Autumn Scented Cleaner: A Clove and Orange All Purpose Cleaner

This simple autumn-scented cleaner is perfect for any mess at any time of year. We say autumn because it’s scented with orange and clove!

I love when the days are warm and the nights are cool. There is something so nostalgic about fall! For me, much of that nostalgia comes from smells. I just love the smell of the crisp autumn air, pumpkin pie, cloves, apple cider, and basically everything else fall!

My love of fall seems to be shared by many, which is why more and more companies roll out products geared toward fall. From candles to Autumn scented cleaner and ice cream to coffee, there is no denying the passion our culture has for fall!

However, so many of these amazing fall scents are subtle aromas that can be VERY hard to duplicate. Many companies choose to use artificial flavors or synthetic fragrances to get as close to the original as possible. This often requires the use of some harmful chemicals.

Recently I bought a “natural” cleaner that was a limited fall-release scent. The smell was SO powerful and overwhelming that it gave me a headache. I had to give it away! Before I did, I looked at the ingredients and realized that this “natural” cleaner did contain synthetic fragrances.

I decided to channel my energy into creating a new all-purpose cleaner that was scented for Autumn.

Autumn Scented All Purpose Cleaner

To begin, I decided to make a list of ingredients that could naturally produce some fall-like aromas. On that list were: cloves, orange peels, star anise, apple peels, cinnamon, and ginger. I decided to go with cloves and orange peels because I just love that aroma combination! Plus I happened to have some oranges and whole cloves on hand.

For the medium of my autumn-scented cleaner, I chose white vinegar. It has a very subtle vinegar smell, and it makes a great surface cleaner. We generally use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect surfaces, but for everyday spills and messes, vinegar is our go-to cleaner. Plus, it is very affordable so I knew if this DIY went wrong I could easily try again.

I’ve made vinegar-infused cleaners before, so I started with a ¾ full bottle of vinegar. I added the fresh peel of one orange and some cloves. After letting the mixture sit for about a week, I took off the cap and smelled it.

The cleaner definitely had an orange smell, but the cloves were hard to find. So I strained out the orange peel and added more whole cloves to the bottle. The result was a wonderfully spicy, slightly orange, and Autumn scented cleaner.

Of course, you can still smell a little vinegar in this DIY, but the cloves and oranges really take center stage.

This simple orange and clove-scented all-purpose cleaner is perfect for cleaning any mess this fall (or any time of year really).

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Autumn Scented Cleaner: Clove and Orange

This simple autumn-scented cleaner is perfect for any mess at any time of year. We say autumn because it's scented with orange and clove!

Prep Time

5 minutes

Soaking Time

7 days

Total Time

7 days 5 minutes

Servings

24 ounces

Estimated Cost

$2

Ingredients

• 24 ounces white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons whole cloves
• 1 citrus peel peel of 1 orange

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

1. Add orange peels and cloves to white vinegar.

2. Cap and place in a cool, dark, dry place for about a week.

3. After a week, strain vinegar into a clean spray bottle.

4. Spray on counters, floors, or windows and wipe away messes.

Notes

Of course, you should always test a small patch of any surface that you intend to clean. This autumn scented cleaner is slightly discolored by the cloves, so it does have the potential to stain light colored fabrics. However, it works wonderfully on my counter tops and tile floors! I also use it on my windows.

Made this recipe?

Mention @diynatural or tag it #diynatural!

Bonus Content

• Homemade All Purpose Cleaner: A Simple DIY Recipe That Really Works
• Four Homemade Air Freshening Products for Autumn

If you are hoping for more of a spicy aroma for your autumn-scented cleaner, you can always add a cinnamon stick to the vinegar. I think that gives a lovely sweetness and a greater depth of spice.

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