It is becoming increasingly important for homeowners to use clean ingredients around their home instead of generic cleaning products they used to pick up from the store. Making a homemade citrus cleaner from scratch is easier than going to the grocery store and trying to scope out a natural cleaner that isn’t overflowing full of chemicals.
Homemade cleaners are an excellent alternative because they have tons of cleaning power while giving off a pleasant citrusy scent. A natural citrus cleaner is made from a variety of simple ingredients.
Depending on your preference, you may use lemon peels, grapefruit peels, clementine or orange peels, and other citrus peels as the star of your homemade concoction.
If you’re ready to make a DIY citrus cleaner from products around your home, scroll through this list of homemade recipes and discover the different ways to utilize these powerful ingredients.
How Does a Natural Citrus Cleaner Work?
Green living is something that a lot of people strive for. They desire to use a household cleaner that gets the job done without putting their loved ones in harm’s way.
One of the best methods to achieve this is to make a DIY citrus cleaner yourself. Citrus fruit contains d-limonene, which shows promising results for reducing inflammation and having anti-cancer properties.
Citrus fruits also have high levels of acid. This acid is what makes them the perfect solution for a homemade cleaner recipe. Acids this strong are antibacterial and antiseptic.
Keep in mind that while citrus cleaning recipes are fantastic for homes, they are not for replacing a disinfectant like bleach. The wonderful thing about making a natural citrus cleaner is that there are options for what you personally like to use.
While some people prefer fresh lemons, others enjoy essential oils simply for the smell.
As natural cleaning solutions become increasingly popular, you’ll be happy that you came across this extensive list of cleaners, each with a tutorial on how to make them.
How to Make a Homemade Citrus Cleaner
Making a cleaning spray from scratch is one of the easiest things that you’ll ever do. These cleansers require a few ingredients and can be stored for a couple of weeks in a dark place.
If you’re ever unsure if you’re cleaner is still safe to use, it is usually best to make a fresh batch to receive the most benefits possible.
Citrus All Purpose Cleaner Recipe
Having an all-purpose cleaner in the home is necessary because it is something that we grab and use on any surface, whether it is kitchen countertops or hardwood floors.
To make an all-purpose cleaner, fill a glass container or Mason jar with clean chopped citrus peels. Pour some fresh white vinegar over the peels until they are entirely covered, and screw the lid onto the container.
Allow the glass jar to sit in a cabinet for four weeks, and pour it through a fine-mesh strainer and into a glass spray bottle. Use the infused vinegar cleanser on stovetops, appliances, glass, and countertops.
Powdered Citrus Exfoliator
One of our favorite DIY citrus cleaner recipes is powder. This powder works as an exfoliant to break down dried spills, grime, and scum.
Add the baking soda, Borax, cream of tartar, and citrus peels into a bowl and mix them well. Pour the fresh mixture into a glass jar and store it for up to a week.
When ready to use, sprinkle the dried mixture onto hardened spills or other tough grime and use a wet sponge or soft bristle brush to scrub the mixture into the mess and break it up. Wipe away with a clean, wet cloth and repeat as often as necessary.
This cleaning solution is perfect as the best degreaser for stove areas and the surrounding countertop.
DIY Citrus Cleaner for Carpet
One of the benefits of making a natural citrus cleaner is the pleasant smell of the fruits. Carpeting gets extremely dirty regardless of how often we vacuum.
To refresh your carpets and rugs, combine two cups of baking soda with one cup of Borax and three teaspoons of citrus zest. Let the mixture sit in a bowl until all of the moisture evaporates and the concoction is dry.
Sprinkle the carpet refresher over the dirty rugs and let it sit to absorb odors and loose dirt. Vacuum the remaining powder after five minutes and breathe in the fresh lemony scent of your home.
If this doesn’t give you the results you want, make your own carpet shampoo by combining these ingredients in a bucket with vinegar, dish soap, and water. Use a soft bristle brush to work the mixture into carpet fibers. Allow to air dry and vacuum.
