Open the average Australian cleaning cupboard and you'll find a graveyard of half-used bottles: bathroom spray, kitchen spray, glass cleaner, floor cleaner, toilet gel, degreaser, stainless steel spray, tile cleaner, oven cleaner — the list goes on.
Most of these products are doing variations of the same job. And most of them are more than 90% water. You're paying premium prices for water, synthetic fragrances, and a lot of single-use plastic.
There's a better way.
What is a cleaning concentrate?
A cleaning concentrate is a highly active cleaning solution designed to be diluted with water before use. Instead of buying a product that's already 90–99% water, you buy the active cleaning ingredients in a compact bottle, then dilute at home.
The benefits are significant:
- Cost: You're not paying to ship water. One 1L bottle of Orange Kleen concentrate makes 33 litres of ready-to-use cleaner — at a cost of under $0.91 per litre.
- Plastic waste: 33 fewer bottles per purchase. Over a year, a household that uses our Refill Pack instead of individual spray bottles reduces their cleaning-related plastic waste by hundreds of bottles.
- Carbon footprint: Water is heavy. Concentrate is light. Every litre of ready-to-use cleaner you buy in a spray bottle requires shipping that weight from factory to warehouse to store to your home. Concentrate dramatically reduces this.
- Simplicity: One bottle that does everything is simpler to buy, store, and use than 15 different products.
Can one cleaner really do every job?
The short answer is yes — if the active cleaning ingredient is strong enough. Orange Kleen concentrate is powered by d-limonene (orange oil), one of the most effective natural multi-surface solvents available. Here's how it handles every room:
Kitchen
- Benchtops: 30ml per 1L water in a spray bottle. Spray, wipe, done. Cuts through cooking residue and oil splatter.
- Stovetop: 30ml per litre for light grease. Up to 60ml for baked-on grease. Spray, leave 1–2 minutes, wipe clean.
- Oven: Apply the 60ml per litre solution directly to the oven interior. Leave for 5–10 minutes for built-up grease, then wipe out. Repeat for heavily soiled ovens.
- Sink: Standard 30ml solution. Works on stainless steel and porcelain alike.
- Dishwasher clean: Add 10ml of concentrate to the bottom of the dishwasher before running a cycle.
Bathroom
- Tiles and grout: 30ml solution applied with a microfibre cloth or spray. For grout lines, use the 60ml solution and a stiff brush.
- Shower and bath: Standard 30ml solution. For soap scum build-up, use 60ml and leave for 2 minutes before wiping.
- Toilet: Pour 20ml of concentrate directly into the bowl. Leave 5 minutes, scrub, flush. Use the 30ml spray solution for the exterior.
- Mirrors and glass: 30ml solution applied with a microfibre cloth. Works streak-free.
Floors
- All hard floors: 20ml per 1L water in your spray mop. Works on tiles, hybrid, vinyl, laminate, and sealed hardwood.
- Deep clean: Increase to 30ml per litre and use the Orange Kleen Deep Clean Green Mop Pads for grout and built-up residue.
Windows and glass
- 20ml solution in a spray bottle. Spray onto glass, wipe with a dry microfibre cloth in a circular motion. Streak-free.
Outdoors
- BBQ: 60ml solution on a cloth. Orange oil is particularly effective on cooking grease and baked-on residue.
- Patio furniture: 30ml solution on outdoor plastics, metals, and resin.
- Garage and workshop: 60ml solution for oil and grease on concrete, tools, and surfaces.
Laundry
- Add 10ml of concentrate to the wash cycle as a laundry booster. Particularly effective on grease stains, cooking oil, and food stains. Pair with your regular detergent.
The dilution cheat sheet
| Job | Dilution | How to apply |
|---|---|---|
| General all-purpose | 30ml per 1L | Spray bottle |
| Floor mopping | 20ml per 1L | Spray mop or mop bucket |
| Heavy degreasing | 60ml per 1L | Spray bottle or direct |
| Windows and glass | 20ml per 1L | Spray bottle + microfibre |
| Toilet bowl | 20ml direct | Pour and leave |
| Laundry boost | 10ml direct | Add to drum |
The environmental win
A typical household goes through roughly 30–40 cleaning product bottles per year. At the standard supermarket unit of 500–750ml per product, that's 15–30 litres of ready-to-use cleaner purchased annually — most of it water.
One Refill Pack (3 × 1L concentrate) makes 99 litres of ready-to-use cleaner, replacing the equivalent of 130–200 individual spray bottles. Three bottles instead of 130–200. The maths are stark.
Getting started
The easiest way to make the switch is to start with the Orange Kleen Starter Kit — the concentrate and a microfibre cloth pack, so you're set up to clean every surface from day one. As you run out of existing products, replace them with more diluted concentrate rather than a new specialist product. Within a few weeks, the cupboard that used to hold 15 bottles will hold one.