Lemon Vinegar Kitchen Cleaner
I’ve been trying to cut chemicals from my home. If you know me then you know that I have an obsessively clean an organized house at all times. One morning as I was spraying my entire bathroom in Windex and hacking up my lungs it dawned on me that I was exposing myself and my family to harsh and unhealthy chemicals on a daily basis. So I began a journey to reduce the chemicals I use to keep my house clean (and disinfected of course)! I’ve come up with some really great cleaners that are both natural and cheap (bonus!) for every room in my house! I promise to share them all with you, but, for now….
Here’s how to make my favorite kitchen cleaner!
What You Need:
Lemon or Orange Peels;
Heinz cleaning vinegar;
Large jar with lid;
Reusable spray bottle;
Water.
Directions:
1. Add vinegar to your jar. The amount depends on how much cleaner you intend to make. I have a 32 oz bottle and I want it filled to the brim so I put about 18 oz of vinegar in the jar (which should give me about 16 oz of lemon infused vinegar and leave me with a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water).
2. Add the lemon peels to the jar. I like to use as many as I can fit but it’s really up to you! Place the lid on the jar and let them soak for about a week (2 if you’re using orange peels).
3. Strain the vinegar to remove any pulp. I use a coffee filter and elastic atop a jar to strain mine.
4. Add vinegar to your spray bottle.
5. Add an equal,or slightly lesser, amount of water to your spray bottle and mix well.
And there you have it!
Vinegar is a great disinfectant and lemon is an awesome degreasing agent. I use it on my counters, sink, stove, and table daily. Having said that, I dont trust it to disinfect well enough when it comes to eggs and meats on the counter so I still bleach those areas after cooking. There’s a lot of research describing what vinegar does and doesn’t kill so Id recommend a google search if you’re curious!
Also, I’ve been asked so many times- “Does your house smell like vinegar though?”. The answer is no it doesn’t! The lemon really masks the vinegar smell very well and as soon as it dries you don’t smell it at all. Even I was hesitant at first for that very reason, but I would never go back to store bought cleaners after making my own!
Happy Cleaning!
P.S. Toss those vinegar lemon peels in your garbage disposal to clean it and give it a fresh lemon smell!