DIY Citrus Degreaser Recipe With Essential Oils (2024)

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Make your own homemade citrus degreaser spray to battle grease, grime, and yucky messes in your kitchen…

Are you looking for a natural way to cut through the grease spots on your stovetop?

This homemade citrus degreaser spray not only smells FABULOUS, but it also takes the work out of cleaning a nasty, grimy stovetop without having to use harsh chemicals.

When our stove would get greasy, I used to go through a two-step process to get it clean.

First, I would scrub it with a sponge and hot soapy water, and then I would spray it with bleach.

I would wait 10-30 minutes (usually finding something else to do while I waited for the bleach to eat away at the food particles and bacteria, and then I would come back and wipe it down.

It did the job, and my stovetop was clean.

But I always worried about rinsing my stovetop enough.

I still needed to cook on it, and I was concerned about any fumes that might develop should I need to cook on it in the next few hours.

I just never knew, and that uneasy feeling haunted me until I decided to find a natural way to clean and disinfect our stovetop.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe bleach has its place in our cleaning supply arsenal, but not on surfaces that deal with food.

In this post, I’ll be sharing how I make my own natural degreaser without chemicals.

When I first used this cleaner, I was half expecting it to do nothing but smell up my kitchen. I was surprised to see how clean and beautiful my kitchen was after using this degreaser – and I think you will be, too!

It makes a great kitchen, stovetop, appliance, and counter cleaner…

*This post contains affiliate links, however, all opinions are my own, as always.

Cleaning With Essential Oils

Truth be told, I used to think essential oils andnatural cleaners were a huge hoax.

I totally didn’t get how oil could help clean, disinfect, or do anything but offer a placebo effect.

I was (kind of) happy with my chemicals because I knew for sure that they were doing the job I needed them to do, even though they were harsh and pretty dangerous.

Cleaning and disinfecting your home doesn’thave to be harsh and dangerous, though!

You can master cleaning up grease, disinfecting surfaces, and leave your home sparkly and beautiful without worrying about your children being able to touch the surface you just cleaned or being able to cook on your bleached stovetop for the next few hours.

Here’s what you need to know about cleaning with essential oils…

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants – they capture a plant’sessence.

To get the purest essential oil of a plant or fruit, look for essential oils that are cold-pressed.

“Cold-pressing helps preserve the integrity and potency of these oils, which offers greater health benefits to you. As the term implies, “cold pressing” involves no external application of heat. Any heat that occurs is created internally because of the mechanical pressing process. This is important because, in certain plants, high levels of heat cause the delicate and tiny molecules within the oils to break down and degrade, which can minimize the oil’s health benefits.” – Source

What Are Essential Oils Used For?

Essential oils can be used for many things like aromatherapy (in a diffuser) to alleviate stress, relaxation, focus, mood, and inflammation, as well as for cleaning, disinfecting, and to help freshen up homes without the use of chemicals or toxins.

Why Are Essential Oils Good For Cleaning?

Besides smelling FANTASTIC, essential oils are well-known and accepted for their microbial properties (meaning they are effective in destroying or stopping microorganisms and bacteria).

“Theessentialoilsof aegle, ageratum, citronella, eucalyptus, geranium, lemongrass,orange, palmarosa, patchouli and peppermint, were tested for antibacterial activity against 22 bacteria, including Gram-positive cocci and rods and Gram-negative rods, and twelve fungi (3 yeast-like and 9 filamentous) by the disc diffusion method. Lemongrass, eucalyptus, peppermint andorangeoils were effective against all the 22 bacterial strains.” Source

After some research and reading, I chose to use sweet orange oil.

Orange oil has been shown in studies to be effective against bacteria commonly found in homes.

If you don’t have any orange oil on hand, don’t fret!

You can substitute the orange oil in this degreaser solution for lemongrass or eucalyptus oil. While peppermint is considered to be a great microbial, I haven’t read anything that indicates it would be good for cutting through grease like the other oils I have suggested so far.

Related: How To Clean Oven Door Glass (Inside, Out, And In-Between)

Making Your Own Citrus Degreaser

To make your own citrus degreaser spray, you’ll need baking soda, Sal’s suds, sweet orange essential oil, and warm water.

Oh, and some glass spray bottles!

Here are the ones I use – they have a sturdy sprayer that doesn’t break, and don’t clog up with solution.

