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homemade counter spray

Thursday, February 5, 2015 by alana

DSC_0312

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.

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Make it yourself, tense moments, The Kitchen

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Comments

  1. pam (Sidewalk Shoes) says

    Thursday, February 5, 2015 at 9:36 pm

    I started making my own cleaning solutions and I love it!

  2. Meredith Bennett says

    Friday, February 6, 2015 at 1:07 am

    I do basically the same thing, but add a small squirt of Dr. Bronner’s soap to the mix. It works on everything!

  3. Shannon says

    Friday, February 6, 2015 at 4:53 am

    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 🙂

    • alana says

      Monday, February 9, 2015 at 12:22 am

      Yes- I’ve done this with orange peels too! Smells so good.

  4. Desirea says

    Friday, February 6, 2015 at 2:57 pm

    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.

  5. Melissa says

    Friday, February 6, 2015 at 9:03 pm

    thanks for sharing the recipe! Quick question: how long does it last? Thanks for any info!

    • alana says

      Monday, February 9, 2015 at 12:22 am

      Indefinitely!

  6. Margo, Thrift at Home says

    Monday, February 9, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    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).

    • alana says

      Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 9:48 pm

      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.

      • Margo, Thrift at Home says

        Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 10:54 am

        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.

  7. hilary says

    Friday, February 13, 2015 at 12:07 pm

    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.

  8. Melissa says

    Monday, February 16, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    I also have granite counters, so I feel so left out by these fun (store or homemade) cleaners.

  9. Kim says

    Monday, March 23, 2015 at 5:39 pm

    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.

  10. Jeanne says

    Saturday, January 6, 2018 at 11:13 am

    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?

  11. Jeanne says

    Saturday, January 6, 2018 at 11:14 am

    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?

    • alanac says

      Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 8:40 pm

      Hi! You can certainly temper it with essential oils- definitely create it to your liking!

Trackbacks

  1. 50 Homemade Cleaner Recipes | Homemaking Tips says:
    Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 1:09 am

    […] 11) Homemade Countertop Spray: Three ingredients and I’ll have clean counters? It seems to be working so far! I’m using Melaleuca and grapefruit essential oils in mine, just to keep that grapefruit smell I love so much in the kitchen! […]


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