An all in one cleaner concentrate is a single bottle of undiluted plant based cleaner you mix with water to make a multi surface spray. One 1L bottle can make up to 100 spray bottles, replacing your all purpose, glass, bathroom and floor cleaners while cutting cost and plastic at home.
What an all in one cleaner concentrate actually is
An all in one cleaner concentrate is a bottle of cleaner sold in its undiluted form. Instead of paying for a litre of mostly water in a trigger bottle, you buy the active formula and add the water yourself at home. You measure a small amount of concentrate into a spray bottle or bucket, top it up with tap water, and you have a ready to use cleaner. The same concentrate, at slightly different strengths, handles benchtops, bathrooms, floors, glass and more.
The idea is not new. Commercial cleaners, hospitality kitchens and cleaning businesses have run on concentrates for decades because they are cheaper per use, take up less storage and generate far less packaging. What has changed recently is that genuinely good concentrates have arrived for the home, including plant based enzyme formulas that clean well without the harsh smell of older industrial products.
At HomeKind we formulate exactly this kind of product: a 1L All in One Cleaner Concentrate, enzyme activated and plant based, designed so one bottle can replace several single purpose cleaners under your sink. This guide explains how concentrates work, how to dilute and use them properly, where they shine, where they do not, how to use them safely around children and pets, and how to choose one that suits an Australian home.
How concentrates work, and why they clean
A cleaner only needs a few things to do its job: something to lift grease and soil off a surface, something to keep that soil suspended in the water so it rinses or wipes away rather than re depositing, and something to keep the formula stable in the bottle. A concentrate simply carries those ingredients at full strength and lets you add the water at the point of use.
The lifting work in a plant based concentrate is usually done by surfactants derived from plants and coconut, often called glucosides. These reduce the surface tension of water so it can creep under grease and grime instead of beading on top of it. A citrus derived solvent such as D limonene helps dissolve oily and sticky residues. Mild acids and salts like sodium citrate, sodium gluconate and lactic acid help soften mineral deposits and balance the formula. None of this is exotic chemistry. It is the same family of mechanisms that has cleaned kitchens for a long time, just built from gentler, plant sourced building blocks.
Where the enzymes come in
Some concentrates, including ours, are enzyme activated. Enzymes are biological catalysts that break specific types of soil into smaller pieces that rinse away more easily. Three are common in cleaning:
- Protease targets protein based soils such as food residue, blood and many everyday food spills.
- Amylase targets starch based soils, the kind left behind by sauces, pasta water and baked on food.
- Lipase targets fats, oils and grease, which is most of what builds up in a kitchen.
Enzymes do their best work with a little dwell time, meaning you spray, wait a short while, then wipe. They are not a magic ingredient and they will not dissolve everything, but on greasy and food based mess they let a gentler formula punch above its weight. You can learn more in our deeper explainer on how enzyme cleaners work.
Why streak free glass is the real test
Plenty of all rounder cleaners do a passable job on a benchtop but leave a hazy film on glass and mirrors. That film is usually leftover surfactant or additives that do not flash off cleanly. A concentrate that genuinely dries streak free on glass is doing something harder than a basic spray, because it has to lift grime and then leave nothing behind. HomeKind concentrate is formulated to be streak free on glass and mirrors, which is the feature that lets it actually replace your separate glass cleaner rather than just claiming to. If you want the full method, see our guide to streak free glass cleaning.
Dilution ratios: the part most people get wrong
The single biggest mistake with concentrates is using too much. More concentrate does not mean cleaner surfaces. Past a certain point the extra surfactant simply leaves residue, which then attracts dust and dulls shine, so you end up cleaning more often. The right ratio depends on the job, not on how dirty you feel the surface looks.
Here is the practical dilution guide we use for the HomeKind concentrate. Treat it as a sensible starting point for most plant based concentrates, then adjust within the range for your water and your mess. For a fuller walkthrough across product types, see our notes on how to dilute cleaning concentrate.
| Job | Concentrate per litre of water | How to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday surfaces and glass | 10ml (1 capful) | Spray bottle, wipe with a clean microfibre cloth |
| Heavy or greasy mess | 10 to 20ml (1 to 2 capfuls) | Spray, leave to dwell briefly, then wipe |
| Floors (per bucket) | 20 to 30ml (2 to 3 capfuls) per mop bucket | Mop, wring well, no rinse needed on sealed floors |
| Stubborn spots | Neat on a cloth | Apply to the cloth, work the spot, wipe clean |
A few habits make a real difference:
- Measure, do not eyeball. The cap on the bottle holds 10ml, so measuring costs nothing and saves you product. Eyeballing almost always over doses.