See the recipe below…

You May Also Like: Non-Toxic Force Of Nature Cleaner Review

How To Clean With Homemade Degreaser

Spray degreaser solution generously on greasy surfaces like stovetops, microwaves, oven doors, and counters.

Allow the solution to sit on the surface for a couple of minutes, and then wipe away with a soft microfiber cloth or paper towel!

The orange oil will cut through the grease while disinfecting your kitchen.

Don’t forget to wipe down your kitchen backsplash (assuming it isn’t wood) for a beautiful, sparkly shine!

To see this cleaner in action, check out my post on cleaning your oven glass door (inside, out, and in-between the glass)!

Surfaces You Can Use Homemade Degreaser On

Spray natural degreaser onto dirty stovetop to kill microbes, cut through grease, and clean surfaces.

You can safely use this cleaner on stovetops, stainless steel, countertops, tiled backsplash, and within appliances like your microwave or oven.

Allow natural degreaser to sit on grease and grime for 1-2 minutes for best results.

Related: How To Clean The Microwave With Two Household Ingredients + No Scrubbing

I like to spray this degreaser solution along the tiles of my backsplash when I’m cleaning the stove as well because there’s usually an invisible film of grease and grime there.

It works well to remove grease and leaves my backsplash shiny!

Using just a paper towel (or a microfiber cloth), I can wipe away grease and grime with ease, and leave my kitchen smelling like fresh, sweet oranges!

Before, even with the bleach, it looked like I was still spreading the dissolved grease around our stove and counters- yuck!

Don’t forget to use natural degreaser on kitchen backsplashes as well, as those surfaces collect the same grease and grime that your stovetop does!

Surfaces To Avoid Using This Homemade Degreaser On

Although this is a great natural cleaner and degreaser, you should avoid using this solution on wood surfaces or windows/mirrors.

This solution does leave some streaks on windows and mirrors.

Using Vinegar In Cleaners

Many natural cleaners use vinegar in them because it’s a great disinfectant, and it cuts through most grease and grime with ease.

Why I Chose NOT To Use Vinegar In My Cleaner

Vinegar STINKS.

That is all.

It’s really a preference.

Vinegar is a great ingredient to include in some homemade cleaners because it is so acidic, and is great for cutting down grease and scum – if you can’t get past the smell!

If you’re considering using vinegar in your homemade degrease, know that you cannot use vinegar, an acid, on surfaces such as marble, granite, quartz, and certain flooring.

Why You Should Never Mix Vinegar With Castile Soap

Before mixing together your first homemade cleaner, remember not to mix vinegar and castile soap together.

When vinegar, an acid, mixes with castile soap, a base, they cancel each other out and create a kind of curdled white slime. The vinegar essentially unsaponifies the soap.

Your homemade cleaner would be ineffective, and you would end up having to clean a slimy mess off of your counters along with the grease and grime that is already on the surface you’re trying to clean!

What You CAN Combine Vinegar With…

Vinegarcan be combined with Sal’s Suds (as I’ve used in this homemade degreaser recipe), however:

This issue does not apply to combiningSal Suds with vinegar. Sal Suds, as a synthetic detergent, has a completely different chemical makeup and does not react with the vinegar in the same way. ” – Lisa Bronner

How To Store Natural Cleaners

The best way to store a homemade natural cleaner is in an amber bottle like this one because it prolongs the shelf life of your mixed solution and keeps the integrity of the essential oils, but cobalt blue and clear glass bottles still make great storage options as well.

Personally, I use my cleaners so often that I don’t need to worry about shelf life, so I prefer to use clear glass bottles!

Natural Citrus Degreaser Spray Recipe

DIY Citrus Degreaser Recipe With Essential Oils (10)

DIY Citrus Degreaser

Yield: 16 oz.

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

Cut through tough kitchen grease and grime with this homemade Citrus Degreaser spray...

Ingredients

  • 2 warm cups water
  • 2 tsp. Sal Suds
  • 1 tbsp. baking soda
  • 15 drops Sweet Orange essential oil

Instructions

  1. Combine warm water and baking soda in a 16 oz. glass spray bottle.
  2. Add in Sal Suds and essential oils, swirl to combine.
  3. To use, spray citrus degreaser on surface and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Wipe up with a clean microfiber cloth or paper towel.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I hope you enjoyed this post and want to try making your own natural degreaser – I loved being able to share one of my favorite natural cleaning solutions with you.

It’s a fantastic cleaner with a lot of power, plus it smells amazing!