Polishing Furniture with Citrus
You may be taken aback when you find out that making furniture polish at home is possible. Squeeze roughly one cup of lemon juice, two cups of olive oil, and half a cup of citrus peels into a jar.
Dip a rag into the cleaner and use it to wipe down wooden surfaces gently to use. When finished, put the lid on and store it in a cool, dry place to use again in the future.
You can also add the mixture to a sprayer bottle and use it as a natural dust repellent spray to keep wooden surfaces shiny.
Homemade Disposal Degreaser
Your garbage disposal is infested with bacteria, mold, and old food scraps. It makes sense to use citrus to clean your garbage disposal because the acid eats away at the grease while making it smell like it was never used.
For this natural garbage disposal cleaner, drop three or four ice cubes into the garbage disposal to start cooling the grease and solidifying it. Add a few citrus peels and turn the disposal on until the peels, cubes, and grease are gone.
DIY Microwave Cleaner
Microwaves are another place in our homes that a lot of us forget to clean regularly. Reheated food splatters all over the inside and hardens as it cooks. Using the power of lemon juice and vinegar is the perfect way to break down these hardened foods with ease.
Add the vinegar and lemon juice to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the liquid for three minutes so that it becomes hot and starts to steam the microwave walls.
Carefully remove the bowl from the inside and dip a clean rag into the citrus vinegar. Use the damp rag to scrub down the inside of the microwave until all of the food spots and nasty smells are gone.
Grease and Soap Scum Scrubber
Regardless of how hard we attempt to forget it, some places in our homes simply become messier than others. The kitchen counters and bathrooms are some of the dirtiest places in the house.
Soap scum, rust, and grease all harden and become increasingly difficult to remove. If you need to cut through caked-on grime, try cutting a lime or lemon and a half and dipping the cut end into coarse salt.
Use the lemon dipped in salt as a great DIY soap scum scrubber for areas with hard messes. Try using the other half of the fruit and squeezing the juice over the area first. Let the acid work its magic for five minutes before using the salted fruit as your rag.
Making a Citrus Enzyme Cleaner
Enzymatic cleaners use enzymes to help break down stains and other hardened messes. These types of cleaners are also easy to make at home and work wonders around the house.
Find a large spray bottle and pour the brown sugar into it. Cut up the orange scraps into small pieces and put them inside the bottle. Add the four cups of clean water and yeast.
Tightly screw on the lid and dissolve the sugar by shaking the bottle for about 20 seconds. Shake the bottle once per day for the next three weeks.
Strain the liquid into a separate bowl and discard what was left behind. Stir in the baking soda and carefully put it back into the spray bottle. Use the solution as a multipurpose natural enzyme cleaner, washing bathrooms, and even on dishes and laundry.
Citrus Metal Polish
Our houses are full of copper, brass, and chrome pipes and appliances. Instead of using harsh chemicals to clean these metals, use a little bit of elbow grease and some acid to clean them instead.
To make a homemade brass and metal polish, pour white vinegar into a washed spray bottle and spray it over the metal you want to clean. Cut a lemon or orange and a half and dip the cut end in salt.
After the vinegar sits for five to ten minutes, use the homemade lemon scrub to clean the metal and make it shine.
How to Clean Dishes with Only One Lemon
Believe it or not, there is a recipe that only uses lemons. Cut a lemon in half and put one of the halves in the dishwasher.
Wash your dishes on the regular cycle and once it’s dry, open the door to find fresh and clean smelling dishes that are free of food and watermarks.
We sometimes forget the power that natural ingredients hold. Who knew you could walk outside, pick a citrus fruit from the tree, and have one of the most potent homemade cleansers in your hand?
Not only is a DIY citrus cleaner better for you and your family, but it is better for the environment as well.
If these instructions on making a homemade citrus cleaner have made your home smell better than ever, share these natural citrus cleaner recipes on Facebook and Pinterest.