- Start weak. Mix at the lower end of the range first. You can always add a splash more concentrate, but you cannot easily un dose a bottle.
- Use cool or lukewarm water. Very hot water is unnecessary and can shorten the life of enzymes in enzyme based formulas.
- Label your bottles. Write the date and the dilution on each spray bottle so the next person, or future you, knows what is inside.
How to mix a spray bottle, step by step
- Start with a clean, empty 500ml or 1L trigger bottle. Reusing an old cleaner bottle is fine if you rinse it well first.
- Add the water first, then the concentrate. This avoids excess foam and helps it mix evenly.
- For the 500ml Starter Pack bottle of everyday spray, that is 5ml (half a capful). For a 1L bottle, 10ml (1 capful).
- Cap it and give it a gentle swirl, not a vigorous shake, to avoid whipping up foam.
- Label and date it. A diluted spray is best used within a few weeks, so mix what you will realistically use.
What an all in one cleaner concentrate replaces
The appeal of a true all in one is that it collapses a cupboard full of bottles into one. At different dilutions, a good concentrate covers the everyday jobs that usually each have their own product.
- All purpose spray for benchtops, tables, splashbacks and general wiping.
- Glass and mirror cleaner, provided the formula dries streak free, which not all do.
- Bathroom cleaner for tiles, basins, baths and shower screens.
- Floor cleaner for sealed hard floors, mixed in a bucket. See our guide to eco friendly floor cleaning for technique.
HomeKind concentrate is designed to cover all four of these. It is rated for kitchens, bathrooms, tiles, floors, glass, mirrors, stainless steel, sealed stone, benchtops and appliances. Replacing four or five single purpose bottles with one product means fewer purchases, less clutter under the sink, and one consistent cleaner you actually understand.
Concentrate versus single purpose cleaners
It helps to lay the two approaches side by side. The table below compares a typical cupboard of single purpose sprays against one all in one concentrate over the same period of cleaning.
| Consideration | Several single purpose cleaners | One all in one concentrate |
|---|---|---|
| Bottles to buy | One per job: all purpose, glass, bathroom, floor | One concentrate, diluted four ways |
| Cupboard space | A row of trigger bottles | A single 1L bottle plus your refills |
| Rough cost per made up spray | About $4 to $7 each, bought ready to use | About 40c each at everyday dilution |
| Plastic per refill | A new bottle every time | Reuse the same trigger bottle |
| Decisions at the shelf | Which product for which surface | One product, change the ratio |
Surfaces it suits, and how to treat them
Before a first clean of any sealed stone, stainless steel or unfamiliar finish, check the maker's care guide, use the everyday dilution and wipe it dry. This takes a minute and protects surfaces you cannot easily replace.
| Surface | Best approach |
|---|---|
| Stainless steel | Light spray, wipe with the grain, buff dry with a clean cloth for shine |
| Sealed stone and engineered benchtops | Everyday dilution, wipe and dry, avoid pooling liquid on seams |
| Glass and mirrors | Light mist, wipe with dry microfibre, no buffing needed if streak free |
| Sealed timber and laminate floors | Damp mop only, wring well, never flood the floor |
| Tiles and grout | Spray, allow brief dwell, agitate grout lines with a brush if needed |
When a concentrate is not the right fix
An honest guide has to say where a multi surface cleaner stops. A plant based all in one concentrate is built for everyday cleaning, not for every job in the house. Reaching for the wrong product wastes time and can damage surfaces, so it is worth knowing the limits.
- Disinfecting and sanitising. Cleaning removes dirt and most of the soil that microbes live in, but it is not the same as a registered disinfectant. If you specifically need to sanitise, for example after handling raw meat or during illness, use a product labelled for that purpose and follow its stated contact time.
- Heavy limescale and toilet bowls. Thick mineral scale around taps or inside a toilet often needs a dedicated descaler or toilet product. A general cleaner can keep scale at bay but will struggle once it is built up.
