Make your own dusting spray without harmful chemicals using just 3 simple ingredients that is safe to use on all wood surfaces, including your treasured wood furniture.
Ready to combat household dust once and for all with a natural cleaner? Me too! Did you know that EWG gives Pledge a D overall, for harmful ingredients?
So not only does the dust cause a mess and even allergies, commercial dusting sprays are also super harmful to our health and there's no way to win!
That's why I started making our own cleaners using natural ingredients. Not to mention it's so much cheaper!
Save some money and skip the nasty ingredients with this easy homemade pledge.
Why This Homemade Dusting Spray Recipe Works
- The oil is a natural dust repellent and makes the surface of your furniture really shine.
- Using a few drops of fragrance oil makes for a clean scent. Citrus oils also work as a disinfectant.
- Over a long time period, we get chronic exposure to so many different chemicals, so it's great that the main ingredients are natural.
What You'll Need
- Olive oil - I get my olive oil at Aldi, it's usually around $3 dollars a bottle. Also, I sometimes buy it in bulk at Costco. Sweet almond oil is another good option.
- Water- regular tap water or filtered will work.
- lemon essential oil - you could use any of your favorite essential oils, the lemon is close to the classic Pledge scent.
- Spray bottle - I love grabbing spray bottles in bulk from Amazon since we make a lot of our own cleaning products.
- Funnel - when mixing homemade cleaners this makes it easier and less messy.
Note: Depending on your olive oil you may get a different color of furniture spray each time. That is perfectly normal.
How to Make Natural Dusting Spray
Add 1/2 cup of water (cool) to the spray bottle.
Pour in 1/3 cup of olive oil.
Finally, add around 10-15 drops of lemon essential oil. You can add more or less depending on how strong you like your dusting spray to smell.
Secure the lid and shake well to mix the cleaning solution.
Using The Homemade Pledge
Use a dry cloth first to get rid of any debris (like crumbs on the dining room table or animal fur on the coffee table in the living room).
Spray a small amount of the DIY dusting spray on a dust cloth. My favorites are these microfiber cloths.
Then wipe gently on wooden furniture for a beautiful shine.
Get Started Cleaning with Essential Oils!
Get your free Cleaning with Essential Oils printable!
What If You Have A Lot of Dust?
Because dusting is usually the least favorite chore of families, you may find that you have a ton of build up in certain places.
If that's the case, add a little white vinegar (we do not recommend apple cider vinegar) to the solution. This cuts through dust and dirt and helps to disinfect.
For other cleaning, you can make your own DIY all purpose cleaner that uses a few drops of dish soap and vinegar. With the lemon essential oil, you won't have to worry with the smell of vinegar.
Helpful Tips
- I've never had any problems using this spray, but always recommend testing in a small area first.
- I am not brand picky with essential oils, but I do love Fabulous Frannie essential oils. I have noticed that they are just as good as the more expensive brands but cost much less. You can head over here to grab one of their gift sets or just buy one bottle. They are usually less than $5 a bottle.
- Give the bottle a good shake each time before use, as it's natural for the oil and water to separate.
- If you would rather have a fragrance free spray, leave out the essential oil. However, if you are using the vinegar in the solution we recommend keeping it to mask the vinegar smell.
- It's best to use a feather duster on a regular basis to reduce the dust, and go in with the spray every couple of weeks. Fabric softener sheets are another great option to trap dust.
- Store the spray out of direct sunlight.
- Fractionated coconut oil can also be used and will not leave a sticky residue like some carrier oils.
- See how to make a free printable label so you don't get the cleaning products mixed up.
Now you can keep your furniture dust-free with this simple spray made with natural products, unlike other commercial cleaners. While we love a good citrus oil you can choose a different fragrance based on your liking or use what you have on hand. This is such an effective way to clean the house, while being a little healthier and budget conscious.
Susan says
I thought Liquid Gold was best polish for wood, then Old English had lower price and worked better. Then tried Beeswax spray and extreme results..wasn't greasey and it cleans and shines like new. Also better price.
Karin says
Has anyone tried this on teak furniture? I have lots of it . But I've only ever used expensive and very strong smelling teak oil.
Julie says
I haven't tried it on teak before. Maybe test in a small area and give it a couple weeks to see how it does?
Isabel van Dijk says
I used this, butit leaves a stickiness behind on furniture which then collects even more dust!
Nona says
Does the olive oil go rancid?
Julie says
I have had mine for over a year and haven't noticed it going rancid. So, I don't think so.
rescue mom says
Can vinegar be used instead of olive oil?
Julie says
I don't think that would work. I would be afraid that too much vinegar would damage the wood.
Tammy says
My wood cutting board instructions say to protect it with vegetable oil because olive oil can spoil. I wonder if it really makes a difference?
Pdaisy says
I have to say that lemon essential oil is fabulous for cleaning wood, so it is kind of an important ingredient. The scent is natural and not synthetic so should not affect those with sensitivities to scents that may come from an artificial or synthetic source.
Julie says
Thanks! I didn't realize it wouldn't affect you if you are sensitive to scents.
VJ says
Love this idea - can't wait to try it!
On essential oils - especially any citrus oils, if you are using them in drinking water must be out of glass or metal - no plastic. Since the oil is super concentrated using them in plastic to ingest is bad as it will affect the plastic. Please make sure what you are buying is marked as safe to ingest - not all essentials are!
Using plastic for cleaning is fine - at least the oils i use. Always read the label carefully to be sure! Hope this helps!
Julie says
Thanks, very helpful!
Michele says
Where ca I buy essential oil? That probably sounds like a dumb question, but I don't get out much. Thanks for the tip.
Julie says
It's not a dumb question at all. I have a hard time finding them around here. Fresh Thyme grocery stores carry them, if you have one near you. I order mine off of Amazon. I will include the link below if you are interested. I hope that helps.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BKQIQLS/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BKQIQLS&linkCode=as2&tag=coucragir-20&linkId=TMIII6XGJTNQBGVL
Amber says
Hi there! Thanks for the info 🙂 How long will the spray last?
Julie says
It has lasted months for me. But then again I don't dust that often. 😉
Evpraxia Wehlitz says
Greetings,
I have used the essential oil and olive oil, without the water, for wood furniture as a polish, works great! Glad to know that adding water will allow it to be used as a dusting spray.
Side note: as a part-time housekeeper, a nice "clean" smell is Extremely important to customers. Even if an item/room IS clean, if it does not SMELL clean the customer asks if I cleaned the room. So, I add essential oils. The favorite ones seem to be: Lemon, Orange, Eucalyptus, Pine and a mix that I use that is called Germ-Fighter from Plant Therapy.
Julie says
Thanks for the tips!