as you would regular dish soap.

Mop Floors + Clean Your Car

For mopping floors (using a mop and water bucket) as well as for washing cars, combine a half Tablespoon of Sal Suds to 3 gallons of hot water. Just be sure to add the Sal Suds to your bucket after you fill it with water.

Got it? Maybe? Don’t worry about trying to remember all of this. While I’d love you to bookmark this page for reference later on, the truth is, most of these recipes are on the back of the Sal Suds bottle for quick and easy reference. How nice is that?

Now not only can you enjoy a cleaner, healthier home, but you can also enjoy a happier husband!

For more eco-friendly household cleaning recipes and tips, be sure to check out my Lifestyle + Living Pinterest board. You can also follow me via all of your favorite social media platforms including G+, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram. Or subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.