Simple and Non-Toxic Homemade Degreaser

This homemade degreaser is ready in under 5 minutes and is an economical alternative to the toxic and inflammatory degreasers that line the aisles of our supermarkets. It will cut through kitchen grease and much more.

After I started having headaches while using conventional cleaning sprays and degreasers, I decided to research how to make my own. How is it okay to sell such toxic chemicals for routine use in our homes?

There are great natural alternatives to store bought degreaser. The ingredients are inexpensive and they work just as well. Plus you can stop spending brain capacity on deciding which degreaser to buy. (Here are some other nontoxic swaps.)

Watch the video

Ingredients And Supplies

Spray bottle – I like glass, to avoid the toxins that can leech from plastic. Use an amber spray bottle if you choose to use essential oils in your homemade degreaser, to preserve the oil potency.

Baking soda

White distilled vinegar

Water

Essential oils – optional. I like orange, tea tree, and lemon for cleaning applications.

A funnel – trust me, this will make the process of making homemade degreaser much faster

For complete measurements, see the printable recipe card below.

Instructions

Add baking soda to the spray bottle.

Add the white distilled vinegar the spray bottle. A word of caution – pour slowly! Vinegar and baking soda react and if you pour too quickly, your bottle will bubble over!

Add the water to the spray bottle. Again – pour slowly.

If you are adding essential oils, leave a bit of room in your bottle to the oil to the baking soda, vinegar, and water mixture.

Many people like using orange or lemon essential oil for their natural cleaning applications. Both lemon and orange essential oils have have added cleaning power as well.

We personally like to use tea tree oil for our all purpose cleaner and homemade degreaser. We prefer the smell and it seems to work best for us!

Put the nozzle onto the bottle and give it a shake to combine everything. That’s it!

How to use homemade degreaser

To use this homemade degreaser, spray a heavy dose of the mixture on whichever greasy surface you are trying to clean. In the video tutorial above, I test this degreaser on our (very) greasy oven door and vent hood.

Leave the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes.

After letting the mixture sit, use either a regular sponge or (my personal favourite) a stainless steel scrubber and begin to scrub the grease off the surface.

Depending on how greasy your surface is, you may want to apply a second coat of spray.

Wet a microfibre cloth with water. Use the damp cloth to wipe down the surface and to wash off any excess vinegar.

That’s it!

Personal experience

I was honestly skeptical that the solution would be able to cut through the grease on our oven door. I don’t know why but I tend to doubt the power of more natural solutions sometimes. This process of learning to live more simply in the modern world has made me see how programmed I have become to believe that mass produced is better.

I had to apply two coats but the oven door is grease-free and super shiny. And I during the process I didn’t have to worry about my toddler sucking on the nozzle of the spray bottle!

If you’re skeptical like me, why not give this recipe a try. The total cost of the ingredients is probably the same as buying a bottle of mainstream supermarket degreaser!

If you do try it, tell me how it worked for you in the comments below..

And to the experts… what are your favourite essential oils for cleaning? I’m new to oils and welcome recommendations!

What to read next

Bamboo vs Plastic Cutting Boards: Which Is Less Toxic?

2-Ingredient Nontoxic Alternative To Windex

What To Use Instead Of White Vinegar For Cleaning

Simple Tips For A Mini Spring Yard Clean Up

3 Less Toxic Alternatives To Fabric Softener

How To Make A Pillow Cover Without A Zipper – Simple Tutorial

Simple and Inexpensive Small Herb Garden Ideas

Pin it for later