I Just Discovered This “Secret” Spray Recipe, and Now It’s My Favorite Easy Cleaner

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.

• 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

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.

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.

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.”

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 used it to clean the inside of the microwave, which now looks brand-new.
• I cleaned a black mark from the wall with no damage to the paint.
• I sprayed a dull-looking bathroom faucet and got it looking bright and shiny again.
• I wiped down the exterior of my stainless steel recycling pail.
• I cleaned the drum and glass door of my washing machine.

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.