Be Eco-Friendly and Save Cash with These Citric Acid Cleaning Tips

2020 is finally over, and here’s hoping that 2021 will be a better year overall! At Faerie’s Dance, we love to start the year with a clean, fresh home so we feel relaxed and refreshed after a hard day’s work selling organic clothing. Of course, since we’re focused on green living, the harsh chemicals and synthetic fragrances of commercial cleaners definitely aren’t our thing.

Natural Citric Acid to the Rescue

Lemons and homemade lemon cleaner bottle

It’s not just the composition of commercial cleaners that poses a health or environmental problem. According to current recycling data, we’ve dumped more and more plastic waste into the environment over the years. This is quite a dire situation considering that plastic waste materials are non-biodegradable, dangerous to wildlife, cause waterways to clog, and are just an eyesore. Plastics can come from anywhere, and that includes containers for our household cleaners.

But what if we told you there’s actually a way to reduce or even eliminate using commercially sold household cleaners? That means there are fewer containers that will go to the waste disposal facility, at least from your household. But then, imagine if all homes follow suit. Now that’s doing the environment a favor! Not to mention the money that you’ll be saving.

Making your own safe, eco-friendly, and affordable household cleaner is easy. You only need to use citric acid. Now, before running to the drugstore or some laboratory supply store, you might check your cupboard, fruit basket, or refrigerator first. That’s because you can find citric acid in fruits like lemons, oranges, and limes. It’s what gives these fruits their tart, sour taste.

How to Create and Use Your Very Own Homemade Cleaner

Get rid of your commercially bought cleaner—which contains harsh chemicals—and create your own citrus-scented all-purpose cleaner. Here’s how:

  1. In a 1-quart measuring jar, mix a quart of leftover peels from citrus fruits. Rinds from lemons, oranges, grapefruit, or lime are perfect. Fill the jar with white vinegar.
  2. Close tightly and place in a sunny place. Leave the jar for around two weeks to complete the infusion process.
  3. Strain the liquid into a clean, sealed jar. Don’t throw the peels; you can use them as compost.
  4. To use, pour half a cup of this infused vinegar to a spray bottle. Add 2 cups of clean tepid water, 20 drops of lemon essential oil, and a generous squeeze of citrus fruit. Close and shake well.

Here’s another recipe in making an all-purpose homemade citric acid cleaner

  1. Combine vinegar, baking soda, and hot water in a bucket.
  2. Add the juice of half a lemon, orange, or any citrus fruit. You can also drip the rinds in.
  3. Stir well until everything is well mixed and the baking soda is dissolved. Allow to cool.
  4. Transfer your homemade cleaner to a spray bottle or squeeze bottle.

Use your effective, nice-smelling, eco-friendly cleaner the way you use your commercial cleaner. Spray onto the surface to be cleaned and wipe with a clean damp cloth. The citric acid eats away stubborn dirt and stains while leaving a citrusy scent.

Your homemade cleaner may also smell like vinegar, especially if the brand of vinegar you used is quite strong. Don’t worry though because the vinegar scent rapidly dissipates. What remains is a fresh citrus scent.

WARNING: avoid using this citric acid cleaner on tiles, countertops, and other surfaces made of natural stone. The citric acid can dissolve the calcium carbonate in the substrate. Frequently using this cleaner on natural stone surfaces may cause pitting and holes.

Other Home Uses of Natural Citric Acid

Your homemade citric acid all-purpose cleaner is just one of the hundreds of ways you can use citrus fruits for household purposes. Here are a few more ideas:

  • Cutting boards are havens for parasites found in meat, fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuff. Fortunately, you can easily sanitize and deodorize smelly cutting boards the eco-friendly way. Cut a lemon in half and rub it all over the cutting board, squeezing as you go. The juice cleans and disinfects the board naturally, and you don’t have to worry about dangerous chemicals contaminating your board.
  • Cutting boards are havens for parasites found in meat, fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuff. Fortunately, you can easily sanitize and deodorize smelly cutting boards the eco-friendly way. Cut a lemon in half and rub it all over the cutting board, squeezing as you go. The juice cleans and disinfects the board naturally, and you don’t have to worry about dangerous chemicals contaminating your board.
  • Cutting boards are havens for parasites found in meat, fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuff. Fortunately, you can easily sanitize and deodorize smelly cutting boards the eco-friendly way. Cut a lemon in half and rub it all over the cutting board, squeezing as you go. The juice cleans and disinfects the board naturally, and you don’t have to worry about dangerous chemicals contaminating your board.
  • Cutting boards are havens for parasites found in meat, fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuff. Fortunately, you can easily sanitize and deodorize smelly cutting boards the eco-friendly way. Cut a lemon in half and rub it all over the cutting board, squeezing as you go. The juice cleans and disinfects the board naturally, and you don’t have to worry about dangerous chemicals contaminating your board.
  • Slice a couple of lemons, limes, and oranges. Put them in a small bowl filled with water. Add in a teaspoon or two of white vinegar. Put the bowl in your microwave and cook for five minutes. Open the microwave, let it sit for a minute, and wipe any spills. Now your microwave smells fresh and clean!
  • Removing stains and soap scum from your bathroom is easy. Simply sprinkle some salt on the area. Rub the salt using half a lemon, squeezing as you scrub the salt. For tougher stains, use a bathroom scrub after squeezing lemon juice on the stain. Let dry and wash away with plain water.
  • The tarnish from your heirloom copper pots, cups, and ornaments can easily be removed. Squeeze the juice of a single lemon into a bowl. Add a teaspoon of lemon and stir until the salt is dissolved. Dip a piece of cloth and rub the tarnish off the copper. Use gentle pressure to avoid scratching the copper.