- Unsealed natural stone. Porous or unsealed marble, limestone and some natural stones are sensitive to acids. If you are unsure whether a stone is sealed, use a product made specifically for stone.
- Ovens and burnt on carbon. Baked on oven carbon usually needs a purpose made oven product and patience. Enzymes help with food and grease, not with carbonised deposits.
- Mould stains in silicone. Surface mould wipes away, but black staining set deep into old silicone or grout often needs a dedicated mould treatment.
None of this is a knock on concentrates. It is simply the difference between an everyday workhorse and a handful of specialist tools. A good all in one removes the need for most bottles, not all of them.
Using it safely: skin, eyes, ventilation and storage
A plant based formula is gentler than many industrial cleaners, but concentrate is still potent and deserves sensible handling. Treat the undiluted bottle with the same care you would give any cleaning product.
- Skin and eyes. Use it diluted as directed and keep the concentrate away from eyes. If it splashes, rinse with clean water.
- Ventilation. Everyday cleaning needs no special setup, but if you are cleaning a small, closed room such as a bathroom for a while, open a window or run the fan. Good airflow is just good practice with any cleaner, citrus and essential oil scents included.
- Do not mix with other cleaners. Never combine this or any cleaner with bleach, ammonia or other branded products in the same bottle or bucket. Mixing cleaning chemicals can create fumes or cancel out the cleaning action. Use the concentrate on its own, diluted only with water.
- Keep it out of reach of children. Store the concentrate up high or in a latched cupboard, with the cap firmly on. It is not a food, despite the food grade preservatives, and the citrus scent should not be near small hands.
- Store it cool and out of direct sun. A stable cupboard temperature keeps the formula, including the enzymes, in good shape for longer. Avoid leaving the bottle in a hot car or on a sunny windowsill.
If you have an unusual sensitivity to citrus or essential oils, our Fragrance Free scent leaves the essential oils out entirely. It is back soon; until then, wipe with the everyday mix on a cloth rather than misting it into the air.
Cleaning safely around kids and pets
One of the main reasons people move to plant based concentrates is to clean the surfaces their children and animals live on without harsh residue. A gentler formula helps, but technique still matters.
- High chairs, toys and play surfaces. Use the everyday dilution, wipe, then go over with a clean damp cloth so nothing is left sitting on a surface a child will mouth. Letting it air dry fully before use is sensible.
- Floors that crawlers and pets use. Damp mop with the floor dilution and wring well so the surface is only lightly damp. A barely damp floor dries quickly and leaves little behind, which is exactly what you want where babies crawl and pets pad about.
- Pet bowls and feeding areas. Clean feeding mats and the floor around bowls with the everyday spray, then rinse bowls themselves with plain water before refilling, as you would after any cleaner.
- Keep pets clear while cleaning. Cats and dogs are curious and citrus scents can be strong to them, so let surfaces dry and the air clear before they return. Store the concentrate where a determined pet cannot reach it.
The honest position is straightforward: a plant based, dye free, phosphate free cleaner used at the right dilution and wiped or rinsed where needed is a sound everyday choice for homes with kids and pets. It is not a reason to skip the basics of rinsing food contact surfaces and letting things dry.
The cost case: why concentrate is cheaper
The economics are the easiest part to explain because they come straight from the maths of water. A ready to use supermarket spray is mostly water, and you are paying to ship and store that water in plastic. A concentrate removes the water from the equation until the moment you need it.
Consider HomeKind concentrate at $39.99 for 1L. At the everyday dilution of 10ml (1 capful) per litre of water, that 1L of concentrate makes up to roughly 100 spray bottles. Spread the cost of the bottle across those refills and each made up spray bottle works out at about 40c. Compare that to a typical supermarket trigger spray, which commonly sits somewhere around $4 to $7 for a similar sized bottle. Even at the heavier dilution, a concentrate stays dramatically cheaper per use. We break the maths down further in our piece on concentrate versus ready to use cost.
| Approach | Rough cost per spray bottle | Plastic used per refill |
|---|---|---|
| Buying ready to use sprays | About $4 to $7 each | A new bottle every time |
| Diluting from concentrate | About 40c each | Reuse the same bottle |
These are derived ranges, not promises, because your real cost depends on the dilution you choose and how heavily you clean. But the direction is not in doubt: paying for the active formula and adding your own water is meaningfully cheaper over a year, and it cuts the number of trigger bottles you buy and bin to a fraction.
