You can easily make an inexpensive, homemade bathroom cleaner spray, without toxic chemicals, that is super powerful. No more buying multiple products to clean the bathroom.
Instead, you can whisk together baking soda, castile soap, and water for a simple, effective, multi-use DIY cleaning spray that can be used on the bathroom vanity, fixtures, tubs, sinks, tile, and around toilets.
Ready to be wowed? Let’s make this natural recipe.
The Story Behind This Recipe…
In 2014, I took the kids to a birthday party for one of Piper’s friends. The kids ran around, bounced, and played. The true highlight of the party was more than just a piece of cake or presents, it was the mom therapy.
Each mom shamelessly chatted about the pile of dishes sitting on the kitchen countertop at home and the never-ending laundry pile. There were moments of laughter about potty training and home messes. Therapy at its finest.
One of the topics we talked about was how hard it is to keep a bathroom clean with little kids at home. Boy did this resonate with me!
Someone should have told me how hard it is to keep a bathroom clean with little people around! Okay, maybe people told me, but I just ignored the, “having children will forever change your life” talk.
Since having children, we’ve made drastic changes to our lifestyle. Gone are the days of freezer pop tarts and Tide laundry soap (trust me, that was a hard habit to quit.)
As a family, we’ve embraced real food and natural laundry soap, but under one condition: homemade alternatives must be more effective (or in the case of food, better tasting and satisfying) than the toxic alternatives.
This quest has led me to homemade Swiffer wipes, cleaning wipes, all-purpose cleaner, and so much more. It’s been freeing to break away from the need to buy expensive products at the store.
So what’s a mom to do with a forever changed bathroom and the need for an effective homemade bathroom cleaner? Experiment, of course!
After much experimenting and way too many Pumpkin Spice Lattes (brain food), I created an all-in-one homemade bathroom cleaner that’s simple and effective. A cleaner that works so effectively, I must share for the sake of all the parents out there!
Think of this cleaner as bathroom therapy and mess relief in a little homemade bottle. Over the years, many people have made and loved this cleaner as well: “Kristin, I tried it last month. It smells nice and I like it. Actually, this is much better than vinegar!”
How to Make a Powerful All-in-One Homemade Bathroom Cleaner
This cleaning spray is an all-in-one product, because it literally does it all! You could say it’s one of the best homemade bathroom cleaners for this reason.
You can make speciality products for scrubbing the tub and sink and the cleaning the toilet. But for routine cleaning, you don’t need those products.
Instead, you can quickly combine this spray and clean every surface (except glass and mirrors; use this glass and mirror spray instead) in minutes.
Ingredients & Tools You’ll Need
Liquid Castile Soap
Castile soap is a plant-based soap made from vegetable oils (olive, coconut, palm) and plant oils.
Castile soap has been around since the 11th century and was first made in the Aleppo of the Levant region (modern day Syria). The Crusaders learned about this soap which was, eventually, duplicated in Europe without success.
That is, until a region in Spain (called Castile) was able to get the recipe right and successfully made what we know today as “castile soap.”
The soap became popular with Spanish royalty and eventually by the 1500’s made its way to England. Castile soap is versatile (you can use it to make multiple DIY cleaners and body products), inexpensive, and completely natural. Check out this post to learn more about castile soap and make 7 castile soap cleaning recipes.
The beauty of castile soap and why it works so well for bathroom cleaning is because it easily picks up dirt, bacteria, and cleans grime from surfaces.
This natural soap removes bacteria from surfaces as well. It doesn’t kill bacteria, but it does easily lift and remove bacteria from surfaces. Antibacterial products, on the other hand, are designed to kill bacteria (not lift and remove the bacteria from the surface, as soap does).
Some folks find that castile soap leaves behind a cloudy film on surfaces, like a white residue. This can be caused by the castile soap interacting with hard water and the surface may simply need to be wiped down a few times with a damp wash cloth. Or, you may want to switch over to an All-Purpose Spray with Vinegar.
Want to learn more? In this guide, learn everything you need to know about castile soap, how to use it, 7 amazing benefits, the best brands, and warnings.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a super powerful, underrated cleaning ingredient. It cleans, deodorizes and lifts odors, brightens and removes stains and soap scum (check out this video on my Instagram of a rust stain in my sink and how baking soda removed it!), and freshens.
