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DIY ECO-FRIENDLY SURFACE CLEANER (a green way to clean)

Friends! Firstly, I must apologise for being MIA during August. I blame the unusually fine Swedish summer weather this year, lovely weekend trips out of town and not-so-lovely technical issues with my computer. I plan to make amends and be around here a little more from mid-September onwards (when we return from vacation). In the meantime, I am thrilled to share with you one of my BIG discoveries this summer…
Many moons ago (well, last year), I started to see images of DIY cleaning products popping up all over Pinterest. Making my own eco-friendly surface cleaner was one of the very first things on my to-do list when I began this blog and I am happy to report that I finally got around to it this summer! All the juicing I have been doing (and all the zests, peels, etc. I have been composting as a result) prompted me to attempt to make a citrus-based cleaner.
MissMarzipan_DIY_cleaner
The zests of 4 grapefruits and 5 lemons, some white distilled vinegar and water were all I used. I filled a jam jar (Korken, from IKEA) with the zests, poured over the vinegar I had left (around 200ml) and topped up the rest of the jar with water, before sealing the jar and leaving for a week. Using a sieve, I strained the liquid and poured it into a spray bottle which I now keep in the fridge and pull out when there’s cleaning to be done (I am not certain that fridge storage is necessary, but I figured it couldn’t hurt).
MissMarzipan_DIY_cleaner_what_you_need
The big question: Does it work?
The answer: Yes, indeed it does!
I was a little worried that it would smell too vinegary, however the citrus oil balances the scent, and when the surface has dried completely, any lingering vinegar dissipates completely (leaving only the vaguest hint of citrus remaining).
I am thrilled to have a cleaning product on hand that cuts through grease and eliminates nasties, is environmentally-friendly, chemical-free AND extremely cheap and easy to make. I particularly love using it on kitchen surfaces… and on my toddler’s high chair (that’s a true revelation!). I don’t know why it took me so long to do this!
Hope you’ve all had a lovely summer/winter and that the coming season is just as good 🙂
Miss M xx

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Hi! So sorry for the tardy response! I kept the jar cool and inside for a day or two before placing in the fridge. I wasn’t sure if it was necessary, but as I used more water than distilled vinegar and the zests were left in the jar for those days, I thought it couldn’t hurt. I truly hope your winter was fabulous! Hope you’ll have a beautiful summer too 🙂 x

    • Hi Shae! Once the vinegar smell has gone, there is a subtle citrusy scent remaining. I am sure that with a higher concentration of citrus oil, the effect would be greater 🙂

    • Thank you! x
      Yes, that’s what I was doing too! Occasionally I would need some zest for baking, but more often than not it ended up in the compost. This is a great way to use extra zests 🙂

  8. – Great to have you back, Miss Marzipan! You must have had a great summer with your new Baby.
    – Oil from citrus peel/zest is a good cleaner, but I do know they melt plastic. Therefore, I am not sure if you could use it for plastic products. Have you tried it?

    • Hi Fae! Thank you! Baby Cupcake, my little toddler and I have had a great summer… lots of family adventures 🙂 I did miss you all here on WP! Hope life’s be great for you x
      Re: your question, I have been using it on the tray table of my toddler’s high chair (which, as you can imagine, gets very sticky!) and what I always do is use a little of this homemade cleaner (just a tiny bit really) and then with a clean cloth, I wipe over the surface again using a little plain water. I cannot say what the concentration of the citrus oil in this cleaner is, but I would guess it’s not that high. I suppose in the small amounts I am using it (and given the fact that I wipe down with a damp cloth with water after) I have not noticed any effect on a plastic surface other than the fact that it is no longer greasy and sticky from toddler meal times 🙂
      Thanks for a great point and question! x

  9. Missed you! 🙂 Though I am sure you have been having such a wonderful time!
    This cleaner sounds WONDERFUL!!! I am pinning to make hopefully soon! (As I look around and see what kind of citrus I have on hand to peel!)
    Kenley

    • Hi Kenley! I have missed you too! I thought I’d be back sooner…
      I really hope you’ll find this works well for you too! I have seen other versions of a similar cleaner that offer more specific measurements of things (and seem to include more vinegar than the one I made), but I have been happy with this 🙂
      Hope life’s wonderful for you x

  14. I am glad that I am not the only person that neglected blogging over the summer. Glad to hear you had a good one! And this cleaning product – what a fabulous idea!

    • Thank you! 🙂 Oh my gosh! I feel rather rubbish about being absent for so long… but it has been a wonderful summer and I am glad I took time out to enjoy every moment I could with my family. Hope your summer was fab! 🙂