The 3-Ingredient Homemade Cleaner I Use In My Kitchen

You probably already have all of the ingredients on hand in your home.

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Our kitchen is my family’s most lived-in room. We cook our favorite meals together, entertain guests, prep backpacks for the day, sort through snail mail, and sip coffee at the table on a slow Saturday morning. As we arrive home from work and school each day, the clutter and mess tend to take over with everyone’s belongings, plus cooking meals. Maintaining function and order on countertops and in cabinets is a challenge, but it’s also vital that this space stays as organized and clean as possible so our days and weeks run smoothly.

The surfaces in my kitchen are probably not cleaned as frequently as they should, but I do have a tactic that helps me keep things as sparkling as possible without exposing my family to cleaners and chemicals that might be toxic in food prep areas. “Other chemical cleaning products may contain harsher, toxic ingredients that may not be safe for you, your family, or your pets,” explains Katie Dills, Mount Airy, Maryland-based Brand President for The Cleaning Authority.

Using all-natural products in this kitchen when possible, even if it takes a little extra time to mix up the cleaning solution, is worth the work and reassurance that you aren’t exposing any family members to something harmful. “When you use environmentally responsible products in the home, you can feel safe and comfortable knowing that your family is not breathing in harsh chemicals or having them on or near your skin,” Dills says.

Reinforcement against grime and buildup is essential, though, and it comes in the form of my trusty spray bottle filled with my 3-ingredient cleaner. I use this homemade cleaner on almost every surface in my kitchen. Since most households have the ingredients—dish detergent, rubbing alcohol, and water—stored under a bathroom or kitchen sink, it’s simple to whip up and easy to keep on hand for when you need it. Here’s my recipe and how I use it on many of the surfaces in my kitchen.

This cleaning solution can be used on various surfaces in the kitchen, and it works as a degreasing, streak-free cleaner on some of the most heavily used surfaces in our kitchen.

This cleaning solution always leaves a sanitized streak-free shine for my granite countertops. Start by clearing the surface of any clutter and dishes, and wipe up any major spills. Then, heavily spray the solution on the countertop. Let it sit for a few minutes to sanitize, then use a clean, dry cloth to wipe the surface clean of the solution.

I especially like using this cleaner on appliances because it eliminates stickiness and handprints on their handles. Heavily spray appliances, then wipe clean and buff until clean. Since we typically touch appliances while cooking, appliances might collect more residue than other surfaces. I use this solution on my refrigerator, microwave, oven door, and dishwasher door. Repeat the spraying and cleaning steps until all grime has been wiped away and there are no more visible streaks.

My 3-ingredient homemade cleaner is my go-to for quickly disinfecting the kitchen sink. It’s not as strong-smelling as a bleach cleaner. Spray the solution adequately all over the sink. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then rinse the solution or wipe the sink with a clean cloth.

Although you can purchase specific cleaning solutions just for stovetops, I’ve found that most have a very unpleasant, pungent odor. I prefer to use my 3-ingredient cleaner on my stovetop. The dish detergent decreases while combining water and rubbing alcohol, leaving a streak-free shine. Spray liberally on the stove, then wipe clean with a clean cloth. Repeat if necessary until streaks disappear.

To use this solution on my cabinets, I spray it on a clean cloth first, then wipe the cabinet knobs and area surrounding the knobs since this is the most touched area of the cabinet. It’s combative against dust, grease stains, and fingerprints.