Stop using toxic chemicals to clean your house! This DIY thieves cleaner recipe is all you need. And it’s 100% natural, and it only takes a few minutes to make.
I joined Young Living for the sole purpose of buying their thieves products at a discount.
I loved their thieves essential oil, thieves toothpaste, thieves cleaner, thieves hand soap – basically anything and everything thieves, I had to have.
But over time, even with the discount, I had to admit I was spending an insane amount of money in the name of toxin-free living.
(This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure statementhere.)
Fast forward a year later, I’m no longer a Young Living member, and I now make my own DIY thieves products, including thieves essential oil blend.
And they work just as well, and I’m saving sooo much money!
Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to bash Young Living. I love their oils and so many of their products.
But being a middle-class family living in Southern California where housing, groceries, and everything else is crazy expensive, I just couldn’t justify spending $13 on hand soap (and that’s with the discount!).
Why I Love Thieves Cleaner
I love thieves cleaner because it is an all-natural cleaner that works really well. It is one of my absolute favorite homemade cleaners.
Many store-bought cleaners contain dangerous chemicals. These chemicals can cause headaches, a sore throat, irritate the eyes, and cause respiratory problems.
Some contain endocrine disruptors, and some have even been linked to cancer.
Breathing in chemicals from household cleaners can even cause damage to the lungs.
Studies have shown that women who work around cleaners showed a greater decline in lung function than women who haven’t been exposed to cleaners on a regular basis.
You can check out the studyhere.
I don’t know about you, but I am not okay with exposing myself and my family to the toxic ingredients that are in most household cleaners.
And thanks to this homemade thieves cleaner, I don’t have to, and neither do you.
This DIY thieves cleaner works so well. It also smells amazing. And when you use it, you don’t have to worry about exposing yourself or your family to toxic chemicals.
You’re actually doing the opposite when you use this homemade thieves cleaner. You’re exposing them to immune-boosting essential oils that will actually help keep them healthy rather than make them sick.
This DIY thieves spray contains rosemary, clove, cinnamon, lemon, and eucalyptus essential oils. You can learn a little bit about the benefits of each oil below.
Eucalyptus | Eucalyptus essential oilis great for supporting your immune system.It is also known for its antiviral and antibacterial properties.
Several studies done in the past on eucalyptus essential oil have found that it may increase the activity of some types of innate immune cells.
You can read this study to learn more.
Rosemary | Rosemary essential oilcontains substances that are useful for stimulating the immune system. It also has a high level of antioxidants, which can help support your body in fighting infectious diseases.
You can click here to learn more about the therapeutic effects of rosemary essential oil.
Lemon | Lemon essential oilhas many detoxifying properties. It also has strong antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties.
Cinnamon Bark | Cinnamon bark essential oilis one of the most powerful antibacterial and antivirals among essential oils.
You can read this study to learn about how the methanolic bark extract of cinnamon is able to inhibit bacterial growth.
Clove | Clove essential oilis one of the most antioxidant substances on earth. It has very strong antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Benefits of Using Homemade Thieves Cleaner
There are several different benefits to using homemade thieves cleaner. First of all, you can have peace of mind knowing that you aren’t exposing yourself or your family to toxic chemicals.
As I mentioned before, this DIY thieves spray is 100% natural.
Another benefit of using homemade thieves cleaner is that it can do the work of several different cleaners. Thieves cleaner is extremely versatile and can be used to clean so many different things.
Thieves cleaner is a true multi-purpose cleaner. I use it on my kitchen counters, stovetop, microwave, bathtub, toilets, wood floors, and so much more!
And my favorite thing about this homemade thieves cleaner is that it will help you to save a lot of money.
The original thieves multipurpose cleaner concentrate can be quite pricey.
Making your own DIY thieves cleaner spray is way more affordable than buying a bottle of thieves household cleaner.
What Ingredients Are in Thieves Cleaner?
The original thieves concentrate cleaner created by Young Living contains the following ingredients.
- Water
- Alkyl polyglucoside
- Sodium methyl 2-sulfolaurate
- Disodium 2-sulfolaurate
- Thieves [Eugenia caryophyllus† (Clove) bud oil, Citrus limon† (Lemon) peel oil, Cinnamomum zeylanicum† (Cinnamon) bark oil, Eucalyptus radiata† leaf oil, Rosmarinus officinalis† (Rosemary) leaf oil
- Tetrasodium glutamate diacetate
My DIY thieves cleaning solution includes very similar ingredients. Basically, everything except the ingredients that I can’t pronounce, and I add castile soap and witch hazel.
How do I Make my own Thieves Cleaner?
Making your own thieves cleaner is super easy and only takes a minute or two to put together. But before you get started, you need to make sure you have all the necessary ingredients and supplies.
Homemade Thieves Cleaner Ingredients & Supplies
To make this thieves cleaner alternative, you will need the following ingredients and supplies.
- 16 oz glass spray bottle
- Thieves essential oil (or you can make your own)
- Witch hazel
- Distilled or filtered water
- Unscented castile soap
If you don’t have many of these ingredients on hand, purchasing these items for the first time might seem kind of expensive.
