The Surprising Pantry Ingredient That’ll Help You Combat Dust All Around Your House

When you think about mixing olive oil, vinegar, and lemon, what immediately comes to mind? If your answer is salad dressing, you’re not wrong — but we also want to let you in on a secret about how these pantry staples work together to combat one of the most common (and peskiest) household messes. 

In a recent TikTok video that went viral, creator Whitney White shared a surprising recipe she uses to tackle dusty areas in her home. It only requires four ingredients — distilled white vinegar, olive oil, lemon essential oil, and tap water — but according to her video and this convincing follow-up, combining them in a spray bottle is a fool-proof way to eliminate dust.

That’s not all this spray does: White says olive oil — definitely the most unique pantry ingredient in the mix — also polishes your dusty surfaces, keeping dust away for a longer period of time.

I happened to have all of the components on hand, so I decided to make my own DIY dust spray and try it out in my kitchen. The recipe is simple: I followed White’s instructions and combined a cup of water, a quarter cup of white vinegar, two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and 10 drops of lemon essential oil in a glass spray bottle. (I didn’t have a funnel on hand, but that would definitely be helpful for pouring. Also, you’ll want to use a glass spray bottle here because lemon essential oil’s acidity has been said to damage plastic.)

I’ll admit, the mixture smelled a little bit like vinaigrette (not that I’m complaining). After shaking the bottle to make sure the solution was thoroughly mixed, I tested it out on an area of my kitchen I haven’t cleaned, let alone looked at, in months — the top of my fridge. 

Just like in the TikTok video, I sprayed a few spritzes on the dusty area, then wiped it with a microfiber cloth. The dust was easily cleaned — way better than if I had used the cloth alone or a cloth with just water — and I think the olive oil played a big part in that. The surface looked super shiny, too.

The DIY dust spray reminded me of lemon Pledge, so I tried it out on my furniture, too. I took it upstairs to my dresser, which hasn’t been dusted in forever, and I was equally satisfied with the results. The spray and microfiber picked up every bit of dust I could see.

How long does it actually continue to repel the dust? I’d say a decent amount of time! I waited a week to write this post and my surfaces are still looking good. The important part, too, is that this spray is pleasant to use. So I may actually be inclined to use it more often and, therefore, get more results.

Note: The olive oil mixes with the other ingredients when you shake the bottle, but if you leave it sitting out for a bit of time, the oil will rise to the top. Just make sure to give it another good shake before spraying, so you get all of the benefits of olive oil — it’s the star ingredient. Do-it-yourself cleaning products can be hit or miss, but I think it’s safe to say this one is a home run.

How do you dust and polish around the house? Tell us your tips in the comments below.