*Post originally published April 2019, updated December 2021.

DIY Citrus Degreaser Recipe With Essential Oils (2024)

FAQs

How do you make citrus degreaser? ›

Instructions
  1. Peel your citrus, or simply cut off the peel like I did.
  2. Place your peels in your jar, making sure to fill the jar completely.
  3. Then add vinegar so that all the peels are covered.
  4. Store your container in a dark, cool place like your pantry or cupboard for approximately 2 to 3 weeks.
Dec 15, 2020

How do you make surface cleaner with essential oils? ›

Natural cleaning recipe: All purpose cleaning spray
  1. 250ml white vinegar.
  2. 250ml water.
  3. 10 drops of essential oil - we love this Purity essential oil blend for its cleansing properties, but lavender, tea tree, or citrus also works well.
  4. 500ml spray bottle.

What essential oil is a degreaser? ›

To make this awesome degreaser, I like to use lemon essential oil or orange, both smell wonderful. So, here is Zesty Maids DIY essential oil degreaser mixture: Mix 2 cups of warm water, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and 20 drops of lemon essential oil into a spray bottle. Spray on grease and wipe away with a damp towel.

What is the best homemade degreaser recipe? ›

Mix 1 cup vinegar with 3 cups of water, 1 cup of baking soda and ½ cup of dish soap in a bowl.

What is a citrus based degreaser? ›

Citrus degreasers are powerful and effective cleaners. Limonene (commonly called d-limonene or citrus terpenes) is a naturally occurring solvent found in the oils of citrus fruits. Commonly processed from orange peel oils, d-limonene is a biodegradable and eco-friendly citrus degreaser.

How do you make homemade essential oil kitchen spray? ›

Mix three parts water to one part vinegar, add two teaspoons of bicarb soda to your mix. To get rid of the vinegar smell add a few drops of essential oils – think lemon, peppermint or lavender, but really, just go with whatever you love.

How do you dilute essential oils for cleaning? ›

How to Use Essential Oils for Cleaning
  1. Fill a bowl with half a cup of white vinegar.
  2. Put in ¼ cup of baking soda.
  3. Add 1 gallon of hot water.
  4. Add 5 to 10 drops of the essential oil of your choice.
Apr 11, 2022

What are the best essential oils for homemade cleaner? ›

CLEANING PRODUCT TYPES & SUGGESTED ESSENTIAL OILS
DIY CLEANING PRODUCTSUGGESTED ESSENTIAL OILS
Room FreshenerBergamot Eucalyptus Lavender Lemon Orange Peppermint
Sink & Tub Cleaning PasteEucalyptus Lemon Orange Peppermint
Toilet Bowl DisinfectantEucalyptus Lemon Tea Tree
6 more rows

What is the recipe for DIY surface cleaner? ›

Mix the ingredients: Add the following to a glass spray bottle: 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, 3/4 cup water, 5 to 10 drops of essential oil, and 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid soap. Use the alcohol-based cleaner safely: Shake the spray bottle well before each use.

What is the strongest degreaser made? ›

Solvalene, the highest strength industrial degreaser, can conquer countless tough cleaning assignments.

What is the most aggressive degreaser? ›

It is widely accepted that Fusion Cleaners are the most aggressive degreaser, given their ability to tackle tough dirt and grime with ease.

Can you make citrus solvent? ›

At-Home Solvent Extraction

Cut the peels into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces and place them in a clean glass jar. Add enough vodka to barely cover the peels and store the container in a room-temperature cupboard for about two weeks. Shake the container at least once a day, then strain the vodka into a shallow dish.

What are the ingredients in citrus cleaner? ›

Here's a break down of the ingredients:
  • Vinegar. A heroic cleanser and disinfectant.
  • Citrus Peels. Also a good cleaner and has grease-fighting powers.
  • Thyme. A famous disinfecting herb that defeats germs.
  • Citric Acid. ...
  • Lemon, Lime, or Orange Essential Oil.

Can citric acid be used as a degreaser? ›

This mild organic acid doesn't function well as a degreaser when used on its own (Grease and grime would be better removed with a basic product). While it may help lighten stains by pulling minerals into solution, it isn't going to function well as a stain remover or bleach substitute.

Will citric acid dissolve grease? ›

Both citric and acetic acid have been proven to be effective in removing oil dirt and grease in the kitchen, providing a non-toxic and environmentally friendly solution for cleaning .

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