But remember you are using very little of each ingredient with the exception of water, which should hardly cost you anything.
That means you should be able to put together this thieves cleaning spray recipe repeatedly without having to purchase more ingredients for a very long time.
And in my opinion, it’s really the only cleaner you need.
How do you Make Thieves Household Cleaner With Thieves Oil?
To make this DIY thieves cleaner alternative simply add the following ingredients to the 16 oz spray bottle.
- 2 tbsp Castile soap
- 1 tbsp Witch hazel
- 15-20 drops of thieves essential oil
- fill the bottle the rest of the way with filtered or distilled water
Attach the nozzle, shake well, and you’re all set!
DIY Thieves Cleaner
Yield: 16 ounces
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Stop using toxic chemicals to clean your house! This diy thieves cleaner recipe is all you need. And it’s 100% natural and only takes a few minutes to make.
Materials
- 16oz glass spray bottle
- Thieves essential oil
- Witch hazel
- Distilled or filtered water
- Unscented castile soap
Tools
Instructions
- Use funnel to add 2 tbsp of castile soap to spray bottle
- Use funnel to add 1 tbsp of witch hazel to spray bottle
- Use dropper to add 15-20 drops of thieves essential oil to spray bottle
- Fill bottle the rest of the way with distilled or filtered water
- Attach nozzle
- Shake well
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Thieves Cleaner Uses
This DIY thieves cleaner is a jack of all trades. You can use it for soooo many things. My favorite things to clean with it are below.
- countertops
- sinks
- mirrors
- windows
- bathtub
- toilets
- stovetop
- floors
- kids toys
- cabinets
- and sooo much more!!!
I’ve used this DIY thieves cleaner on my natural wood floors as well. I’m not sure if this homemade thieves cleaner can be used on stainless steel.
If the cleaner is too strong, you can reduce the number of essential oil drops, or if it isn’t strong enough, add more essential oil drops.
Frequently Asked Questions About Thieves Cleaner Alternative
Can I just use tap water?
I don’t trust the tap water where I live at all. Using distilled or filtered water ensures my homemade thieves cleaner is chemical-free.
With that being said, if you’re not worried about the safety of your tap water, by all means, use that instead.
Do I have to use unscented castile soap?
You do not have to use unscented castile soap. But if you want this DIY thieves cleaning solution to smell like the real thing, then I recommend using unscented.
The fragrances in scented castile soap can definitely interfere with the smell of this homemade thieves cleaner.
If you happen to have eucalyptus castile soap on hand, you could possibly use that without too much scent interference since thieves essential oil also contains eucalyptus essential oil.
But keep in mind, I’ve personally only ever used unscented castile soap when making this homemade thieves cleaning spray.
Do I have to use witch hazel?
Witch hazel acts as an emulsifier, ensuring even distribution between all ingredients. Castile soap also acts as an emulsifier, so if you don’t have witch hazel on hand, you may find the cleaner works just as well without it.
Do I have to use Young Living thieves essential oil?
Absolutely not. I actually make my own thieves essential oil blend. You can get the recipe here. It works just as well and costs way less!!
Does this DIY thieves cleaner need to be diluted?
When you follow the recipe above and add water to this homemade thieves cleaner you are basically diluting it. That is all you need to do. No further diluting is required.
Does this homemade thieves cleaning spray need to be rinsed off?
This DIY thieves cleaning spray does not need to be rinsed off of surfaces. Simply spray the surface you want to clean and wipe it with a cloth. It doesn’t leave any residue behind.
How Long Does DIY Thieves Cleaner Last?
I recommend using this DIY thieves cleaner within 30 days. The water included in this recipe can breed mold and bacteria if left to sit for too long.
I personally use up a bottle of this homemade thieves cleaner every week. As I mentioned earlier – I use it for everything!
What Can I Use Instead of Thieves Cleaner?
This DIY thieves cleaning spray is the perfect alternative to the original Thieves cleaner made by Young Living. Not only is it less expensive, but it works so well.
If you are looking for some other natural cleaning recipes, check out my homemade all-purpose cleaner and my DIY glass cleaner recipe.
Also, if you like this DIY thieves cleaner recipe, you will also probably like my DIY thieves hand soap recipe and this homemade mouthwash made with thieves oil.
Let me know in the comments below how well this homemade thieves cleaning spray works for you and if you love it as much as I do!
Need Essential Oils?
I used to use Young Living oils exclusively. I’m no longer loyal to just one brand. There are so many amazing essential oil companies out there.
High-quality essential oils don’t have to cost a lot. I now use brands like ,Plant Therapy,andSimply Earthessential oils.They are all amazing and very affordable.
If you decide to buy fromSimply Earth,you can use the codeHAPPYHEARTFREEto receive a $45 Simply Earth gift card with the purchase of your first recipe box.
If you are unfamiliar withSimply Earthor their recipe box, you can check outlast month’s box here.
If you order now with the code above, you will receive the recipe box, the big bonus box, plus a $45 Simply Earth gift card, all for only $29.99! (First-time customers only)
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