The environmental case, told honestly
Concentrates have a genuine environmental story, and it is worth telling carefully rather than overselling it.
The clearest benefit is packaging. One 1L concentrate that refills the same trigger bottle dozens of times avoids buying dozens of new plastic spray bottles. Shipping concentrate instead of pre diluted product also means trucks carry far less water weight per clean delivered, which lowers the transport footprint of the same amount of cleaning.
The second part is what goes down the drain. HomeKind concentrate is plant based and formulated to be greywater and septic safe, with no phosphates and no synthetic dyes. That matters in Australia, where many homes are on septic systems or reuse greywater on the garden, and where harsh cleaners can upset a septic tank or harm plants. Our formula leaves out synthetic dyes, phosphates, parabens and SLS, and it is not tested on animals. There is more detail in our guide to septic safe cleaning products.
One honesty note on packaging: our bottle is recyclable plastic, not glass. We chose sturdy recyclable plastic because it survives shipping a concentrate around the country without the breakage and weight of glass, and because the concentrate model already cuts total plastic by reducing how many bottles you buy. We would rather be straight about that than imply something we do not do.
What is inside a good plant based concentrate
You should be able to read a cleaner's ingredient list and understand roughly what each part is for. Here is what is in the HomeKind concentrate and the job each component does. For the wider topic, see plant based cleaning ingredients.
- Plant and coconut glucosides: the gentle surfactants that lift grease and grime off surfaces.
- D limonene: a citrus derived solvent that helps dissolve oily and sticky residues, and gives a clean citrus note.
- Sodium citrate, sodium gluconate and lactic acid: mild acids and salts that soften mineral deposits and keep the formula balanced.
- Enzyme blend: protease, amylase and lipase, targeting protein, starch and fat based soils respectively.
- Hydroxyethyl cellulose: a plant derived thickener that helps the formula cling rather than run straight off.
- Vegetable glycerin: a humectant that supports the formula and a smooth feel.
- Food grade sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate: gentle preservatives that keep the bottle stable and safe over its shelf life.
- Essential oils: the natural fragrance, varying by scent.
What is deliberately left out is as important as what is in: no synthetic dyes, no phosphates, no parabens and no SLS. That is the kind of list you can hand to anyone in the household and explain in a sentence.
The scents, one formula
HomeKind scents all share the exact same cleaning formula, so you are choosing a smell, not a performance level. Two are in stock now and two are back soon:
- Lemon Myrtle and Eucalyptus Radiata: bright, fresh and distinctly Australian.
- Mandarin Peel and Rosemary: warm citrus with a herbal edge.
- Peppermint and Pine Needle: cool, crisp and clean. Back soon.
- Fragrance Free: no essential oils, for sensitive noses and unscented households. Back soon.
Because the formula is identical, you can mix scents across a bundle without worrying that one cleans better than another. They do not.
Choosing a scent for each room
Since performance is identical, scent choice comes down to where and how you clean. A few honest pointers:
- Kitchen. Lemon Myrtle and Eucalyptus Radiata, or Mandarin Peel and Rosemary, sit well in a kitchen where you want a fresh, food friendly note after wiping benches and the cooktop.
- Bathroom. Peppermint and Pine Needle (back soon) reads as cool and clean, which suits tiles, shower screens and basins; for now, Lemon Myrtle and Eucalyptus gives wet areas the same fresh lift.
- Bedrooms and living areas. Any of the scents work, so pick the one you simply enjoy walking into. A lighter mist goes a long way in these rooms.
- Nurseries, asthma and sensitive households. Fragrance Free is the sensible default where someone reacts to strong scents, where you are cleaning a baby's room, or where you would rather have no added fragrance at all. It uses the same formula with the essential oils left out, and it is back soon; until then, Mandarin Peel and Rosemary is the softer of the two scents in stock, and a light mist with a window open keeps any scent low.
A common approach is Lemon Myrtle and Eucalyptus in the kitchen and Mandarin Peel and Rosemary elsewhere, which is exactly the kind of mix a bundle lets you build. Once Peppermint and Pine Needle and Fragrance Free are back, they slot into the same plan.
