I don’t mind dusting when there’s a light layer of loose dust involved, but as we all know, it’s rarely that simple. Dust has a way of mixing with anything greasy or moist in the vicinity and then clinging to surfaces in way that a dry cloth alone couldn’t hope to clean up.
In these situations, my trusty microfiber cloth needs some backup, and that’s where my favorite DIY dusting spray comes in. Featuring vinegar and citrus oil to cut through grease and a bit of olive oil for shine, this simple spray to make even the grimiest surfaces look clean as a whistle. (The way the fresh citrus smell lingers after I use it doesn’t hurt either!)
How to Make a DIY Dusting Spray
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 10-15 drops of lemon essential oil (or sweet orange essential oil)
- Spray bottle
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in your spray bottle, replace the top, and shake well to mix. Because the oil and water will separate over time, be sure to shake the bottle again before each use to remix the ingredients.
To use it, spray directly onto furniture and buff with a clean, dry cloth.
Get the Spray Bottle Label and Never Forget the Recipe
You’ll never forget how to make this dusting spray once you have these recipe labels for your spray bottles! These durable, waterproof labels stick securely to your bottles, keeping them organized while displaying the full recipe right on the label. Say goodbye to rummaging for instructions—everything you need is right there, ready to go!
This dusting spray is just one of 11 recipe labels you can mix and match to create your own custom bundle. Each set arrives neatly packaged in a clear plastic bag, making it a thoughtful gift for the DIY enthusiast in your life.
I’m not the only one who loves these labels! Take it from these OGT readers:
The bottles with the labels are perfect! Even my husband has been impressed with the shower cleaner. Now our shower doors are sparkling!
BRH
I didn’t know I needed these until they arrived! I love that I have the recipe on the label and don’t have to hunt for it online. SO glad I got these… you should, too!
Nancy
FINALLY!! Yep, you heard it right! I finally purchased the brown spray bottles + the stick-on recipes + the directions, and I’m a whole new kid!! I have “my act” together, and I’m ready to roll! I feel like half the cleaning projects are already complete! Don’t be jealous; just get yours in order, too!!
Helen
Are you one of the many people who dreads dusting your home?
I always love to make things myself when I can. Where can I find essential oil?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Cara! I get mine from sparknaturals.com – you can use code JILLEE for 10% off your purchase.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We bought an older house and have never had any luck with anything getting the kitchen cupboards & hardware “clean”. They feel sticky , like greasy dirt. I have tried most everything. You have some great ideas and am new to your site and loving it already. Any information on how I can get my cupboards & the hardware from feeling stick to clean & smooth would be much appreciated. Thanks to anyone replying to this in advance.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Cindi! Here is a post I’ve done on cleaning kitchen cabinets: https://onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/03/2-ingredient-homemade-kitchen-cabinet-gunk-remover.html
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Old woodworkers recommend using 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 vinegar.. rub on then polish to a high shine. I used this on my kitchen cabinets that were horrid condition and now they all look brand new.. and they’re almost 30 years old. Works great!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love this! However, I’m wondering about EO’s and cats since some are toxic to them. Guess I’ll do some research and may have to leave that ingredient out. Bummer. lol I <3 the smell of lemon/citrus!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great post Jill! Gonna have to give this a try!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you, Jillee! I’ve been hoping you would come up with something simple for a dusting spray and I’ll try it out this weekend.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.On a side note, I wonder what browser people are using to view your emails? On my iPad, I don’t see the links at the bottom of my (favorite!) daily email from OGTBJ, but I see it in my Yahoo email thru Internet Explorer. The IPad email app must cut off the links.
Thank you for laundry detergent, window washing formulas, dishwasher detergent, armpit stain remover, make up remover wipes and whiter whites! I use them all daily!
Yay – DIY ! ! Years ago (suffering from environmental sensitivities — no: bleach, ammonia, commercial cleaners etc) I started making a vinegar dusting/cleaning solution – that I put in a spray bottle. It didn’t have oil though. I would put some vinegar in a pan w/whatever aromatics I could find (sage @ my mother’s on the WY prairies or pine.needles/rosemary somewhere else) and simmer it for a while – then strain and put in a bottle — adding a bit of that to water and (yes!) spraying my dust cloth – I could clean everything (glass too). My mom was horrified at the thought of the vinegar – but it never hurt anything and the smell dissipated right away – – – she loved it and ended up making her own when she ran out of what i’d started :-).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love your daily information and super home made cleaning recipes. Where do you get the cool spray bottles with the cute labels on them.
