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

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.

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

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