You can use baking soda to deodorize the fridge, clean a toilet with baking soda, remove stubborn dirt and grease from sinks and tubs, and lift odors from carpet.
When used in the bathroom, baking soda acts as a deodorizer, to lift stains and smells trapped on bathroom surfaces (and we all know how sticky a bathroom can get!).
Warm Water
Baking soda needs warm water to dissolve and make a spray cleaner. I recommend using distilled water for a couple of reasons: safety and mineral deposits.
Tap water may contain pathogens that quickly grow in a water-based solution. For this reason, it’s always best to use distilled water, which has been heated to such a degree that the process kills bacteria and limits the ability for bacteria to grow in your homemade cleaning product.
Second, hard water can negatively interact with castile soap, leaving behind a white cloudy film on surfaces (it can be wiped away, but it’s still annoying).
Distilled water doesn’t contain any minerals, so it won’t leave behind mineral deposit spots on surfaces. You can buy a gallon of distilled water at any grocery store. Just warm the water in the microwave or on the stove-top before making this recipe. Using a funnel will help you pour the water into the spray bottle.
Essential Oils
Tea tree and orange essential oils are added to this recipe for their antibacterial properties. If you don’t have essential oils on hand, or don’t want to buy essential oils, you can skip them.
Keep in mind, the cleaner won’t have a wonderful scent if you skip the oils, as the oils (particularly the orange oil, not the tea tree oil) add a fragrance that’s uplifting and “clean.”
You could also use other essential oils, like lavender essential oil, grapefruit essential oil, peppermint essential oil, or eucalyptus essential oil. To learn more about cleaning with essential oils, check out this article: Natural Cleaning with Essential Oils 101.
16-Ounce Spray Bottle
You can use any leftover 16-ounce spray bottle to make and store this recipe. If the spray bottle was previously used for a different cleaner, make sure it’s been thoroughly rinsed to avoid any chemical combinations with the previous cleaner.
I’ve been using glass spray bottles from Amazon (this brand) for years. You can also make your own spray bottle with a leftover vinegar bottle and spray nozzle.
Step By Step Instructions
Once you have your ingredients and spray bottle, making this recipe is super easy. It only takes 5 minutes, from start to finish. As soon as you make the spray, it’s ready to be used for cleaning.
Step 1: Add Warm Water and Baking Soda
Pour the warm water into the spray bottle, followed by the baking soda. Shake the bottle to combine the ingredients.
Step 2: Add Castile Soap and Essential Oils
Add 2 tablespoons of castile soap and essential oils, gently shaking the bottle to combine the ingredients.
That’s it! Just 2 steps and you’re ready to bring a new definition to the words “clean bathroom.” The simple ingredients work hard on any dirt, smell, or mystery liquid that may be lurking inside your bathroom right now.
How to Use
Use this spray to clean the tub, shower, tile, toilet, sink, bathroom fixtures, and even floor (particularly around the toilet.) This cleaner also works wonderfully as a stain remover for carpets and rugs!
Shake the bottle before using. Spray the surface, allow the solution to rest for a minute, then wipe with a damp cloth. Rinse the cloth as needed, and wipe the surface with the damp cloth until clean.
How to Store
Since this product contains water, natural ingredients, and no preservatives, it’s best to store this product for only a few weeks (about 3 weeks if using distilled water).
If the cleaner ever smells off, has black spots or fuzzy growth, toss the cleaner and make a new batch. I’ve never had this happen, but it’s worth mentioning just for safety reasons.
There’s no need to fear homemade cleaners!
MORE BATHROOM CLEANING RECIPES
- Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- How to Naturally Clean & Disinfect Your Toilet
- Homemade All Purpose Spray With White Vinegar (great for mold and mildew or a daily homemade shower cleaner)
- Orange Peel Vinegar Spray (use leftover oranges and lemons to make this all-purpose spray)
- Tub and Sink Scrub
- Window and Glass Cleaner (also works for glass shower doors )
- 6 Homemade Air Freshener Ideas
- How to Make Homemade Floor Cleaner
All-In-One Homemade Bathroom Cleaner Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water distilled water is best for long-term use (a few weeks) or tap water for short-term use (within a few days)
- 1 TB baking soda
- 2 TB castile soap
- 30 drops tea tree essential oil
- 20 drops sweet orange essential oil
Instructions
- Pour the warm water into the bottle, followed by the baking soda. Shake the bottle to combine the ingredients. Add the castile soap and essential oils, gently shaking the bottle to combine.