Thanks for being so awesome.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Patricia! I got the spray bottle at Walmart. Unfortunately the label is something I added to the picture in Photoshop.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Water and wood? hmmmm Water dries out wood. I would NEVER use oil and spray directly on furniture or floors. Not only leave spots on the wood, but on the fabric also. Oils also attract dust. Any overspray on the floors makes them slippery. I have alot of elderly and disabled friends and that spells danger. Some of the essential oils are not good for pets either. I use dawn dish soap to wash my floors, windows and vinyl, dry dusting with microfiber cloth for wood, baking soda, a little dawn and vinegar for the bathroom, and bleach for the toilet. I shampoo carpets with tide and fabric softener (prevents static electricity when you walk across the floor, no shock); pretreat stains with peroxide, dawn, or whatever the stain requires. Less chemicals the better. Dawn dish soap directly on grease and other food stains on clothing works too. Peroxide for coffee, chocolate and juice stains.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve said it before and it’s still true….Jillee, you totally ROCK. Love your posts and tips :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have ordered from sparks and got a 4 pk. bottles of essential oil for less than 20.00 using the 10 percent off (code: JILLEE) that’s less than 5.00 a bottle !! CHECK IT OUT…………………………..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just yesterday I made my own dusting spray, after thinking about it for several months. What I used has a tablespoon of castile soap in it. Though I found it worked great, the idea of putting soap on my wood just doesn’t appeal to me. Only using it once, I can’t say if it will have a buildup, but I think I will dump it out and try this instead. I also despise dusting! I’d rather clean toilets. I don’t know what it is. But I found that by using my own homemade product, it made it more enjoyable (though only slightly!). To the person that doesn’t want to use essential oils because they are expensive, I take it you don’t use them for anything else. I wouldn’t buy a bottle just to make this either probably, but once you get into making your own products, they are a must. The most expensive bottle I bought was around $7. Love your website, Jillee! I have tried so many of your homemade cleaners and toiletries. It’s a joy to get ready for work in the morning using my own soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, makeup, hair gel and hairspray! It kind of becomes a goal to see what I can quit buying from the store next!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wonder if this would work on wood floors.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Essential oils are an investment. However, they last a really long time. Orange oil is around five dollars a bi tle here. It is about,the same price as a bottlr of cleaner. However, you can make 10 or 12 bottles of cleaner with it that isn’t toxic or caustic and cleans way better. It is more economical in the long run.
I wonder if you can spritz this mix on a duster and use it that way…..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m wondering how this could be modified, or if it would even need to be, in order to turn into a “Wood Floor” cleaner? I’ve tried everything under the sun to get my wood floor back to it’s original shine. I can get it clean, but there’s always a slight milky film on top. I’m wondering if olive oil could help……….any ideas???
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think this would probably work, but I also have a post on wood floors: https://onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/3-simple-steps-to-keep-your-hardwood-floors-looking-good.html
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee is right. Only use vinegar and water on your hardwood floors. We just built a new house and installed hardwood floors. We live near a hardwood floor manufacturer (eliminated middleman and saved lots of $$) and were told that is the only thing to use as cleaners will cause floors to have a milky film and ruin your pre finished floor. Never wax a pre finished floor!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks, Jillee. The price of furniture polish has gone through the roof the last couple of years. I’ve resorted to damp microfiber cloths, but this will smell better!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This looks great! It has been so dry this winter I think I’ll end by rubbing in a little extra olive oil. I have a few picture frames that can use this too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you!
Good morning, Jillee and my OGTBJ friends!
