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DIY Cleaning Spray with Vodka (Rose Petal Infused)

Learn how to make your own natural DIY cleaning spray with vodka. This simple recipe is infused with rose petals for a subtle fragrance and a hint of colour. The addition of antibacterial essential oils boosts this fragrant spray’s cleaning power.

Homemade cleaning spray

The majority of store-bought cleaning sprays contain endocrine disrupting chemicals that can be harmful to your health. As well, the synthetic fragrances commonly used in these products can irritate those who are sensitive to artificial scents.

As someone who suffers from chronic migraines, it’s extremely important to avoid chemical laden fragrances as they will often trigger a severe migraine headache. And for those with little ones at home, avoiding harmful fragrances is equally as important.

While there are definitely a variety of fantastic green cleaning products on the market, it can be difficult find a natural cleaning spray that not only works, but that is affordable as well.

So, when the hunt for an eco-friendly cleaner left us with limited options, it was time to create a DIY cleaning spray. Enter vodka, which is not just for making a killer chocolate martini.

Why we use vodka in our DIY cleaning spray

We prefer to use vodka instead of rubbing alcohol (or isopropyl alcohol) in all of our homemade cleaning products.

Rubbing alcohol might be inexpensive, but its toxicity and its ability to trigger migraines are just a couple reasons why we choose to avoid it. It’s also particularly toxic to small children and pets.

Additionally, repeated exposure to rubbing alcohol can lead to dryness and eventual cracking which can leave skin more prone to infection.

If you’re interested in learning more about why we strive to avoid rubbing alcohol, we go into more detail about the topic in our post on DIY glass cleaner as well as in this post for homemade hand sanitizer with vodka.

Bottle of DIY cleaning spray with vodka and essential oils

Luckily, cheap vodka works just as well as the more expensive brands, so there’s no need to use expensive vodka for this DIY cleaner. However, keep in mind that the higher the proof you use, the more effective the alcohol will be for natural disinfection.

In fact, if you’re using your cleaning spray for more than just spot cleaning and quick clean ups, you’re going to want to use high-proof vodka.

Because in order for your final product to be effective against viruses and bacteria, a cleaner must contain at least 70% alcohol. This is why if you want to use this spray for disinfecting, you will need to choose a vodka brand that’s at least 150 proof.

Since classifications can vary by country be sure to double check the product’s label to ensure the vodka is at least 70% alcohol.

Some people might be concerned that the smell of this spray will leave their house smelling like alcohol. However, the smell of the vodka will dissipate quickly, so you don’t have to fear your home will smell like you just threw the frat party of the century. The only scent left behind will be the subtle fragrance of roses and the essential oils.

Natural DIY cleaning spray with vodka

Cleaning spray with rose petal-infused vodka

The vodka used in this recipe was infused with rose petals for a natural fragrance and a hint of colour.

The rose petals were placed in a mason jar with vodka overnight, then strained out in the morning. However, the longer you leave the rose petals in your vodka, the stronger the scent.

Lighter coloured roses such as yellow, white or peach are more suitable for this recipe. While red roses can be used, they should not be infused for too long as the deep shade produced by darker rose petals could potentially stain countertops or other household surfaces. When in doubt, opt for light coloured roses.

Jar of rose petals with bottle of vodka

Additionally, if you don’t have any rose petals on hand, you can also use rose essential oil to scent your vodka cleaning spray.

Essential oil combinations for cleaning

As mentioned, the rose petals used in this recipe will give your cleaning spray a subtle fragrance, but you can also add essential oils for a stronger scent and for their beneficial properties.

For instance, essential oils such as tea tree, eucalyptus and lemongrass have anti-fungal and antimicrobial properties without the adverse effects of common household antibacterial agents.

Citrus oils such as lemon, grapefruit and bergamot also pair very well with the scent of roses.

We created two variations of this cleaning spray: rose and lemongrass or rose and citrus. You can use one of these recipes or feel free to choose any combination of antibacterial essential oils from the list below.

Rose and Lemongrass Vodka Cleaning Spray

10 drops lemongrass essential oil
10 drops tea tree essential oil
5 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Rose and Citrus Vodka Cleaning Spray

5 drops eucalyptus essential oil
5 drops grapefruit essential oil
5 drops lime essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil
5 drops tea tree essential oil

Antibacterial eucalyptus leaf in glass of water

Eucalyptus essential oil has antibacterial properties, which makes it a good EO for use in homemade cleaning sprays.

