Vinegar can be one of the most effective ways to cut through grease, lift stains, clean glass, remove limescale and more without adding harsh chemicals to your home. The problem is that vinegar doesn’t smell that great. Cleaning with vinegar can leave your space smelling a little like a pickle.

Thankfully there are ways around that. All you’ll need for your own DIY all-purpose spray that you can use for almost anything is white vinegar, a measuring cup, a glass spray bottle and some essential oil. Most DIY all-purpose cleaner recipes call for essential oil but can it really mask the pungent smell?

Try mixing a half cup of white vinegar, half cup of tap water and about 12 drops of pure lemon essential oil in the spray bottle. When used on kitchen counters – a couple spritzes, a minute or two of contact time so the spray can do its job and then wipe away with a microfiber cloth. With this mixture, you shouldn’t notice a vinegar smell at all. It will smell like a lemon, or possibly a lemon-based vinaigrette, and the counters will look shiny and new.

This mixture also works well on wood. A wooden coffee table with crumbs, smudges and dust will be swiftly cleaned with a few spritzes and a good wipe down. Again no smell of vinegar and only a fresh lemony smell once complete.

You can customize this cleaner your own way with a change to the essential oil, try orange oil or even grapefruit. Not only does it mean no vinegar smell but pleasant citrusy notes when you’re finished.