How to Make Scented Vinegar at Home

Scented vinegar is white vinegar infused with herbs, flowers or citrus peel, or combined with a small amount of essential oil, to soften the sharp vinegar smell during cleaning.

QUICK ANSWER

How to make scented vinegar safely

1. Choose distilled white vinegar plus herbs, flowers or citrus peel. For a fast version, use a few drops of essential oil.
2. For herbs, flowers or citrus peel, fill a clean glass jar about halfway, cover with room-temperature vinegar and seal the jar.
3. Leave infusions in a cool, dark place, strain them, then dilute 1:1 with water before routine cleaning on vinegar-safe surfaces.
4. Keep scented vinegar away from marble, limestone and travertine, never mix it with bleach, and do not use it as a disinfectant.

Editorial update: Safety guidance for the citrus method and disinfectant use was updated in September 2026. Atanas Dzhingarov’s personal account and original wording remain unchanged outside the approved safety edits.

I walked into the kitchen and the smell hit me like a jab in the nose. Two hours after I’d conducted my latest cleaning experiment with white vinegar, the odour was still floating in the air like an invisible assault on one’s olfactory receptors. In short, my kitchen did not smell at all inviting.

I had to use a concentrated dose of scented vinegar to deal with a particularly nasty mineral deposit. The situation wasn’t ideal. I was expecting guests in an hour and I didn’t want to welcome them into a flat that smelled like an old abandoned basement.

So I immediately opened all windows and made some lemon juice. I cleaned the surfaces I’d previously treated with vinegar with the juice to give it that fresh sense of lemony goodness.

Long story – short, my guests arrived and didn’t ask me if I had a wine barrel tucked away somewhere in the kitchen. I managed to save the day in the nick of time.

But this situation got me thinking – can I solve the problem with white vinegar’s pungent smell? That’s one of the most glaring downsides of this natural cleaning agent. It turned out the problem is pretty easy to solve.

Key takeaways

• Scented vinegar changes the fragrance, not the acetic-acid content.
• Herbs, flowers and citrus peels work by infusion; essential oils give the fastest result.
• Cold infusion removes the need to handle heated vinegar.
• A 1:1 dilution with water suits many routine jobs where vinegar is compatible with the surface.
• Keep vinegar away from acid-sensitive stone and bleach, and do not treat it as a disinfectant.

Why does white vinegar smell so bad?

White vinegar is a solution of acetic acid and water. The concentrations vary, but they usually revolve around 5% acetic acid and 95% water.

It may not sound like much, but even at 5% concentration, acetic acid is plenty powerful. That’s what gives vinegar its powerful cleaning properties, as well as the pungent smell that assaults your nose.

In most cases, you want to dilute white vinegar when using it for cleaning purposes. Its level of acidity isn’t necessary for most of your daily cleaning needs. Unless you’re dealing with something particularly nasty, like stubborn mineral deposits, of course.

Scented vinegar preparations

It’s best to have all the ingredients ready before you move on any further. This is where you’ll choose what kinds of scents you prefer.

When it comes to herbs, you can never go wrong with:

• mint
• sage
• basil
• rosemary
• and thyme.

You want to avoid dark herbs that will colourise your vinegar and potentially leave stains. Other than that, you can go wild.

If you want, you can combine the herbs with citrus peels. Mint goes well with lemon or lime. Basil is an excellent addition to orange peels.

For flowers, rose petals are most people’s preferred option but it’s largely a matter of taste. As long as the petals or flowers have a strong scent, you can make scented vinegar with them.

Other than that, you’ll of course need white vinegar, preferably distilled. Also, some essential oils if you want a “quick fix”.

And, finally, you’ll need glass jars (the number will depend on how many types of scented vinegar you want to make) and a few empty spray bottles.

Making scented vinegar with herbs and flowers

This is by far the slowest method to make scented white vinegar. Here we go step by step:

1. Place your chosen herbs or flowers into the jars. Don’t worry if it seems like you’re putting too much. The jars should be half-full (or half-empty, depending on your perspective).
2. Pour the white vinegar on top of them and fill the jars.
3. Put the jars in a cool, dark place and allow them to steep for a few days. It’s best to wait between a week and 10 days. 
4. Strain the herbs and flowers out of the mixture.
5. Take the spray bottle and fill half of it with the mixture. Fill the other half with water.

That’s it. You now have your very own scented vinegar eco-friendly cleaning product.

Making scented vinegar with citrus peels

Using citrus peels to make scented vinegar is pretty much the same as making it with herbs and flowers. In fact, you can use the same cold-infusion method.

1. Place your chosen citrus peels into the jars. You want to fill at least half the jar for the best results.
2. Pour room-temperature white vinegar over the peels until the jars are full.
3. Close the lids on the jars and place them in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight.
4. Leave the peels to infuse for at least one week. For a stronger citrus scent, leave them for up to two weeks.
5. Strain the citrus peels from the mixture.
6. Take the spray bottle and fill half of it with the mixture. Fill the other half with water.

And you’re done.

Making scented vinegar with essential oils

This is the fastest and easiest method to use. The only downside is the scent isn’t as inviting as the other methods I’ve showcased. Here’s what you do:

1. Pour the white vinegar into a spray bottle.
2. Add a few drops of essential oil.
3. Shake it.

That’s it. It’s literally that simple. If you’re looking for a quick fix, it doesn’t get any simpler than this. However, the other methods work better in terms of scent saturation.

Essential oils do not stay evenly dispersed in vinegar, so shake the bottle before each use. If children or pets are in the home, check the oil’s product guidance before adding it. The separate essential oil safety guide covers use limits in more detail.

Where scented vinegar should not be used

Scented vinegar is still an acidic vinegar solution. Added fragrance does not change surface compatibility or chemical-mixing risks.

• Skip marble, limestone and travertine. Acid can etch calcareous stone. The vinegar surface guide covers other common exclusions.
• Never mix vinegar with bleach or a chlorine-based cleaner. Acidifying sodium hypochlorite can release chlorine gas.
• Do not treat scented vinegar as a disinfectant. When disinfection is required, use a product labelled for disinfection and follow its contact-time instructions. See cleaning and disinfection for the distinction.
• Label the bottle and keep it out of children’s reach, especially when essential oils have been added.

Conclusion

White vinegar is a great natural cleaning product in certain situations. Yet many people abstain from using it because of the bad smell.

But, as you can see, where there’s a problem, there’s also a solution. Creating scented vinegar is easy and inexpensive, but use it only on compatible surfaces and never mix it with bleach or chlorine-based cleaners.

Whether you prefer the quicker method with the essential oils or one of the slower methods, your new scented white vinegar will be a trusty companion every time you clean. It’s useful for some mineral deposits and deodorising jobs, but it is not a substitute for a disinfectant when disinfection is required. Make sure you always have a bottle on hand.

When a DIY vinegar spray is not the right fit

A single acidic spray is a poor choice when a home contains mixed surfaces with different care requirements. For ongoing household upkeep in London, Samyx Cleaning’s regular domestic cleaning service can work with products supplied by the cleaning team or preferred products supplied by the client.

Professional help is a better route when the surface finish is unknown, product labels conflict with a DIY recipe, or several rooms need different cleaning methods.