Some of the top antibacterial essential oils for cleaning include:

  • Eucalyptus
  • Lemongrass
  • Tea Tree Oil
  • Grapefruit
  • Palmarosa
  • Cinnamon
  • Rosemary
  • Bergamot
  • Orange
  • Clove
  • Oregano
  • Thyme

For further reading on the topic of essential oils as antibacterial agents, this study is compelling. In fact, numerous studies have shown that cinnamon oil is one of the best performing antibacterial essential oils.

Cinnamon is also a key component of Thieves oil, a highly antibacterial essential oil blend that would also be a great choice to use in a homemade cleaning spray.

How to make rose cleaning spray with vodka

To begin, infuse your vodka with rose petals by placing the vodka and the rose petals in a covered mason jar overnight. Strain out the petals the next day. Or, for a stronger scent, you can opt to leave them in the vodka for a few days.

Rose petals infusing in vodka for cleaning spray

Add your essential oils. There are a variety of oil combinations that work well. But for antibacterial capabilities, be sure to include one or more essential oils from the list of antibacterial oils above.

Shake the jar vigorously to combine the essential oils with the vodka.

Use a funnel to transfer your mixture to a glass spray bottle. Dark glass bottles such as these ones are preferable to protect the essential oils from UV light.

However, you can still use a clear bottle as long as you keep the mixture in a dark cupboard. We have often repurposed the pretty glass bottles that come with Cortas rose water, as a standard spray nozzle fits them perfectly.

How to use your vodka cleaning spray

To use your cleaning spray, remove any dirt or obvious food particles with soap and water, then simply spray the disinfecting cleaner on your desired surface and wipe clean.

We’ve successfully used this spray on mirrors, granite countertops, stovetops, sinks, and more. It cleans incredibly well, doesn’t leave streaks, and makes our countertops shinier than any store-bought cleaner we’ve tried.

As with any cleaning products, even the eco-friendly ones, keep them out of the reach of small children and pets.

Other natural cleaning spray options

If you’re not the DIY type, there are some fantastic nontoxic store-bought cleaners on the market. However, because the manufacturers of household cleaners are not required to put all the ingredients on the label, you don’t always know what’s in them.

Luckily, there are websites which can provide you with specific ingredient information. To check out your favourite cleaner’s ingredients, you can use one of the links below.

The Environmental Working Group Healthy Home Guide

National Institutes of Health Household Products Database

DIY essential oil cleaning spray in spray bottle

Natural cleaning spray with vodka
Yield: 1 bottle

DIY Cleaning Spray with Vodka (Rose Petal Infused)

Prep Time: 1 day
Active Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 1 day 2 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $10

Learn how to make a natural DIY cleaning spray with vodka and essential oils. This unique recipe is made with rose petal infused vodka for a floral fragrance.

Materials

Rose and Lemongrass Vodka Cleaning Spray

Rose and Citrus Vodka Cleaning Spray

Tools

Instructions

    1. To begin, infuse your vodka with rose petals by placing the vodka and the rose petals in a covered mason jar overnight. Strain out the petals the next day. Or, for a stronger scent, you can opt to leave them in the vodka for a few days.
    2. Add your essential oils. There are a variety of oil combinations that work well. But for antibacterial capabilities, be sure to include one or more essential oils from the list of antibacterial oils found in the article above.
    3. Shake the jar vigorously to combine the essential oils with the vodka.
    4. Use a funnel to transfer your mixture to a glass spray bottle. Dark glass bottles are preferable to protect the essential oils from UV light.
    5. However, you can still use a clear bottle. This won't affect the efficacy of your cleaning spray as long as you keep the mixture in a dark cupboard. We have often repurposed the pretty glass bottles that come with Cortas brand rose water, as a standard spray nozzle fits them perfectly.
    6. Use your natural cleaning spray on a variety of surfaces in the kitchen, bathroom, and more.

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Did you make this DIY?

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More natural cleaning recipes

Looking for more natural and nontoxic cleaning recipes? You may also enjoy:

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Rose petal infused cleaning spray

Elaine Watkins

Thursday 27th of June 2019

Hi there. Love the recipe, and I also prefer natural cleaners. I look forward to trying this one. Just an FYI... The recipe included on the Pin shows Tea Tree essential vegetable oil, instead of essential oil. I don't see it elsewhere.

Kim

Thursday 27th of June 2019

Thanks so much! I hope the recipe works out for you! As for the pin description, that seems to be an issue with Pinterest sometimes. Pinterest will grab the recipe from the recipe card or post and then categorize an ingredient incorrectly. Our recipe definitely doesn't contain vegetable oil!

Kim

Sunday 18th of February 2018

Hi Samantha! The homemade cleaners definitely work much better in our experience too!

Samantha

Sunday 18th of February 2018

Love this! I use all natural cleaners too, I find my homemade ones do work much better!

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