I Discovered This “Secret” Spray Recipe, and Now I'll Always Use It

Barbara Bellesi Zito
·4 min read
A simple white kitchen with open shelving instead of upper cabinets and butcher block counters

I’m always on the lookout for new cleaning hacks that will make my life easier — especially in the kitchen. I like watching #CleanTok videos, but even I’m wary of anything that purports to be a “miracle” cleaner. But something told me not to scroll past an article on Apartment Therapy about a secret “miracle spray” recipe the writer finally got her mother to divulge.

I stole a glance at the ingredient list and was surprised to see I had all of them on hand. I also just so happened to have an empty spray bottle rolling around my linen closet shelf. So with some time to spare and a stovetop to clean, I decided to try to pull off a miracle.

How to Make This All-Purpose Spray

  • 3 cups of water (reserve 1/2 a cup to be boiled to dissolve the washing soda)

  • 1 1/2 heaping tablespoons of washing soda

  • 2/3 cup of vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid

  • 1/2 or 1 tablespoon of pure essential oil

Stovetop before cleaning with
Credit: Barbara Bellesi Zito Credit: Barbara Bellesi Zito

Instead of boiling water, I used hot water from my in-sink water dispenser to dissolve the washing soda. (If you are using boiling water, please be careful as you mix and pour.) Then, I mixed everything in a large plastic cup and filled the spray bottle with what I could.

The hardest part of this recipe was measuring out the pure essential oil from the tiny shaker bottle. I shook as much orange essential oil as I could — I think I got to about 3/4 of a tablespoon before I gave up. The fragrance wasn’t that strong, so I probably should have kept shaking, but it was enough to mask the smell of vinegar.

Stovetop after cleaning with
Credit: Barbara Bellesi Zito Credit: Barbara Bellesi Zito

Washing soda is a new-to-me ingredient; I bought some recently because I was impressed after learning all the ways I could use it in my house, including in the laundry room. Washing soda has a higher pH than baking soda (it’s at an 11, and the latter is at an eight) — making it the more powerful cleanser to use here.

I always spot-test surfaces when I use a new cleaning product. I made sure to read the washing soda box before I started spraying and learned that washing soda should never be used on aluminum and treated wood surfaces. I wouldn’t have used this on those surfaces anyway, but I did feel rather confident using it anywhere else, as I had used a relatively tiny bit and dissolved it in lots of liquid. Vinegar is also a crucial ingredient in this spray and should not be used on several surfaces, like hardwood floors or natural stone surfaces, so I kept that in mind.

Oven door before cleaning with
Credit: Barbara Bellesi Zito Credit: Barbara Bellesi Zito

How to Use This All-Purpose Spray

Washing soda can be used on appliances as a degreaser, so I headed straight for my stove. I sprayed it all over the stovetop, which looked worse for wear since I neglected to scrub it fully after dinner. I wiped it with a damp cloth and was happy to see that the black stovetop was looking clean and even a bit glossy. There was still some really tough baked-on grease that I’ll have to address with some (elbow) grease of my own and a tougher product, but so far so good with this “miracle spray.”

Oven door after cleaning with
Credit: Barbara Bellesi Zito Credit: Barbara Bellesi Zito

Next, I tried the inside of my glass oven door. I had recently wiped down the inside of the stove, but the door is in desperate need of some cleaning. I tried the miracle spray on the door, even leaving it to rest a bit. Some more grease did come off, but I’ll have to spend some time on this task for better results.

A still-messy oven door didn’t stop me from finding out where else this spray could help me.

I spritzed liberally here and there throughout the house, but I still have practically a full bottle. I like that it covers well because of the dish soap that’s in it — you’re better off wiping down treated surfaces with a damp cloth than a dry one, but it’s not an issue.

Is it really a miracle spray? Probably not. But it’s the best natural concoction I’ve ever made from easy-to-find ingredients, so I’ll reach for it again whenever I’m doing some light cleaning of surfaces.

Further Reading

We Tested (and Rated!) All the Living Room Seating at Burrow to Determine the Best for Every Space and Need

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture

We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On, and Here’s What They Said

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