Looking to avoid harsh chemicals? Not only is this DIY cleaner non-toxic, it’s a great way to use those extra citrus peels! My favorite is lime, but any combination of lemon, orange, and even grapefruit will work.
DIY Citrus Cleaner
Andrea Fabry
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DIY Citrus Cleaner
This chemical-free cleaner offers a fresh citrus scent and cuts through grease and grime. I often combine with white vinegar to add a nice scent to the vinegar.
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Ingredients
- 2-3 cups citrus peel
- 4-5 cups water
- 1/2 cup refined or unrefined sugar
- 1 packet yeast
- 8 cup mason jar, Fido jar, or fermentation jar with airlock
- *optional 1/4 cup from your last batch to speed up fermentation process
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in jar.
- Stir.
- Cover jar tightly or use your airlock.(If using a mason jar be sure to burp the jar periodically to avoid possible explosion.)
- Leave at room temperature for 2 weeks.
- Strain and pour into spray bottles.
Not only is this a great way to use your citrus peels, it offers a nice probiotic punch to your cleaning. See why this is a health benefit in the post 4 Ways to Protect Your Skin Microbiome.
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Andrea, can you use dried citrus peels? I have quite a few dried orange peels on hand. Will they work, or do the peels need to be “fresh”? Thanks for all that you share with us who are on the road to living more naturally/less toxically! 🙂
Hi Debby,
I don’t see why you can’t try using them. They should expand and emit some of their beneficial properties. If you try let me know, Debby. I would love to hear.
Hey Andrea!
Did you use just the peel or is it whatever is left after you juice them?
I have been throwing them in a jar to try this and just keeping the jar in the fridge until ready. Does that sound ok too?
Thanks,
Ruth
Ruth,
I use the peels. Keeping in the fridge should work just fine till you’re ready to ferment.!
So do you need to get rid of all the “insides” or can some of that pith remain?
Pith is absolutely fine! You’ll strain everything when it’s done anyway.
Gotcha! Thanks. I was just having a brain blip. I couldn’t figure out how to get just the peels – until I peeled an orange this weekend. Duh! :O)
Hah, brain blips allowed. 🙂
Hi Andrea, I’m very curious about the origin and the science behind your recipe. I’ve experimented with many natural ingredients to formulate my own safe, non-toxic cleaners, personal care products, etc. over the years, but have never encountered a recipe which advocates fermenting or the use of yeast. Could you please advise where you encountered the recipe and any other background information you have which would help me understand the rationale here. I find it intriguing and am ready to give it a try but my logical brain is first screaming for an answer. Thanks for any help you may be able to provide.
Tina,
Enzymes are formed that are effective cleaners from what I understand. These are “good” microbes that offer excellent antimicrobial properties. You can always just allow the sugar and the lemons to work together without the yeast. Apple cider vinegar is a good example of this. The sugar in the apples ferments over time producing these good microbes that work well for cleaning both our bodies and our environment. Lemons don’t have sugar which makes it necessary to add some. I hope this helps.
My 8 cup mason jar recently broke. Would 2 quart jars work? And how, when using regular Mason jars, do you ensure them not exploding? How do you know how often to burp them? Don’t want to waste this batch of peels we have, but feeling nervous about using the jars.
I have successfully burped them once a day, Ruth. Quart jars should work fine – you just need to leave a bit of headroom. With something like this you can always loosen the jar lid a bit and it should still ferment.