Conclusion

Using natural citric acid is an awesome way to recycle or repurpose your extra citrus fruits. They are all-natural and biodegradable. Clean, sanitize, disinfect, and freshen up your home the safe and eco-friendly way.


Faerie’s Dance published this article with assistance from Lillian Connors, Senior Content Developer at ACT-ENVIRO. Here’s a little about her.

Lillian Connors

Throughout Lillian’s career, she always looked for ways to contribute to the environment in recycling efforts, while providing valuable information with her written articles. She’s deeply into green practices, cherishing the notion that sustainability not only makes us far less dependent on others regarding how we live and do business but also contributes to our planet being a better place to live on. When she is not trying to improve the things around her (and herself, for that matter), she likes to lose herself in a good book and sip on an occasional appletini.


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Wearing Organic Bras is Part of My Self-Care – A customer spotlight story

Organic Cotton Womens Moon Top
Kayla couldn’t resist the Moon Phases Ballet Top

After 8 years of university, Kayla finally completed her M.D. in family medicine and started working at a major hospital in 2012.  She was excited to meet and help patients.  Unfortunately, the US health-care system is focused more on profit than on care, and within a few years, Kayla was burnt out and discouraged.  Often with just 15 minutes scheduled per patient, she was not making the deep connections and serving the community in the way she had hoped to.  She finally realized that to provide the type of care she wanted to give, she would need to start her own non-profit clinic.  She spent another 2 years getting formally trained in Ayurvedic medicine.  Armed with both science-based and holistic health training, she manifested Moon Cycle Medicine, Inc. from a dream into reality in 2017.

A fun selfie sporting the English Bay Polo

Kayla and I met through a women’s networking group, Women Entrepreneurs of Portland (WE PDX) that I cofounded with a realtor friend. She was so excited to find a reliable source for organic cotton intimates!  She and her mom have become regular customers, and I have joined the board of her non-profit.  Unlike Ann from our last customer spotlight story, Kayla has no known allergies or skin rashes.  This led me to ask her at a meeting recently why she wore organic cotton intimates.  She responded, “Wearing organic cotton bras and panties is part of my self-care.  I get peace of mind knowing there are no chemicals on my intimate areas.”

She also told me she occasionally prescribes organic intimates to her patients. “I had a patient who had a severe rash in her private area.  I prescribed her organic cotton underwear along with more conventional creams and antibiotics.  When she came back for her follow-up, she had gotten all the conventional items, but still hadn’t purchased the underwear.  I had to explain, that the organic underwear was the most important prescription I’d given her and sent her off to go find some.”

Kayla’s secret? She’s rocking the Alba Padded Underwire Bra beneath those eco-fashion tops.

Kayla appreciates that FaeriesDance.com gives her a specific place to recommend patients to.  “It’s easier for my patients to follow my guidance if I know where to refer them.”

With so much synergy between our respective businesses, Kayla and I will be working on a few joint projects over the spring and summer.  She’s going to be offering a free workshop on breast cancer awareness at our warehouse and we’re also collaborating on a series of bra videos that have been on my to do list for several years.

As I mentioned in my last customer spotlight, my personal motivation for starting Faerie’s Dance was wholly environmental.  Twelve years into the business, I have to agree with Kayla that wearing organic clothing, and intimates in particular, is part of my self-care.  I just hadn’t thought of it in those terms.  Wearing lacy soy panties, or a sensuous pine-tree bra feels luxurious to me.  It’s become part of my everyday armor.

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9 Creative Green Gift Wrapping Ideas

Yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard of wrapping your gifts with newspaper.  But who wants all that ink on your fingers while you unwrap, and really, who still gets newspapers anyway?  Save the newspapers to make paper bows.  Eco-gift wrapping can be much more fun and creative than that.

  1. Have some old road maps in the car?  Use those to wrap gifts for the traveler in the family.
  2. Wrap smaller gifts with magazine pages.  They’re glossy, full-color and you can be creative about what images you show.
  3. Is your fridge overrun with toddler art? Wrap grandparents gifts in art projects from the kid’s school. The wrapping itself will give them a little extra joy.
  4. Wrap gifts with gifts.  Are you giving someone tea towels or pillow cases? Use towels to wrap up other gifts, so both the wrapping and the wrapped item are gifts to themselves.
  5. Giving someone a t-shirt with a print?  Wrap another gift with the t-shirt print showing outward.  Again, you’ve got a double-gift.
  6. Buying online a lot this season?  Take the paper filler from online purchases and use rolling stamps or large background stamps to make your own festive wrapping paper.
  7. Instead of buying gift bags, pick up festive reusable shopping bags at the grocery or department store. Most stores have bright colored ones, and they can be used year-round saving plastic bags every time your recipient goes shopping.
  8. Make your own gift basket by cutting up old magazines or even the colorful grocery fliers that come in the mail and using them as liner in the bottom of a basket, watering can, flower pot or large coffee mug.  Put your gifts on top and add a festive bow. Just remember to skip the cellophane.
  9. If all else fails, buy recycled and recyclable wrapping paper.

With just a little creativity the holidays can be beautifully wrapped up without all the paper waste.

 

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