I’ve been using a very similar MIY formula since last summer and I really like it. It’s funny, because I had the same results with a couple of IKEA pieces. I thought I’d mixed it incorrectly but, like you, it works great on regular wood. Thanks for letting us all in on thisl. As always, I love the things you share.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.No1tWin – yeah the essential oils are expensive, but Spark Naturals are fairly inexpensive and if you use the code, you can save an additional 10%. I just purchased a few oils the first time and I’ve found a TON of uses for them. Everything from the No.2 spray, to adding them in my humidifier, cleaning products and even body wash! Once you have them, you’ll be surprised at how many things you can “make” with them! There is one small kit that comes with a few that are really commonly used, it’s a great deal and you’ll find yourself using them all the time!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Michelle. ..you mentioned that you have made the No. 2 spray. I have also and like it. But wondered if you have had the same problem as I do with the sprayer sticking. I’ve tried different spray bottles but they all stick and I have to manually pull it up to spray each time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Maybe I’ll have to use the trigger type but they’re so big. Any suggestions?
I’ve had the same problem with many sprayer bottles.. They dont stand up to a lot of the stuff we put in them. The best thing to do is to either use an old spray bottle from a commercial product or clean out the spray bottle sprayer each time you use it which is a pita.
Try looking at the travel size area in the beauty section of Walmart. They carry small 2 oz. trigger spray bottles for under $1. It makes small batches that usually last us almost a month (family of 2.) Have had mine for almost 6 months with no problems with sticking. At this low cost you could easily replace as needed.
Ooops typed wrong size ~ they are actually closer to 8- 10 oz. and are great for a multitude of uses. I just measured mine it holds 8oz with plenty of room for E.O. and sprayer.
I think all these DIY sprays etc. sound great but the essential oils are WAY expensive.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just a .25 oz. bottle is $10.00 or more. You make several batches from that bottle I realize…but not that often and you would have it sitting around til the next batch would be needed. Can it really be that economical? I am not just talking about this spray recipe…but several other DIY items I have read on the posts. They are tempting to try…but I cannot get myself to spend that much on a tiny bottle of oil that will be used one time a year or less.
You can buy cheap essential oil at Walmart for this type of thing but I wouldn’t use them for ingesting.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can use the oil with lemon juice instead of vinegar and just leave the essential oil out.
I get my essential oils on swansonvitamins.com and depending on the type of oil they run from $2-$10 a bottle. There are always coupon codes on retailmenot.com for swan sons that are great savings.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A couple of other people already addressed this but you can definitely get cheaper EO’s to use for cleaning products but I would not recommend ingesting them.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can buy EO’s inexpensively at www. sfherb.com. I’ve been buying from them for 32 years and I love their products. 1oz if $3.45… not too expensive.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can put citrus peels (zest only is best) in vinegar for several days, then use that infused vinegar without the EOs for similar results
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Belinda – thanks for the tip! How much zest should I use to equal 10-15 drops of essential oil?
I think for someone like me, who has a ridiculously strict budget, these essential oils are more than worth it…not only do they last for a looong time, but I can’t put a price on the benefits of cutting out chemicals :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a strong aversion to the smell of vinegar. Can I leave it out and get the same results? I noticed someone mentioned using lemon juice, but I’d have to store the mixture in the fridge, right? (Not an option–fridge space is prime real estate here!)
Suggestions?
Thanks so much!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You probably would not get the same results without vinegar. Without vinegar it’s just oil and lemon EO. But that might be a good conditioner for wood furniture. And yes, if you use lemon juice you would have to put it in the fridge.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You could use witch hazel in place of the vinegar. Old time recipie for furniture polish when mixed with lemon oil.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Would this also be okay to use to wipe down my leather furniture? I was thinking that the olive oil would be good for the leather and the other ingredients don’t seem like they would be harmful…????
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You know Casey, I’m not sure. I would recommend doing some research on the products you can use on leather. I’m not sure how the vinegar and lemon EO would affect the leather.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like this idea. It’s amazing how expensive these products are.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I also love that I don’t have to buy anything to make this
Because I already have all the ingredients at home.
I love reading all your posts. They’re great.
Can this be placed in plastic spray bottle? I cant find/dont have glass.Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Amy, normally I wouldn’t recommend putting EO’s in a plastic bottle but I actually used plastic for this. I figured it wasn’t a huge batch so it wouldn’t end up sitting long enough for the EO’s to eat through the plastic.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you buy your vinegar in the glass bottles, most sprayers from larger bottles will fit it. Or if you only want to mix a small amount, you can find glass bottles (blue or brown) with spray tops at health food/vitamin stores. These often give a finer mist than sprayers from cleaning bottles, but no adjustments of mist to stream. Or use the pump from perfume or liquid deodorant.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.