Here’s a simple way to infuse a vinegar, for the purpose of making your own natural household cleaner. I used dried lavender because it smells beautiful and, because we’re using it for cleaning our home, it’s also helpful that it has antibacterial and cleansing properties. Which, by the way, makes this infused vinegar really great for skincare recipes, but that’s for another day. And, let’s be honest, I did taste it and I’m thinking it would make an amazing salad dressing, but now I just sound like a crazy vinegar lady. Basically, you’ll find a ton of uses for infused vinegars, but today, let’s focus on cleaning our house, making it sparkle and smell… delicious!
Use your infused vinegar to make an all-purpose cleaner. It’s amazing everywhere from windows and glass to countertops, bathrooms and kitchens. It works any conventional all-purpose cleaner would, but better because you made it perfectly safe and natural!
vinegar: Ruthlessly anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal… vinegar is the boss! It also does a neat trick of breaking down minerals found in water, which is what leaves behind cloudy spots on your mirrors and builds up the soap scum in the shower. It’s also going to eat away at mold that grows in corners and in between tiles. Vinegar is safe on wood, fabric, chrome, tiles, floors – basically everywhere except: marble and granite (that’s because of its appetite for minerals) but in this diluted form, I’ve never had a problem on my compressed marble floors…
lavender: Vinegar alone is already a fantastic cleaner, but when infused with lavender – it becomes something much more special. Lavender is a cleansing herb, it’s anti-bacterial and will help to disinfect your home. The scent is calming and refreshing, and helps to relieve anxiety or stress. It’s naturally bug-repelling, driving away moths and fleas, which is why I like to spray my all-purpose cleaner in my closet, couch and rugs.
I hope you try this recipe! I think it makes the best window cleaner that I’ve ever used and I’m obsessed with the scent – I spray it everywhere!
Lavender All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup dried lavender
- water
- in a glass jar, mix the vinegar and dried lavender. Seal shut
- allow to sit in a sunny spot for 10 days
- then, strain out the lavender and reserve the infused vinegar
- to make your all-purpose cleaner: in a spray bottle mix 1 part lavender infused vinegar to 2 parts water
- use your vinegar cleaner as you would any conventional all-purpose cleaner, simply spray and wipe! Great for counters, the refridgerator, windows, mirrors, bathrooms, kids toys and highchair – basically everywhere.
Be careful on marble and granite as vinegar can degrade the surface.
p.s. I promise I don’t put my baby to work but, that said, she loves playing with our homemade cleaners and to be honest, I’m not complaining!
60 responses to “Lavender Household Cleaner Recipe”
Love that bottle! Have been trying to find tinted spray bottle in Singapore but to no avail 🙁
Hi Xian Hui – this one is for hair salons, so the mist is too fine really for cleaning. I’m trying to find a better nozzle… but I’m still using it just because I love how it looks too :))
You have an adorable little helper!
Hi Jeanette! Thanks I’ll tell her you said so – it will make her smile 🙂
I love the scent of lavender. Will definitely try this idea. Thanks!
Hi Jasmine! Awesome – let us know how it works out for you! 🙂
Where did you find the lavender?
Hi Diana! Are you in Singapore? You can check out Phoon Huat or the Chinese herbal shops along China Town. Hope you find it! 🙂
http://www.phoonhuat.com/
Yes please tell me where you got the lavendar? where can I get environmentally friendly empty spray bottles in Singapore?
Hi Jane!For lavender you can try Phoon Huat or Chinese herbal shops along China Town.
http://www.phoonhuat.com/
I haven’t seen specifically eco-friendly spray bottles – I’ll usually buy them in gardening shops or re-use something from home. You can even put a spray nozzle onto the small Heinz glass vinegar bottles that they sell in supermarkets… Hope that helps 🙂
Hi
Thank you for sharing this and all your other recipes and experiences.
I also have a couple of questions:
1. Do I need to use a particular type of vinegar?
2. As asked above, where did you source your lavender?
Many thanks!
Hi Susanne! Go for a white distilled vinegar. Are you in Singapore? You can find vinegar and lavender at Phoon Huat, a baking supply store: http://www.phoonhuat.com/
hope that helps! Let us know how you get on 🙂
Thanks for the great tip! May I know if I can use artificial vinegar for this recipe?
