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Soap & Sunday

Free tool

DIY Cleaner Recipe Calculator

Pick a recipe and the size you want to make. It scales every ingredient, shows what each mix is safe on, and prints a label for the bottle.

Free, with no sign up. Reviewed by Clara on .

Type
Recipe
Bottle size
Units

Sprays

Glass and window cleaner

A streak free spray for windows, mirrors and glass.

You need

Makes about 1 3/4 cups, for a 16 oz bottle

  • 1 1/3 cupsWaterdistilled if your tap water is hard
  • 1/3 cupWhite vinegar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoonsRubbing alcohol (70 percent) (optional)helps it dry fast, see the safety note
  • 1 dropDish soap (optional)

How to make it

  1. 1Pour the water into a clean spray bottle, using a funnel.
  2. 2Add the vinegar and the rubbing alcohol.
  3. 3Add the dish soap if you use it, then close the bottle and swirl gently.
  4. 4Label the bottle with what is inside and the date.

Good for

  • Windows and glass doors
  • Mirrors
  • Glass tabletops

Avoid

  • Tinted car windows
  • Marble, granite and other natural stone
  • Screens and electronics

Safety

  • Never mix with bleach or ammonia. Vinegar and bleach together release toxic gas.
  • Some window makers advise against alcohol based cleaners. Check your care guide first.

How to use the diy cleaner recipe calculator

  1. Pick a recipe. Choose a spray, a floor cleaner, a laundry mix or a soap.
  2. Pick a size. Choose the bottle, bucket or batch size, in US cups or metric.
  3. Check the safety notes. Read what the mix is safe on and what to avoid before you make it.
  4. Label the bottle. Print a label with the ingredients, the date and the warnings.

How the recipe calculator works

Every recipe here is the one from our cleaning guides, at the same ratio. Spray and foaming soap recipes make about 90 percent of the bottle you pick, so there is room for the tube and the pump. Floor recipes are written per gallon of water, and laundry recipes per soak, batch or load.

Amounts are rounded to the fractions on a normal measuring cup and spoon set, because nobody can pour 0.36 of a cup. Drops are never scaled below one. Switch to metric for millilitres and liters.

All the recipes at a glance

The amounts below are for the default size of each recipe. Use the calculator above for any other size.

RecipeIngredientsGood for
Glass and window cleaner1 1/3 cups water, 1/3 cup white vinegar (16 oz bottle)Windows and glass doors
Vinegar and water spray (1 to 1)1 cup water, 1 cup white vinegar (16 oz bottle)Stainless steel fronts and handles
Fabric refresher spray3/4 cup distilled water, 1 1/2 tablespoons plain vodka or rubbing alcohol (8 oz bottle)Upholstery with care code W or W/S
Floor cleaner for tile, vinyl and LVP1 gallon warm water, 1/2 teaspoon dish soap (1 gallon)Sealed ceramic and porcelain tile
Sealed hardwood floor cleaner1 gallon warm water, 2 to 3 drops dish soap (1 gallon)Sealed, finished hardwood
Glazed tile cleaner with vinegar1 gallon warm water, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 3 to 5 drops dish soap (1 gallon)Glazed ceramic tile
Laminate floor spray1 3/4 cups water, 1 drop dish soap (16 oz bottle)Laminate floors
Laundry stripping soak1/4 cup borax, 1/4 cup washing soda, 1/2 cup powdered laundry detergent (full bathtub)Colorfast cotton towels
Powder laundry detergent1 bar (4 to 5 oz) bar soap, finely grated, 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup borax (one batch)Light to normal soil
Borax free laundry detergent1 bar (4 to 5 oz) bar soap, finely grated, 2 cups washing soda (one batch)Light soil
Vinegar fabric softener1/2 cup white vinegar (1 load)Towels and everyday cottons
Foaming hand soap2/3 cup distilled or boiled and cooled water, 3 tablespoons liquid castile soap (8 oz pump)Foaming pump bottles
Foaming dish soap3/4 cup water, 2 1/2 tablespoons liquid dish soap (8 oz pump)Foaming pump bottles by the kitchen sink

Rules for mixing your own cleaners

  • Never mix bleach with anything but water. Bleach with vinegar, ammonia or alcohol can release toxic gases.
  • Never put hydrogen peroxide and vinegar in one bottle. Together they form an irritating acid.
  • Keep acids off natural stone. Vinegar and lemon juice etch marble, limestone and travertine. See our floor cleaner guide for what to use instead.
  • Label every bottle with what is inside and the date, and never reuse a food or drink bottle.
  • Spot test first on fabric, finishes and anything you are not sure of.
  • Clean is not the same as disinfected. These mixes clean and deodorize. For disinfecting, use an EPA registered product and follow its label.

Common questions

How much vinegar do I mix with water for cleaning?

For a general spray, equal parts white vinegar and water works on glass, glazed tile and stainless steel. For floors, about 1/2 cup of vinegar in a gallon of warm water is enough for glazed tile. Never use vinegar on marble, limestone, travertine or other natural stone, because acids etch it.

Why does the calculator not fill the bottle to the top?

Spray and pump bottles need room for the tube and the pump, so the spray and soap recipes make about 90 percent of the bottle size you pick.

Can I mix homemade cleaners together?

No. Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia, alcohol or other cleaners, and never put hydrogen peroxide and vinegar in the same bottle. Make one recipe at a time in a clean, labeled bottle.

Do homemade cleaners disinfect?

Most do not. Vinegar, dish soap and these sprays clean and deodorize, but they are not registered disinfectants. If you need to disinfect, use an EPA registered product and follow its label, including the contact time.

How long do homemade cleaners last?

Make small batches. Sprays with plain water and soaps without preservatives are best used within a few weeks. Throw out any mix that smells sour, looks cloudy or grows specks.

Sources