QUICK SUMMARY
This homemade bathroom cleaner with essential oils combines liquid Castile soap, baking soda, purified water, and essential oils for an easy, non-toxic way to clean sinks, counters, and everyday bathroom messes. Make the spray using the recipe below, shake before each use, and test delicate surfaces first. It’s a routine cleaner, not a tested disinfectant.
Bathrooms can easily be the grossest room in the house. Toothpaste in the sink, water spots around the faucet, and little ones who miss the toilet are everyday occurrences in some homes, including mine! That’s why I love having this homemade bathroom cleaner ready to freshen and clean without synthetic fragrance.
Table of Contents
How to Make Homemade Bathroom Cleaner With Antibacterial Essential Oils
This bathroom cleaner comes together in minutes! It’s easy to make, and I often include little helpers.
Homemade Bathroom Cleaner With Antibacterial Essential Oils
Quantity
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons organic unscented liquid castile soap
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 25 drops tea tree essential oil*
- 15 drops orange OR lemon essential oil (OR 7 drops of each)*
- 15 drops lemon eucalyptus OR lemon myrtle essential oil*
- 2 cups purified OR distilled water
Supplies
Instructions
- Combine the liquid soap, baking soda, and essential oils in the spray bottle and mix well.
- Pour in the water and shake well.
- Use as you would any other bathroom cleaner. Shake before each use.
Step One: Combine Ingredients
Combine the liquid soap, baking soda, and essential oils in a spray bottle and mix well. I recommend using amber or dark glass spray bottles for any cleaners that include essential oils.
EOs tend to break down plastic, and dark glass keeps the oils potent.
Step Two: Add Water
Pour in the distilled water, replace the lid, and shake well to combine. Shake before each use. Store in a dark place, like under the sink! Use as you would any other bathroom cleaner.
Homemade Bathroom Cleaner Ingredients
These affordable ingredients make non-toxic cleaning practical for busy families.
Organic Unscented Liquid Castile Soap
Organic Unscented Liquid Castile Soap: Helps loosen oils, toothpaste residue, and everyday grime. I like unscented soap so I can choose the essential-oil fragrance myself.
Baking Soda
Baking Soda: Baking soda adds mild scrubbing power and helps with odors.
Purified or Distilled Water
Purified or Distilled Water: Helps avoid the mineral residue and soap interactions that can occur with hard tap water. Use clean equipment and make manageable batches.
Essential Oils
Essential Oils: Add a fresh botanical aroma. Some have antimicrobial activity in laboratory studies, but that does not make this finished spray a proven disinfectant. (9)
Best Essential Oils for Bathroom Cleaning
I love being able to customize the scent instead of relying on synthetic fragrance.
Orange and Lemon Essential Oils
Orange and lemon give the cleaner a bright, fresh aroma. Test delicate finishes before using citrus oils.
Lemon Eucalyptus or Lemon Myrtle
Both offer a citrus-herbal fragrance. Their constituents have shown antimicrobial activity in laboratory settings, though that is not equivalent to a disinfectant claim for this recipe. (9)
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Tea tree has a fresh, distinctive aroma and a substantial body of laboratory antibacterial and antifungal research. (10)
Other Bathroom Cleaning Blends
Use 25 drops of essential oil per 1 ounce of liquid.
- Key lime, opoponax, and vanilla absolute
- Geranium, lavender, rose absolute, and ylang ylang
- Lemon, lemon tea tree, lemongrass, and tea tree
How to Use This Bathroom Cleaner Safely
Shake before spraying because essential oils do not dissolve in water on their own. Spot test natural stone, painted surfaces, specialty metals, and other delicate finishes; baking soda can be mildly abrasive. Ventilate the bathroom and stop using a blend that causes irritation.
Never mix household cleaners indiscriminately, particularly bleach with ammonia or acids. Rinse surfaces before switching between different products.
Cleaning is not disinfecting. This spray is for routine grime and odors. It has not been tested or EPA-registered as a disinfectant. For contamination from illness or bodily fluids, use an appropriate EPA-registered disinfectant according to its label. (1, 2)
Why We Make Our Own Bathroom Cleaner
Many commercial products work well, but some add fragrances or ingredients we prefer to avoid when a simpler solution does the job. Cleaning sprays can also contribute airborne chemicals and droplets, especially in small, poorly ventilated rooms. (3)
I like knowing exactly what’s in my bottle. With Castile soap, baking soda, water, and essential oils, I can handle everyday bathroom messes without filling the room with a synthetic perfume cloud.
If you enjoy making your own household cleaners, check out my DIY Kitchen Cleaner, DIY Glass Cleaner, and DIY Wood Surface Cleaner.
Homemade Bathroom Cleaner FAQs
Does this homemade bathroom cleaner disinfect?
No. It cleans everyday soil, but the finished recipe has not been validated as a disinfectant. Use an EPA-registered product when disinfection is needed.
Can I use this bathroom cleaner every day?
Yes, on compatible surfaces. Shake before each use, ventilate, and test delicate finishes first.
Can I use it on natural stone?
Follow the manufacturer’s care instructions. Baking soda and essential oils may affect certain surfaces, so test first.
Why use distilled water?
It avoids hard-water minerals that can leave residue or interact with soap.
How long does homemade bathroom cleaner last?
Because this water-based DIY has no broad-spectrum preservative system, make manageable batches in clean bottles rather than storing it indefinitely. Discard if the smell, color, or texture changes.
Keep a bottle handy for toothpaste splashes, sink residue, and the everyday messes that come with family life. Non-toxic living doesn’t have to be complicated!
References
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Selected EPA-Registered Disinfectants.” Updated September 11, 2025. Source.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Identifying Greener Cleaning Products.” Updated April 9, 2026. Source.
- Salonen H, et al. “Cleaning Products: Their Chemistry, Effects on Indoor Air Quality, and Implications for Human Health.” 2024. PubMed.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Skip the Antibacterial Soap; Use Plain Soap and Water.” Updated December 12, 2024. Source.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Triclosan.” Updated March 5, 2026. Source.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Safer Choice and Design for the Environment Standard.” 2024. Source.
- di Nardo A, et al. “Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Induced Irritant Contact Dermatitis.” Contact Dermatitis. 1996. PubMed.
- Salomon G, et al. “Surfactant Irritations and Allergies.” 2022. PubMed.
- Wińska K, et al. “Essential Oils as Antimicrobial Agents: Myth or Real Alternative?” Molecules. 2019;24(11):2130. Full text.
- Romeo A, et al. “Potential Use of Tea Tree Oil as a Disinfectant Agent Against Coronaviruses: A Review.” Molecules. 2022;27(12):3786. Full text.
- Goodyear N, et al. “Effectiveness of Three Home Products in Cleaning and Disinfection of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli on Home Environmental Surfaces.” Journal of Applied Microbiology. 2015;119(5):1245-1252. PubMed.
