DIY Counter Top Spray

In an effort to meet my personal goal, to save a little money, I am gradually making my own cleaning products. I used the remainder of my name brand counter top cleaner (Clorox Hard Surface cleaner), so it was time to make my own.

What you need:

2 teaspoons Borax

4 Tablespoons Vinegar

½ cup Dish Soap*

20 – 25 drops Essential Oil

Hot Water

32 oz. Spray Bottle

The Process:

Again, I used my trusty 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup. I put 1 of a cup of hot water in the measuring cup and added the Borax. The water must be hot in order for the Borax to dissolve. Once the Borax was dissolved I added the vinegar and dish soap. I stirred it all together. I poured the mixture into the spray bottle and filled the remainder of the bottle with hot water.

***Side note: The recipe actually called for Dr. Bronner’s Soap. After searching 3 stores (Target, Meijer, and Walmart) I was not able to find it. Any suggestions about where to find it are WELCOME! I didn’t want to order it off line without knowing what it actually smelled like (there are several scents to choose from). From what I have read, the basic difference between Dr. Bronner’s Soap and dish soap is that the Dr. Bronner’s is made with vegetable oil and is organic. I chose to use the dish soap because, well, I was just too impatient to search for the Dr. Bronner’s any longer.

***Side Note #2: Please refer to my glass cleaner side note regarding the ‘essential oil’ I used for the glass cleaner. I used the same home fragrance oil for this recipe as well.

My Opinion:

Making the cleaner was very simple. I was concerned that soap suds would be left on the counter tops, but pleasantly surprised when none were left. It cleaned the counters nicely and didn’t leave a residue. The true test came after we colored Easter eggs.  Some of the egg dye made marks on my white counter tops (Not my choice, they came with the house) and the cleaner easily cleaned the dye up.

*** 4/29/12 Update - I was able to find Dr. Bronner's soap at a local organic market and purchased it.  I bought a small bottle of it because I wasn't sure if I would like it or not.  I chose the Honey Almond scent.  I made a new batch of the counter top spray using Dr. Bronner's soap.  It seems to work the same as the spray with the dish soap. 

I also noticed that Target advertised it on sale in their ad last week.  I went to Target and was unable to find it at the store.  I talked with someone at the store and they said they do not carry a lot of it, but they do have it.