Making a clove oil spray takes about two minutes: mix clove essential oil with water in a spray bottle, shake well, and apply. The tricky part is getting the ratio right for your specific purpose and keeping the oil from separating out of the water. Here’s how to do it properly for the most common uses.
The Basic Recipe
A general-purpose clove oil spray uses 10 to 15 drops of clove essential oil per ounce of water. For a standard 16-ounce spray bottle, that works out to roughly 160 to 240 drops, or about 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of oil. Start on the lower end and increase if you need a stronger effect.
The immediate problem you’ll run into is that oil and water don’t mix. If you just add drops to water, the clove oil will float on top in tiny beads and spray unevenly. You have a few options to fix this:
- Shake vigorously before each use. This is the simplest approach. It creates a temporary emulsion that lasts long enough to spray, but the oil will separate again within minutes. For quick jobs, this works fine.
- Add high-proof alcohol first. Dissolve the clove oil in a splash of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) or high-proof vodka before adding water. Use roughly equal parts alcohol and oil. The alcohol acts as a bridge between the oil and water, keeping the mixture more stable.
- Use a drop of liquid dish soap. A tiny amount of unscented dish soap (2 to 3 drops per cup of water) acts as an emulsifier, helping the oil disperse evenly throughout the water. This works well for cleaning and pest sprays but obviously isn’t ideal if you want a soap-free solution.
Adjusting the Ratio for Different Uses
Mold and Mildew
For killing mold spores, you need surprisingly little clove oil. A quarter teaspoon of clove oil in one liter (about 34 ounces) of water is enough to kill mold on most hard surfaces. Spray a light mist directly onto the moldy area and leave it for a full 24 hours before wiping. The active compound in clove oil, eugenol, penetrates and kills the spore roots rather than just bleaching the surface discoloration. This makes it more effective at preventing regrowth than many conventional cleaners.
One important caveat: don’t use clove oil spray on limestone or marble. Higher concentrations can also discolor light-colored surfaces, so stick to the quarter-teaspoon-per-liter ratio and test a small hidden spot first.
Ant and Insect Repellent
Clove oil is genuinely toxic to ants, not just a mild deterrent. Research on fire ants found that clove-derived compounds provided 100% mortality within six hours at sufficient concentrations and repelled 99% of ants within three hours. For a household spray, the standard 10 to 15 drops per ounce is a good starting concentration. Spray directly along ant trails, entry points around doors and windows, and along baseboards.
Repellency doesn’t necessarily increase with higher concentrations, but it does improve with longer exposure time. This means reapplying a moderate-strength spray regularly is more effective than drenching an area once with a super-concentrated mix. Reapply every few days or after cleaning the sprayed surfaces.
General Household Spray
For a surface cleaner or air freshener, 10 drops per ounce of water is plenty. Clove oil has a strong, warm scent, and going heavier can make a room overpowering. Mix with the alcohol or soap method described above for the most even spray pattern.
Choosing the Right Spray Bottle
This detail catches most people off guard: clove oil degrades common plastic. PET plastic, the type used in most clear spray bottles and recycled water bottles, has poor resistance to eugenol (the main compound in clove oil). Over time, the oil will break down the plastic, causing it to cloud, crack, or leach chemicals into your spray.
Your best options are glass spray bottles or bottles made from HDPE (high-density polyethylene), the opaque, slightly waxy plastic often used for cleaning product containers. HDPE holds up well against essential oils. If you’re unsure what type of plastic you have, check the recycling number on the bottom. HDPE is marked with a “2” inside the recycling triangle. Glass is the safest bet if you plan to store the spray for more than a few days.
Pet Safety Warnings
If you have pets, especially cats or birds, take clove oil sprays seriously. Essential oils are rapidly absorbed through the skin, lungs, and mucous membranes of animals. Cats are particularly vulnerable because they lack a liver enzyme needed to break down many essential oil compounds. Birds are at even higher risk since their respiratory systems are uniquely sensitive to aerosolized particles.
Signs of essential oil toxicity in pets include drooling, vomiting, lethargy, loss of coordination, and loss of appetite. More severe reactions can involve tremors, difficulty breathing, and in extreme cases, liver or kidney failure. Symptoms can develop within minutes to hours of exposure.
If you use clove oil spray around the house, keep pets out of the room while spraying and ventilate thoroughly before letting them back in. Never spray directly on surfaces your pets lick or sleep on. For dedicated pest control in areas your pets frequent, consider using the spray only in cracks, crevices, and entry points that animals can’t easily reach. Animals with pre-existing respiratory issues like feline asthma or chronic bronchitis are at even greater risk from inhaled essential oil particles.
Storage and Shelf Life
A water-based clove oil spray doesn’t last forever. Without preservatives, bacteria and mold can grow in the water within one to two weeks, especially in a warm environment. Make small batches you’ll use within a week or two, and store the bottle in a cool, dark place. If the spray starts to smell off or looks cloudy in a way it didn’t before, dump it and make a fresh batch.
Keep your bottle of pure clove essential oil tightly sealed and away from heat and sunlight. Stored properly, the essential oil itself stays potent for two to three years.