Would you like a cleaning product that is natural, safe and non-toxic? If so, these instructions are for you. Discover how to make a cleaning product with effective antimicrobial activity, meaning the mixture will destroy most germs and bacteria, and sparkle power. These easy instructions for lemon and vinegar cleaning spray will help you avoid the \’toxic load\’ of synthetic chemicals typically found inside potentially toxic cleaning products.
Making your own cleaning product is more eco-friendly as it will also avoid masses of single-use plastic packaging. A switch to low-cost natural ingredients will also save you money. Plus it\’s a fantastic way to repurpose waste lemon peel. The infusion of white vinegar with lemon creates a lovely zingy, fresh citrusy scent.
Ingredients
- 250 millilitres of white distilled vinegar
- At least 2 used lemons, peel only or any other citrus scraps, such as limes or grapefruit
- 1 cut of hot water
- 1 teaspoon of liquid castile soap (or washing up liquid)
- Optional: essential oils and fresh lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage, or mint
Equipment
- Funnel
- An old jar
- Old spray bottle
- A fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- Vegetable peeler and knife
Step 1: Prepare the lemon peel
- Use a peeler to peel the lemons. You want to focus on getting the coloured skin and avoid the white pith. Place the lemon peel into the empty glass jar. You can use as many lemons as you like. If you\’re ever making a dish with lots of lemons as part of the recipe, it\’s a fantastic way to make something useful out of the discarded peel.
Step 2: Soak and wait
- Fill the jar of lemon peel up with 250 ml of white vinegar. Place the lid back on the jar and give it a firm shake. Let the vinegar infuse for about 10 to 14 days. Note the creation or opening date to remind you when it will be ready.
Step 3: Strain the lemon and vinegar
- After the infusion period is over, strain out the solids from the vinegar and put them in your compost bin.
- Pour 1/2 cup of the lemony vinegar into a spray bottle.
- Dilute your vinegar by adding 1 cup of warm water
- Another option is to add a 1 teaspoon of washing-up liquid and any other essential oils.
- Swirl the ingredients together.
Step 4: Clean! The lemon and vinegar cleaning spray is ready
- To use, spray on the countertops, tiles, on stainless steel, inside the fridge, bathtub, sinks and toilets and wipe with a damp cloth. Check out my tips on how to make reusable cleaning cloths here.
- It is not advisable to use this product on wooden floors, metals or marble and any other sensitive stone surfaces.
Good luck with making your multipurpose lemon and vinegar cleaning spray. The great thing about this recipe is you can infuse it with anything to knock the edge off the scent of the vinegar. Say goodbye to complicated chemicals and be happy that you will know exactly what you\’re spraying on all the surfaces around your home.
I hope you found this DIY outline useful and easy to follow. If so, please let me know by commenting on how you get on below or by sharing this post. Thanks for your support!
Feeling inspired? Plastic Free Hackney has lots of cool DIY recipes on their site.
