DIY Natural ‘Pine-Sol’ Cleaner

Because I have small children and animals, I try to clean with natural cleaners as much as possible. Often it is a vinegar based cleaner because it is a great disinfectant. It also acts as a deodorizer and cuts grease.

The issue with cleaning with vinegar is … Well, it smells like vinegar. The smell will not stick around, but it can be overwhelming while you are actually cleaning.

This do-it-yourself pine cleaner combines the natural cleaning powers of vinegar and pine-oil. Pine-oil used to be the active ingredient in Pine-Sol, but that has since been replaced with chemicals. Pine-oil not only adds to the cleaning power of vinegar but also it makes the vinegar smell so much better.

DIY Natural ‘Pine-Sol’ Cleaner

To Make It Yourself You Will Need:

• Pine branches – I just cut mine from a pine tree we had in our backyard.
• White Vinegar
• Air Tight Container – I used a cleaned out food jar.

To Make The Cleaner:

• Stuff your airtight container with the branches
• Fill it with warm vinegar (You can just warm it on the stove, just make sure it doesn’t come to a boil. The warm vinegar will help to draw out the pine-oil in the branches faster)
• Seal your container and let stand for 1 week in a cool dark place. If you do not have a week, then replace the pine branches with 10 to 15 drops pine essential oil and your mixture is ready to use right away.
• Strain the needles and branches out.
• When you are ready to use, dilute your vinegar mixture at a ratio of 2:1 – 2 parts water to 1 part pine vinegar solution. It is very important that this solution is diluted so it doesn’t cause harm to wood and stone surfaces.

And that’s all there is to it! I love how it smells, works, and how frugal this is to make. Gives me peace of mind to know that I’m cleaning effectively chemical free.