- Use this spray to clean the tub, tile, toilet, sink, and even floor (particularly around the toilet.) Spray the surface, allow the cleaner to sit for a minute, then wipe with a damp cloth. Rinse the cloth as needed.
Notes
Free PDF cheatsheet
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I, have been, using your DIY Bathroom Cleaner recipe, and, love it! A hint, for those, with “soap scum” issues…..substitute 1 1/2 tsp. sal suds, for the 2 tbsp. castille soap (add, to the bottle, last, and, swirl gently, to combine). We have very hard water, and, I found, that the castille soap, left a film on everything. No film, with the sal suds. I, also, substituted, washing soda, for the baking soda, as, sometimes, formulas containing baking soda, need to be rinsed. (Next time, I’m going to try citric acid, just to see how that works, although, the washing soda, worked, perfectly.) I, like to, experiment with different oils, as well….I, used, orange-cinnamon, last batch. I’m making, lavender-grapefruit, next time:) Hope, these hints, are helpful:)
Hello there. I’ve been looking for a bathroom/shower cleaner that’s more than just vinegar water. I’ve often wondered about making one with castile soap, but I was concerned about it leaving “soap scum” as that would kind of defeat the purpose. 😛 🙂 Have you noticed that being an issue at all?
Hey Amanda, Yes, the soap scum can occur. To prevent this, you can reduce the amount of castile soap.
This is so wonderful! There are so many amazing but simple recipes here with ordinary household items as the base! Looking forward to using these recipes! Thank you!
Hello Kristen,
thanks so much for this recipe. I have a few Airbnb listings and use coloured towels to match the themes. I was finding that if I missed rinsing all the commercial cleaner, the guests somehow find that spot in the bathroom and leave the bath towel on it. (yellow bleach marks on Aqua towels looks really bad and replacing the towels was getting expensive)
I actually swapped the Tea Tree for Eucalyptus oil and it works really well. I have to be honest and admit I had my doubts, but have now removed the commercial chemical cleaners. Oh and I am saving a tonne of cash too.
Thanks heaps for the awesome recipe. I will be trying a few of your others now.
Brett
That’s so great, Brett! I’m so glad you’re enjoying natural cleaning!
Does it have to be in a glass spray bottle?
Hey Patricia, No, it doesn’t need to be.
Loved this cleaner. I added lemon grass for the scent and a bit of vinegar too to remove the hard water stain marks. It gives a real nice squeaky clean look to the bathroom. Thanks for this recipe. It’s saved me tons of money 🙂
That sounds lovely, Vidya!
A little annoyed because the Baking Soda plugged up my spray bottle.
Hey Virginia, That is frustrating. Make sure the baking soda is dissolved in the water solution (using the warm water should help).
Hi, awesome homepage!
I wonder, what is the purpose of the castile oil, and the essential oils in the bathroom cleaner?
Also, I understand it helps with smell but do you have any idea on the effect on the actual bacteria and proteins from example urin?
Cheers
Hey Bjorn, Castile soap is the main cleaning ingredient in this recipe, so its purpose is to clean (just like a traditional soap-based cleaner). The soap doesn’t disinfect (you’ll want to use vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, particularly if you’re looking to sanitize an area that was exposed to urine).
Thank you for the quick reply!
Basicly I am looking for a homemade mixture that I can safely use to clean the entire bathroom, without having to think about for example bacteria being left behind after the cleaning, places like bathtub, sink, toilet, toiletbrush, floor.
Do you have anything for that?
Best
/Björn
Hey Bjorn, Yes, this solution would be perfect: https://livesimply.me/2016/12/09/purpose-cleaner-spray-grease-cutting-power/. The soap/detergent (you could also use a natural dish soap) is used to cut the dirt and the vinegar is used to disinfect.
Hi! I just came across this cleaner solution recipe and have a quick question. I am new to the chemical free life. Could you please define how long a solution made with tap water is safe for compared to the distilled water solution? Thank you so much! Really enjoy your writings!
