How to Make Homemade Citrus Vinegar Cleaner
We’ve all heard that vinegar makes a great home cleaner. It works wonders on counters, bathroom surfaces, walls, windows and mirrors. But golly gee, it’s stinky!
If you’re not using vinegar as a cleaner because it smells like – um well, vinegar, try this. Make your own citrus vinegar cleaner.
All you need to do is take a bunch of lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, pomelo or whatever other citrus peels you might have on hand and stick them in a jar with vinegar for a couple of weeks. The result? An eco-friendly, low cost, powerful, homemade super cleaner that smells like sunshine! Okay, there’s still a hint of vinegar, but the citrus smell is pretty awesome. It may just be the thing that has me saying goodbye to Windex forever.
Check out my new and exciting You Tube channel for a demonstration and other cool citrus videos. And while you’re there, please hit the Like button (thumbs UP) to show me a little love. Riveting television – I know!
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Homemade Citrus Vinegar Cleaner
Ingredients
- 2 cups Peel of Orange Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit or Pomelo (more or less)
- 2 cups Plain White Vinegar
Instructions
- Fill a mason jar with the peels. Your jar should be at least half full.
- Add vinegar to cover the peels.
- Seal tightly with a non-metal lid (the vinegar will corrode the metal).
- Allow to infuse for 2 to 3 weeks.
- Strain contents through a fine mesh sieve or a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter if there is too much pulp in your mix.
- Use as an all-purpose cleaner.
Notes
A Few More Tips
- The essential oils and acids in the peel of citrus don’t just smell good – they’re also natural cleaners with antiseptic and antibacterial properties.
- Yes, there will still be a bit of vinegar smell, but after the cleaner dries on your newly cleaned surface – the citrus scent will linger while the vinegar scent will disappear.
- If you eat one orange at a time, you can save your peels in the freezer or start a vinegar jar on the counter and keep adding the peel of one orange at a time. Once the jar is full, let it steep for another week or so.
- If you want to stretch out your homemade citrus vinegar cleaner, you add 50% water before you pour it into the spritzer bottle.
- Avoid using metal lids if you can. If you don’t have plastic lids, recycle a commercial pickle jar.
- Get really crazy and add a few herbs to your infusion – citrus and rosemary. Come on, how great would that smell! I’m definitely trying that for my next batch!
This is such a helpful post! I love the idea of using citrus scraps instead of throwing them away. Can’t wait to try making my own citrus vinegar cleaner. Thanks for the clear instructions!
I just tried making the citrus vinegar cleaner using your recipe and it turned out fantastic! The fresh scent is a game changer compared to store-bought cleaners. Thanks for sharing such an easy and eco-friendly DIY solution! Can’t wait to try it on my windows next!
This is such a helpful guide! I’ve always wanted to try making my own cleaners, and I love the idea of using citrus scents. Can’t wait to give this a try and ditch the store-bought stuff! Thanks for sharing!
This is such a fantastic idea! I love how you combined citrus with vinegar for a natural cleaner. I can’t wait to try this out and make my kitchen smell fresh. Thanks for the detailed instructions and tips!
It’s a great combo, although you’ll still get a vinegar smell – but it does go away fairly quickly.
How long can you store this and it what type of container (plastic, glass etc)? THANK YOU
It is best if you use it within 6-12 months but it is safe for longer. Ideally store in glass, but plastic will work too.