Homemade Pine Sol Scented Natural Cleaner: Cheap and Easy

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Do you love using Pine Sol but want a safer homemade solution to clean the surfaces of your home? This powerful homemade pine needle cleaning solution is your answer. It looks pretty and is coupled with the fresh smell of pine. Unlike most commercial cleaners, you can feel safe using it in your home. Besides that, this stuff really works. You can even use it to clean your dishes! Best of all, the solution is surprisingly easy to make and cost-effective.

Unfortunately, the typical all-purpose household cleaner on the market contains all kinds of toxic ingredients. After much research, I have grown to feel uncomfortable with the idea of using conventional cleaners in my household. With the knowledge that they may harm my loved ones, I can no longer justify their use. Consequently, this has led me to only use my own homemade cleaners in my house.

After reading about conventional cleaners, it may lead you to believe that you are better off taking your chances with a dirty home. Compared to this DIY pine needle cleaner, conventional cleaners have all kinds of side effects and possible trade-offs for a clean surface. Certainly, you wouldn’t feed your children poison, so why would you clean the kitchen with it?

The key to homemade cleaning products is to do your research before throwing dangerous chemicals into a bottle all willy-nilly. Fortunately, I have researched DIY cleaners for you. With this simple recipe, you can whip up a non-toxic cleaner in minutes!

Why not purchase Pine-Sol or another brand of pine oil cleaner?

The original chemist, Harry A. Cole, who invented the original Pine-Sole knew that pine oil had special antibacterial properties. For many years the original formula had a large amount of pine oil mixed into the cleaning solution. Despite the name, the Pine Sol cleaner that is sold in stores today does not contain any pine oil in its formula. At the time of the original formula discontinuation, the company stated that it was no longer cost-effective to have pine oil in the formula. Nowadays, the Clorox company simply adds a pine scent to their cleaning solution. Furthermore, you might be surprised to find out that the newest formula has a D rating from EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning.

Fortunately, you can still purchase pine oil cleaners online but I would suggest using them sparingly. Some studies have disputed how effective pine oil is as a disinfectant. The estimated amount of pine oil needed for an effective cleaner is around 30% of the cleaning solution. Alarmingly, there is an older study that suggests that Pine Oil cleaners may have contributed to the growth of superbugs known as MRSA and VRSA. Which is the opposite of what you want in a disinfectant cleaner.

What I love about this Homemade Pine Sol Scented Cleaning Spray

I have spent a large amount of time researching the safest chemicals to use in my natural cleaning products. Here are some of the reasons that I love to make this all-purpose pine needle cleaning spray:

1. This powerful cleaner has ingredients that work. I even use it to pre-treat my dishes!
2. The simple ingredients have high grades on EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning.
3. It contains natural ingredients that I can trust.
4. While the pine oil is not used as a disinfectant in this formula, it smells great and can deter flies and other icky bugs.
5. Think of this as an all-purpose cleaner with aromatherapy built in, you can customize it to your home. The fresh pine scent reminds me of my favorite time of year when the Christmas tree is up!
6. This homemade pine needle cleaner is cost-effective compared to commercial cleaners. I can make a bottle of this all-purpose cleaner for less than one dollar.

Washing Soda vs Borax

Borax is a very effective basic cleaner and most people feel that it is safe to use in their home. Unfortunately, I see 2 big problems with using Borax.

1. Borax can poison a child very quickly. It only takes 1 tablespoon of the powder to poison a child. Here I have small children who put everything in their mouths. I mean everything! So, If they are capable of eating cat litter and drinking toilet water, then they are definitely capable of poisoning themselves with Borax powder. Which is just a risk that I am not willing to take.

2. Additionally, Borax has some nasty side effects such as issues with developmental and reproductive toxicity.

Washing Soda is a great alternative to borax. It is also a very effective cleaner and receives an A rating from EWG. While it is still not safe to eat, it takes a large amount of washing soda to cause any major health issues. For my family, it is a much safer option.

No Vinegar Homemade Cleaner

While many DIY Pine Sol recipes use an infused vinegar solution, this recipe does not. When we are talking about chemicals, you need to think like a scientist. White vinegar is an acid and this formula is a base. Adding them together will only dilute or even cancel out the effects of one another. In the end, you will have a solution that is as effective at cleaning as plain old tap water. Plus, there is no evidence to suggest that vinegar is an effective disinfectant. It has a purpose in cleaning for sure but adding it to this recipe would be pointless.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Supplies Needed:

• Amber-colored glass spray bottle or a mason jar. This recipe is for a 16oz bottle.
• Funnel
• Labels

Ingredients Used:

• Washing Soda
• Dr. Bronners Liquid Castile Soap- unscented
• Water
• Pine essential oil – May use other oils.  May use other oils. Tea tree oil,  lemon essential oil, and sweet orange oil are all good choices.
• Pine Needles- Gather them from the nearest pine tree. Note: Not all pine trees are the same. Before using, identify the evergreen tree species and check for safety contraindications. Google has a great picture search feature.
• Alternatively, you could swap out orange peels or lemon peels for the pine needles

How to Make Homemade Pine Sol Scented Natural Cleaner:

Step 1:

Gather your supplies and ingredients.

Measure 1 Tablespoon of Washing Soda and add it to the glass bottle.

Step 2:

Add 2 cups of warm water to the bottle.( if you have hard water, please, swap it out for distilled water in this recipe) Cap the bottle and shake to dissolve the washing soda. *It is important that you wait until the washing soda is dissolved before you add anything else. Otherwise, you will end up with coated clumps of undissolved washing soda.

Step 3:

Measure out 1 Tablespoon of unscented Castile Soap. Add the Castile Soap to the glass bottle.

Step 4:

Add 15-20 drops of essential oils. I prefer pine needles and lemon essential oils. Stuff Pine Needles into the glass bottle.

Step 5:

FAQ’s and Proper Usage Instructions

Have you tried this Homemade Pine Sol Scented Cleaner? Let me know your results in the comments below!

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