Troubleshooting: residue, foam, hard water and lingering scent
Most problems people blame on a cleaner are really dilution or technique, and they are easy to fix once you know what you are looking at.
- Streaks or a dull film after wiping. This is almost always too much concentrate. Remix at the lower end of the range, and for the affected surface do one wipe with a barely damp clean microfibre to lift the residue, then a dry buff. Going lighter usually solves it immediately.
- It foamed a lot in the bottle. You either added concentrate before the water or shook it hard. Add water first next time and swirl gently. The foam itself is harmless, it just makes spraying messier.
- A faint cloudy film on glass in a hard water area. That haze can be mineral content in your tap water rather than the cleaner. Try mixing with cooler water, wipe with a dry microfibre rather than letting it air dry, and in stubborn cases a final buff with a dry cloth clears it.
- The scent lingers more than you want. Use a lighter dilution and a lighter mist, ventilate the room, or switch that room to Fragrance Free once it is back. Scent strength tracks how much concentrate you use, so easing off the dose eases off the smell.
- It feels like it is not cutting grease. Give it dwell time. Spray, wait a short while so the enzymes and surfactants can work, then wipe. On heavy kitchen grease step up to the heavier dilution rather than scrubbing harder.
How to choose an all in one cleaner concentrate
If you are weighing up concentrates, here is a practical checklist that cuts through marketing language.
- Does it genuinely do glass streak free? This is the honest test of an all rounder. If it leaves film on a mirror, it is not really replacing your glass cleaner.
- Is the dilution clear and generous? Look for a stated ratio and a high number of made up bottles per litre. Vague instructions usually mean you will over dose and run out fast.
- Is it safe for your drains? If you are on septic or reuse greywater, check explicitly for septic and greywater safe, and for no phosphates.
- Can you read the ingredients? A short, explainable list beats a long one full of unknowns.
- Does it suit your surfaces? Check it is rated for the materials you actually have, especially sealed stone and stainless steel.
- Is the value real? Work out the cost per made up spray bottle, not the sticker price of the concentrate.
HomeKind was built against exactly this checklist: streak free glass, a clear 10ml (1 capful) everyday dose making up to 100 spray bottles per litre of concentrate, septic and greywater safe with no phosphates, a readable plant based ingredient list, broad surface coverage and a low derived cost per use. It comes from a working cleaning crew who built the product they wanted to use on real jobs.
From the job: why the glass test mattered to us
Running a cleaning business, the bottles in the kit add up fast, and the most annoying one to carry was always a separate glass cleaner. Most all rounders that wiped a benchtop nicely would haze up a mirror or a shower screen, which meant a second product and a second pass on every bathroom. The reason the streak free requirement is front and centre in this guide is that it was the practical sticking point on real jobs: an all in one that cannot finish glass cleanly is not actually an all in one, it just saves you one bottle out of four. Getting the formula to dry clean on glass and mirrors was the difference between a nice idea and a product that genuinely shrinks the kit. We are describing what the formula is built to do, not quoting a lab result, and we would rather you judge it on your own mirror.
Storing and getting the most from your concentrate
- Store the concentrate cool and out of direct sun. A stable cupboard temperature keeps the formula, including the enzymes, in good shape for longer.
- Keep the cap on tight. Concentrate is potent, and you only need millilitres, so there is no reason to leave it open.
- Mix small batches of spray. Diluted cleaner is best used within a few weeks. Mixing a fresh bottle is a thirty second job.
- Use microfibre cloths. The cloth does as much work as the cleaner. A clean microfibre lifts and holds soil far better than paper towel, and it is what makes streak free glass effortless.
- Rinse and reuse your trigger bottles. Reusing the same sprayer is what keeps the plastic count down. A good trigger sprayer lasts years.
Ordering and delivery
HomeKind ships nationally across Australia and is in stock now. The concentrate is $39.99 for 1L, with bundle pricing of two for $70 and three for $99, and you can mix scents within a bundle since the formula is the same in every scent. Order by 2pm on a business day and we post it the same day. For questions you can reach us at sales@homekindco.com.au.
If you have been meaning to clear out the row of half used bottles under the sink and replace them with one product you actually understand, a plant based all in one concentrate is the simplest way to do it. Measure carefully, start at the lower dilution, keep a microfibre handy, and let the formula do the work.
