DIY ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER

It’s no secret that household cleaners are full of harmful chemicals - carcinogens, asthma instigators and poisons to name a few.  So why do we keep using them?  

For many of us, it boils down to convenience and the preconceived notion that alternatives are expensive, and some can be. But the less-expensive, homemade ones are all over social media lately and maybe it’s time we all gave them a try. 

So, the past few months I’ve been saving lemon and orange scraps to see if it’s worth all the hype. Of course, I planned to share my experience with you too. I am happy to report that not only are lemon and orange scraps affordable, combined with vinegar they make a great cleaner and are much healthier for you and your home. Bonus, using them gives scraps a second life.

How do you turn lemon and oranges into cleaning agents? First, you will need a large mason jar to infuse in, some kind of spray bottle (I’m using an old kombucha bottle and a spray top from a discarded chemical cleaner), a bit of water, about 4 cups of citrus scraps (peels, juiced lemon remains, etc) and enough white vinegar to cover them. 

The best way to store food scraps without attracting mold and bugs is to put in the freezer in a sealed container like a reused Ziploc bag or mason jar. If saving scraps doesn’t sound like something you want to do, feel free to use essential oils instead.

Start by putting all the scraps into the large mason jar and totally covering it in the white vinegar. Then set aside to infuse for a few weeks. I’ve heard that the longer it sits the stronger and more heavily scented it gets.

When a few weeks have gone by, strain the vinegar into a spray bottle. Then, because it is very potent, dilute with equal parts of water. One cup of the new vinegar means adding one cup of water.

That’s it! It’s time to test out our new household cleaner. If you try this out yourself please send a photo my way.

Stay tuned for my next post!

-Isabel Illig

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