The days are slowly but surely getting longer. The daffodils are blooming. Spring is around the corner! And with it comes the annual spring cleaning marathon! To prepare for the season, we begin making our first batches of DIY citrus vinegar cleaner. Over the winter we eat more citrus, so we toss the peels into a mason jar to later infuse with vinegar for a great cleaner that smells nice too.
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When I began setting up my own home, I decided early on that I wanted to use more natural cleaning products. For a few years, I purchased the “green living” cleaning products available at the grocery store. That is until I learned that 1. Cleaners are super easy to make a home and 2. Not all of those cleaners are as “green” as advertised. Reading the labels more closely and they still warned of respiratory hazards, chemical burns, and more. So, I determined that as I used up a bottle of store-bought cleaner, I’d make a better replacement. One of the first cleaners I learned how to make was a multi-purpose citrus vinegar cleaner (recipe below).
Turns out ingredients I already had in my kitchen were plenty to clean and disinfect the house without toxic warning labels. Soap, water, vinegar, baking soda, lemons, and some elbow grease are all great household cleaning supplies. They are effective and creating your own household cleaners is way cheaper than purchasing a bottle of ready-made cleaner at the store. Really, we’re paying for mostly water in all those plastic bottles anyways! Not to mention the environmental impact of all those non-reusable plastic containers. Thankfully there is a better way!
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Disinfecting Power of Vinegar
Vinegar is a great disinfectant. Its acidic nature is strong enough to kill bacteria, which makes it a great cleaner to have in your arsenal. Some studies have even shown vinegar to be as effective at commercial cleaning wipes at killing the H1N1 flu virus. Having experienced the empty shelves of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is comforting to know that something I already have in my pantry is just as able to disinfect surfaces.
Word of Caution
Acetic acid is the compound that makes vinegar a fantastic cleaner, but it is not the best cleaner for EVERY job. Just like with bottles of cleaner bought at the store, take a minute to check and see if vinegar is the best option for the surface you have in mind. We learned this lesson the hard way…We had used a vinegar-based cleaner in the bathroom for years. But when we replaced an old plastic toilet seat with a painted wood one, we learned that the vinegar was so great at cleaning that it dissolved the paint! Oops! If you don’t see anything specific while googling, test it on an inconspicuous spot first.
Cleaning boost of citrus
Straight white vinegar isn’t the most pleasant smell to have all over the house, so we like adding citrus. Not only does it smell nice, citrus fruits like lemon, limes, and oranges provide their own cleaning powers to the mix. The oils in the peels help to cut grease and shine up surfaces. Other great properties to have in a multi-purpose cleaner!
Multi-Purpose Citrus Vinegar Cleaner
Supplies
- Vinegar
- Citrus peels (lemon, lime, oranges, etc.)
- Mason Jar
- Strainer
- Spray bottle
Collect citrus peels in a mason jar.
Place the peels in a pint or quart jar depending on how many peels you and your family are able to consume in a day or two. Since it’s just the two of us, we typically use a pint jar.
Cover peels with vinegar
Pour white vinegar over the peels until they are covered. Stir occasionally to make sure the peels are submerged. If exposed to air they might mold on you.
Wait a few weeks
Set the jar on the counter and wait for a few weeks until the citrus is infused into the vinegar. We typically wait about 2 weeks, but if you let it sit a little longer it will be a bit more potent.
Strain into bottles
After the infusion is complete, strain the vinegar into a spray bottle (we like these glass ones). The vinegar will be a yellow/orange color.
Clean up the house
If you want to be sure you’re fully disinfecting a surface (say after you cut up raw meat on the counter), be sure to use the vinegar cleaner at full strength. Otherwise, a 50:50 dilution with water works great for most purposes around the house. Use on sinks, (non-stone) counters, bathtubs, toilets, and any other place messes can be found. 😉 If you have any leftover infused vinegar, it can be stored in the refrigerator for a few months until you need to mix up another batch.
Bonus cleaning boost
For the tub and stove I like to mix in a squirt or two of dish soap for some extra grease-cutting power. Don’t mix in castille soap however! You will end up with a goopy mess as the vinegar will reverse the soap-making process and revert the soap back to oils.
Happy spring cleaning!