Hi Kin! I’ve tried artificial vinegar and it hasn’t worked for me. I think that going with a natural distilled white vinegar is best. Are you in Singapore? You can buy bulk sizes in Phoon Huat for much cheaper than the supermarkets!
http://www.phoonhuat.com/
I have done these with orange peels but cannot wait to try with lavender – I have some dried lavender I need to something with anyway
Hi Sandi! Awesome – let us know how it turns out for you!
Can I use lavender essential oil instead?
Hi! You can – just mix one part vinegar, two parts water and your essential oils. Shake it before each use
I found my lavender in Mustafa! But thanks for the tip on not using artificial vinegar. My mum has been using that (non-diffused) and it will be a good time to tell her to stop!
Hi Yen-Lyng – thanks for the tip on Mustafa – that place has everything, hey!
Love it! I followed your directions, and LOVE LOVE LOVE the cleaner.
But one quick question–Does it need to steep for 10 full days It looked the same after an overnight steep as it did several days later…..just wondering.
Thanks!
Hi Krista! Awesome – the longer you let it steep the more infused the vinegar becomes so it will have stronger benefits. You still get that lavender scent in just a day or two – so if that alone makes you happy, then don’t worry about waiting the full 10 days! 🙂
and what may happen soon too is that commercial cleaners will start to smell too strong and chemical to you. I know that I used to use scented cleaners, but now I actually feel a little nauseous when I smell them! 🙂
Is it better to use white vinegar than apple cider for cleaning?
Hi Angie – a plain White vinegar is perfect for cleaning the home and apple cider vinegar is actually really good for the skin and hair (it has great benefits taken internally, as well as externally on your body)… you’ve just given me the idea to post a vinegar hair rinse recipe! thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Hi, can I use this to clean a newborn’s nursery? Like cot, changing table, etc?
Thanks for the tip!
Hi Kathleen, yes!! That’s a great use for your vinegar cleaner! It does a great job of cleaning, it’s naturally antibacterial, anti-fungul yet it won’t add chemicals which can be so irritating, especially in babies. As a mom myself, it feels wonderful to know that your baby’s environment is fresh, and natural. I absolutely recommend that you use it for the nursery (and everywhere else!)
What a lucky newborn to have a Mommy who has learned these techniques early on – with my first, I was using chemicals products and things like febreeze in her nursery but, by the time I had my second, I knew better. I had stopped using all of those products and I really do see a big difference! 🙂
Thank you for your kind reply! Finally found something that I can put my mind at ease to use around the house safely!
Hi Miltza! I have been using your infused vinegar for most of my cleaning purposes and I loved it! I have been reading online about so many uses for vinegar too! I am wondering if we can use white vinegar to rinse meats to kill off bacteria? Have you heard anything like that?
Hi Miltza! I have been using your infused vinegar for most of my cleaning purposes and I loved it! I have been reading online about so many uses for vinegar too! I am wondering if we can use white vinegar to rinse meats to kill off bacteria? Have you heard anything like that?
Hi Mylene – happy to hear that the vinegar infusion is working for you! I haven’t heard of using it for meat – that’s really interesting. I’ll have to look into that, thanks for sharing!!
HI,
I am currently using Dettol for anti-bacterial cleaning around the house. Would the lavender vinegar solution do the job as well?
Do you have any cleaning solutions for floor mopping purposes?
Thanks!
Hi Joy!
Lavender vinegar is great for mopping and all around the house. I’m not a huge fan of Dettol – it has an ingredient called chloroxylenol which is highly toxic to fish – so it’s not something we want to be washing down our drains. Plus lavender infused vinegar smells much more pleasant 🙂 Do give it a try and let me know what you think! 🙂
Hi! Just wondering, will the vinegar “eat” through any flimsy spray bottles?
Your tips excite me! I am going to war tonight with my toilet walls.
Hi Shirazee! You crack me up!
The spray bottles will be fine – just don’t add essential oils to the mix – essential oils do eat through flimsy plastic!
have fun 🙂
Hi, You mentioned that Vinegar cannot be used on Marble and granite top, but can I use it on quartz worktop? Thanks.
