From our very first meeting, Mrs. Meyers knew me for the sucker that I am. And she played me hard.
It was years ago now. I was at the grocery store, in the cleaning products aisle. I don’t go down there much–just really to buy sponges and Bon Ami, but the new labels caught my eye. The fonts! The design! I stopped. I picked up a bottle. I read the label.
AROMATHERAPEUTIC.
I was done for. And somehow that fancy label convinced me to buy it as a “treat” for myself. As if a counter spray is a treat. But holding it in my hands, I could see myself dancing through my house (Is that an anthropologie dress you’re cleaning in? Why, this old thing?), LOVING to clean.
And that’s how I spent $7.99 on a counter spray. I started with lavender, and I cycled through the other scents, matching the color of the label with my mood, the seasons, or how it would look on my very clean counter.
And you know what? It worked. I lived the Mrs. Meyer’s dream. And then I started refilling the bottles with my own homemade stuff.
And that was even better.
Homemade Counter Spray
My favorite oil to add to this spray is a blend called thieves, which is a little hard to find. It’s pricey, but I’ve been working through the same bottle for 10 years now, and we use it a lot during times when everyone’s sick. It’s rumored to have all sorts of miraculous germ-busting powers, but I also just love the way it smells (think gingerbread in a winter kitchen). Tea tree oil has a strong smell, but it’s a great disinfectant. If you’re not keen on the smell, just reduce the amount or leave it out altogether.
Makes just over 3 cups
3 cups (720 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) distilled white vinegar
10 to 15 drops tea tree oil
5 to 10 drops other essential oils (lavender, rosemary, lemon, or thieves are all good options)
1. Combine the water, vinegar, and oil in a spray bottle. Cover, and shake vigorously to combine.
Occasionally I teach workshops, and I have one coming up this fall. Join me and stellar novelist 
I started making my own cleaning solutions and I love it!
I do basically the same thing, but add a small squirt of Dr. Bronner’s soap to the mix. It works on everything!
This is pretty much exactly how I make my counter spray. Except, I keep a big jar of vinegar in my pantry and any time I have occasion to use fresh lemon juice, I peel the lemon first and then throw the peels in the vinegar. Let it steep for a few weeks, then voila — yummy smelling lemon vinegar to use instead of plain white 🙂
Yes- I’ve done this with orange peels too! Smells so good.
I do the exact same thing! Mrs. Meyers bottle and all! And when the spray mechanism conks out I use that an an excuse to try whatever scent I haven’t used yet/for a while.
thanks for sharing the recipe! Quick question: how long does it last? Thanks for any info!
Indefinitely!
Huh. I love the Mrs. Meyer’s scents and I am running out of the all-purpose cleaner and I CANNOT stomach the $9 price! Not sure what to do yet.
But I have never ever used a counter spray. I just wipe my counters with a wet dishcloth. . . maybe I should start using a spray? Talk to me about how this works in your kitchen (and also, I have polished granite countertops – not sure a vinegar spray would be good for them).
Honestly, I only call it counter spray because that’s what the Mrs. Meyer’s bottle says, but I use it much more as an all-purpose spray. I use it to wipe down the bathroom sink, spray handles when everyone’s sick, give the counters a quick clean, etc. I especially like to scrub everything down at the end of the night after the dishes, as it makes the kitchen feel ready to go through the whole mess again. My counters are recycled slate and butcher block, and the vinegar works for both of them but YES you’re right- you don’t want to use vinegar on granite. Super diluted Dr. Bronner’s would be better for granite.
thank you! We do use a vinegar spray already for bathroom cleaning, and I don’t pay much attention to how much the kids use because it’s so cheap.
OH MY GOD!! Are you ME??!
Same thing:
*only buy sponges and bon ami
*caught by the labels
*Danced in Anthropologie dress
*refilled the bottles with my own mix of cleaner – which is almost exactly the same as yours! (tiny bit of dish soap is good too)
Creepy.
I also have granite counters, so I feel so left out by these fun (store or homemade) cleaners.
I made a batch of this with tea tree oil and lavendar and I love it. So liberating not to have to pay for the pricey store bought solutions. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Do you get that strong lemon smell? All I can smell is vinegar. I loved the strong lemon smell from the counter spray. Am I doing something wrong?
Do you get that strong lemon smell? All I can smell is vinegar and the strong lemon smell is why I loved Mrs. Meyer’s so much. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi! You can certainly temper it with essential oils- definitely create it to your liking!