Make Your Own Seasonal Citrus Cleaning Products ~ Citrus Series

“Creativity is taking a simple thing and bringing it to life.” 

~ Emilie Barnes

Seasonal celebrations of ordinary items used to be standard thinking many years ago. An orange was once delightful and exciting when it finally ripened on the trees! Each month gifted the homemaker with special harvests only available for short periods of time. She would embrace God's bounty and use it to bless those in her household in creative ways. And we can still do this today!

For instance, in the spring and summer, it is profitable and enjoyable to make lavender infused cleaning products while the stems are bursting with purple hues.  And in the autumn and winter, it is prudent and pleasant to prepare citrus based cleaning products while these fruits are bursting on the branches. Though it may seem luxurious, it is actually very frugal to scent your home with the seasons. Not only is it a natural way to keep house, but very economical when these items are in abundance and most likely free.

{Homemaking Hint: Both lavender and citrus peel contain d-limonene which is a natural degreaser and excellent cleaning solvent. Both are also delightfully aromatic and all these products can be made for less than $2!}

I like to prepare bulk batches of seasonal cleaning products to make our provisions last for several months and store the excess in recycled jars in our storeroom pantry. It is fun to line them up and showcase them on a shelf like you would your homemade preserves. With these simple supplies, you can make a lovely all-purpose cleaner, scouring scrub, carpet deodorizer, glass cleaner and scented room spray (recipes and printable labels shared below).

Supply List:

• recycled jars/containers/spray bottles
• fresh and dried citrus peel (orange, lemon, tangerine or grapefruit)
• plain white vinegar
• baking soda
• optional: citrus essential oils such as orange, grapefruit, lemon or citrus bliss

Before we begin, some of our recipes call for dried citrus peel (I did not use the dehydrated slices that are shown in these pictures, I thought they were a pretty prop is all). You will find our tutorial on how to dry citrus peel here along with some other make-it-yourself "peel" projects.

All-Purpose Citrus Cleaner Recipe {Basic Cleaning Solution}

Place fresh citrus peels into a clean jar. Cover peels with white household vinegar (make sure they are submerged under the vinegar so that they do not mold). Cap your blend with a plastic lid and let it infuse in a sunny spot for 3 - 4 weeks. Once the time is up, strain the vinegar and discard the peels. Pour through a fine sieve to remove any excess solids. You now have an effective and aromatic cleaning solution.

How to Use:

• Use a 50/50 mixture of citrus infused vinegar (aka cleaning solution) and water for an all purpose cleaner.

• Add a cup of this solution to a bucket of hot water to clean your floors.

• For tough cleaning, use pure without diluting.

Note: If you have granite countertops, I would advise against using vinegar based cleaning products  on them as it can do something called "etching" (which can leave white marks on your counters).

Citrus Peel Scouring Scrub Recipe {Household Cleaning Cleanser}

Grind up approx. 2 - 4 tablespoons of dried citrus peel until powdery (I used a coffee grinder) and add approx. 1 - 2 cups of baking soda (this is flexible). Blend mixture together and pour into your cleanser jar or empty spice shaker (tutorial to make your own cleanser jar is shared here).

Optional: Stir in a few drops of citrus essential oil.

Use like you would any cleaning cleanser.

Citrus Carpet Deodorizer Recipe

Add 15 drops of citrus essential oil (orange, lemon, grapefruit or citrus bliss) to 1 - 2 cups of baking soda and stir until combined. Orange essential oil is a nice choice for those of you who have indoor pets for its ability to kill fleas. My personal favorite scent is the citrus bliss blend. Let mixture sit for 24 hours before using.  I find that an old spice shaker is a convenient way to store this deodorizer.

For best results, leave the deodorizer on carpet for a few hours (or overnight) before vacuuming up.

An alternative idea for those not wishing to use essential oils is to "put lemon peel and baking soda in your vacuum cleaner bag to deodorize it." ~ Excerpt from Donna Smallin, Cleaning Plain & Simple

Citrus Room Spray {Two Options}

Recipe #1 (Most frugal) ~ Mix together 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of your citrus infused vinegar (recipe shared above).

Recipe #2 ~ Mix together 1 cup of water, 10 drops of either orange essential oil, lemon essential oil, a blend of both or citrus bliss essential oil and place in spray bottle (I also like to include 1 drop of lavender essential oil to this). To preserve the solution better, add 1 tsp. of vodka. Let mixture sit for 24 hours before using.

Citrus Window/Glass Cleaner

Pour into a spray bottle, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of vinegar and a few drops of a citrus essential oil. Wipe surfaces clean with newspaper or a microfiber cloth for best results.

As you need to prepare dinner every night, it pays to make it tasty. In the same way, housecleaning is necessary for the homemaker, we might as well make it lovely! And, with the addition of our labels (free printable HERE), you have yourself a nice, affordable and practical gift option also! 

If you enjoyed this project, we share 100+ more ideas on how to use up fruit scraps in our Ebook here! Happy kitchen-crafting, ladies!

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