Hey Juli, With tap water, I only keep my solutions for about a week. With distilled water, I let them go about 3-4 weeks, until they start to look or smell funky which doesn’t usually happen. This is kind of a debated topic in the “natural world” but those are my personal general guidelines.
I made and used this last night. Loved it until this morning when I found everything covered in a film. I wiped it up after I sprayed. Suggestions? Thanks!
Hey Sarah, It could either be from the castile soap or baking soda. You can try leaving out the baking soda, or reducing the castile soap to just a teaspoon. It’s not uncommon for that to happen with castile soap, so it’s usually just a matter of tweaking the ratio. Hope that helps!
Hi Kristin,
Is this also what you use to clean the toilet seat? I see so many articles about cleaning the toilet bowl and the exterior, but no one seems to mention the seat!
Thanks!!
Hey Emily, You definitely can use this to clean this toilet seat! I usually just use my castile soap or vinegar-based all purpose cleaner: https://livesimply.me/2015/11/02/how-to-make-homemade-all-purpose-surface-cleaner/
This is a wonderful mixture!! I’ve made it for my kids and coworkers and they love it. I use it not only for the bathroom but as a laundry spot remover and cat litter pan cleaner. Leaves NO ODOR there!
Awesome, Cindy!
Wow, thanks for the quick response!! I’ve never used tea tree oil before so that’s good to know. I like the idea that the tea tree oil has disinfecting properties though (dirty/germy young children!) and safe enough to use on my granite. I will try adding less next time or maybe try the tea tree castile soap. Thanks again!!!
You’re welcome. Yea, tea tree definitely brings a very unique scent to products, but it’s also a pretty amazing germ destroyer, too.
PERFECT! I needed a cleaner to replace my Windex multisurface cleaner in the bathroom and I have all these ingredients! I just made it and used it but I found that it was rather strong smelling and was coughing quite a bit. I even added more water. I’m afraid to add more oils since I’m cleaning granite and of course the smell factor. I REALLY WANT to be able to use this. Any suggestions??
FYI: I used peppermint castille soap. I use a mix of castille soap and water as a daily/mulitipurpose cleaner and never have an issue with the smell or the coughing.
Hey Jenny,
I’m guessing the odor is coming from the tea tree oil (it’s a rather strong scent for many people). Maybe next time skip the tea tree oil, and see if that makes a difference. The baking soda is odorless, so I don’t think that would be the issue.
Hi. Just checking. What is a TB. Is it a tablespoon?
Hey Rose, Yes, TB is a tablespoon :).
Thanks this bathroom cleaner looks amazing! Do you have an remedies for removing mould and getting rid of it in showers naturally please?
Hey Aniejune, 100% hydrogen peroxide or vinegar should help :). Just spray it on the problem areas, let it sit, and then wipe the surface clean.
Is this for the toilet too? If not, what do you recommend for cleaning the toilet?
Hey Kirsty, You could use this in the toilet, too. I use this powder: https://livesimply.me/2015/12/02/clean-disinfect-toilet-bowl-naturally/
olá boa noite ,gostei imenso da sua receita ,para limpar o banheiro .,poderia me explicar o que é o sabao liquido de castela ?ou posso substituir por outro ,é que eu nunca ouvi falar desse sabao,compra-se em qualquer supermercado ?obrigado
,
Hey quiteria, Castile soap is a liquid (or bar) vegetable-based soap. It’s highly concentrated, so a little bit goes a long way. You could try adding a bit of natural dish soap to this recipe.
I have one for you- in a 30 ounce bottle I combine half vinegar, half water and then add approximately 1/2 tsp of Castile soap and 15 or so drops of thieves oil that I make myself. I use this on pretty much everything but glass ( though I do use it on my glass stovetop) and it does a really great job. It would not be good on natural stone like granite or marble due to the acid content, but it works famously on floors, laminate, tubs, etc. and leaves the house smelling like cloves and cinnamon. Right now I am trying to come up with a good Castile soap recipe of my own to avoid spending the $$$ for dr bronners, which is kind of pricey.
Thanks for sharing, Sheila.
hi, just found your recipe. I’m in Australia and wondered what Castile soap is and what is an alternative?
Thanks in advance, I love to use natural products when I can.
Fay
Hey Fay, Castile soap is a specialty ingredient, and unfortunately, it’s a hard ingredient to find a substitute for. A clean dish soap may be the best alternative.