Hi Yufeng,
Vinegar breaks down minerals – so it would not be good for any stone countertop. It can dull the appearance… A soapy solution (castile soap or natural soap and water) works well for your stone surfaces.
hope that helps!
I noticed the lavender infused vinegar has a slight tint. Did you have any problem with it leaving behind lavender stains?
Hi Dani – not at all. Though, I don’t use it on fabric – for that I would stick to a plain vinegar.
hope that helps! 🙂
can u explain why the artificial vinegar wont work?
Hi Mike – I think it’s because they add other ingredients to the artificial vinegar. I had a reader who tried the recipe with artificial vinegar and she said it didn’t work for her – Personally, I’ve always stuck with the real thing. If you do try it – would love to hear your results!
Hi,
I’m in Singapore. I love the bottle you’re using. Where can I buy them? Also more importantly the spray cap or even a pump cap. Where can I buy those?
Hi Soumya,
I picked them up from an online shop – but to be honest, I can’t recommend them. They are pretty, but the spray action is useless. I’ll keep a look out for you!
Wonderful idea – I have about 1lb of dried lavender and can’t wait to try it out. Funny that everyone is raving about the spray bottle, but I love the white and clear ceramic jugs.
Can you tell me where you got them or the brand?
Thanks!
That’s great – let us know how it turns out! I’m not sure where you live, but here’s a link to the weck jars on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=weck+jars
The ceramic jug I think I got from Crate & Barrel.
Hi Militza,
Can I use this infused lavendar spray for fridge cleaning as well?
Hi M, any luck with the spray bottle? Plastic leech yucky stuff into the liquid it contains so the Heniz Vinegar bottle idea really works! But I have tough luck finding durable and pretty spray trigger. Do hope that you can suggest any good place where I can get them!
Hi Tiffany,
I’ll keep a look out for you! 🙂
I love this cleaner i use it for the kitchen it works great
That’s awesome, Kim! It’s such a simple one – I’m really glad you tried it out and that it’s working well for you!
Hi Militza,
Thanks for this amazing website!
I am very interested to use vinegar as cleaning agent now!
May I know if why are all recipes “infusing” the vinegar with citrus peels, lavender, etc. for days?
Or is the vinegar alone a as good cleaning agent already?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Wendy! Thanks for reaching out! 🙂
Vinegar on its own is a brilliant cleaner – it will do the job alone. A lot of people are turned off by the smell, which is why I started playing with ways to scent it. That said, the smell of vinegar really does dissipate – it won’t linger and make your home smell like a chip shop! I promise :)))
These days, when I make my cleaning products – I add essential oils right into the vinegar (to make it even easier to make) and just shake before use to distribute the oils.
I still infuse vinegars for making salad dressing – which is so yummy. The lavender vinegar infusion (made with dried lavender flowers) is actually delicious!
Just prepared the mixture today, can’t wait! Is it 2 parts water and 1 part water for cleaning the floor as well? Do you usually dilute a large amount so it’s ready for use or only as and when you require it? Love your site!
2 parts water and 1 part vinegar is a good proportion to clean floors (as long as they’re not marble or granite) Don’t fill up your bucket too much – you’ll use up a lot of vinegar. Really, a little goes a long way 🙂
A lot of times, I will spray onto the floor and clean with a microfiber swifter mop. Just to keep it easy!
Will it be possible to use this lavender-vinegar as a fabric softener?
Hi Karen! Yes, great thinking! It would work great as a fabric softener. I would test it first – just to make sure there’s no issues with color transfer, since the infusion takes on a tint. Let me know! 🙂
If not, you can create the same effect with vinegar + essential oil.
I love cleaning with essential oils. My favorites are lavender and cinnamon. Thank you for sharing this interesting recipe.
I just tried it and I love it
Hi! That’s so great to hear, hope it makes cleaning a little more enjoyable! 🙂
[…] an all-purpose household cleaner with dried lavender and […]
Have you ever tried Norwex? No infusing or waiting….awesome products ladies! Check out many videos on youtube norwex products or visit my website @ [email protected]. I have a residential cleaning business for 4.5 years and believe me ive tried every cleaner out there including infusing vinegar–it still leaves a residue!