"There were times, indeed, when the vigor she put into her work was more of a relief to her feelings than it was an ardor to efface dirt... "
~Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna (1912)
I hadn't posted on our Citrus Series this winter and since I have one more week before the technical expiration date, I wanted to share something that will tie both winter and spring together. And so today (in honor of the 2017 spring cleaning schedule), we gladly share a citrus recipe excerpt from our Ebook 100+ DIY Projects to Make with Fruit Scraps. I hope you enjoy this simple and "all natural" tutorial to make your own citrus dusting spray!
Ingredients:
- 1⁄4 c. lemon infused vinegar * (see instructions and/or variations below)
- 1⁄4 c. olive oil
Suggested Use: Shake well before each use. Apply spray to dusting cloth (such as a flannel or microfiber cloth) and wipe wood surfaces clean. Our un-papers towels work great for dusting too!
To make the lemon infused vinegar:
Place fresh citrus peels (of at least 1 lemon) 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. Your lemon infused vinegar is now ready to use!
Variations:
Place fresh citrus peels (of at least 1 lemon) 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. Your lemon infused vinegar is now ready to use!
Variations:
This is such an easy alternative to the fake-perfumed dusting sprays sold in the market. Make a “pledge” to keep your home more chemical–free by starting here!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you will find many others for your spring cleaning endeavors in our Ebook (all the recipes include printable labels too!). The chapter titled "Cleaning Closet" includes how to frugally (without essential oils) make your own:
- Citrus Air Freshener
- Citrus All-Purpose Cleaner
- Citrus Cleaning Cleanser
- Citrus Carpet Deodorizer
- Citrus Cleaning Solution
- Citrus Disinfectant Spray
- Citrus Dryer Sachets
- Citrus Dusting Cloths
- Citrus Dusting Spray
- Citrus Fabric Softener
- Citrus Furniture Polish
- Citrus Glass Cleaner
- Citrus Produce Wash
- Citrus Rinse Aid and Degreaser
- Citrus Scouring Cleanser
- Citrus Stainless Steel Cleaner
We share 100+ more ideas on how to use up fruit scraps in our Ebook here! As a "Spring Cleaning" $pecial, we are offering the PDF FILE at a 40% discount for this week only (you do not need a special device to download our ebook, it can be saved straight onto your computer). Simply type in this coupon code at check-out: 2017springsale
All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays, The Scoop, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop, Wow Us Wednesdays, Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up and Create, Bake, Grow & Gather. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).
Happy housecleaning, ladies!
Hello JES,
ReplyDeleteI just love the quote above you used from Pollyanna. Cleaning does feel satisfying and relieving when it does get done. I'm sorry to say I'm behind in my housecleaning - I really need to establish a routine. I hope to use your E-book to make some cleaning products to use. Thank you for your special offer for your book, which I just purchased. :-)
Have a lovely day ~ Lynne
I hope you have fun making up the products! I find it the first satisfying step to a clean house! Thank you very much for your purchase! :) Have a lovely week!
DeleteHello Jes. I loved Pollyanna too. And Katy of What Katy Did. So much wisdom in disguise. This sounds perfect to me. I love citrus and I can almost smell how it will scent my house now, and I haven't even started! Mimi xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks Mimi! It is nice hearing from you! While I haven't yet read What Katy Did (I will have to add that to my list!!!), I can vouch for Pollyanna! I love the little gems in these books! Have a wonderful week :)
DeleteHello JES- I already have your book and its lovely! Such good and creative ideas for practically free! The photos are exceptionally beautiful too. The furniture spray recipe sounds wonderful. I must try it.
ReplyDeleteHave a great rest of the week 🌸 T.
Thank you for all the encouragement! It is much appreciated :) This furniture spray is so easy to put together and non-toxic which is a beautiful bonus! Happy spring-cleaning! :)
DeleteJES I made and used this dusting polish today. The results are just lovely. I need to revisit your book and make sure I am getting as much out of it as I can.
ReplyDeleteDear Jane, thank you SO much for the kind feedback! It is much appreciated! I hope you are able to find many more projects to bless your household! :)
DeleteI'm curious, is this an alternative to Pledge or Endust? We have terrible dust due to pets. I use Endust a lot but I'd love to use this instead if it works.
ReplyDeleteHi there, I have never used Endust but I think this would work for either. I did look it up and the first ingredient is water and the second is oil. The oil is what I assume picks up the dust while it polishes at the same time. They use mineral oil. This recipe uses olive oil so I think this would work similarly. Hope this helps! :)
DeleteHi JES,
ReplyDeleteIs there any reason you couldn't infuse vinegar with both lemon and orange? As in, is it okay to place the peels of both in the jar with vinegar?
That is absolutely fine Shannon and a wonderful idea :)
DeleteI'm going to make the lemon-infused vinegar this week so I can try the dusting spray in a month. Sounds like it is an effective and great-smelling cleaner!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy making it and using it! :)
DeleteJes, I have made and used a similar item and it worked great... I also dislike any of the artificial sprays... that contribute to "indoor air pollution"! I sure enjoy your posts... thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your sweet visit Joy! :)
DeleteThis is a fabulous idea! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
ReplyDeleteI love this! I found you on the Homestead Hop and your posts would be great on The Homesteader Blog Hop! http://www.achickandhergarden.com/homesteader-hop-46/
ReplyDeleteHi Jes,
ReplyDeleteI use a lot DIY citrus vinegar for a lot different cleaning jobs, but had not used it for dusting. I was mostly using just plain olive oil but this is a great idea for that lemon smell. Sharing on Pinterest & Twitter.
Something I will be trying...thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteI have tangerine and orange peels soaking in vinegar and counting the days. I sneak a whiff every now and again and giggle with glee at the brilliance of your ideas and blog. Such a blessing in my life. THANK YOU!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHello! And thank you for sharing this, and for the ministry that is "Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth." You are a blessing and encouragement to me as a young wife and homemaker, as I seek to glorify God in all things.
ReplyDeleteI finally made this recipe however it clogged my spray bottle. Could you recommend a spray bottle that works well with this and similar recipes? Thank you and God bless!!
Hi there! Thanks for the kind words it’s nice to meet you!
Delete! I’m so sorry that happened to you! Here is the link to the bottles I use :
https://amzn.to/32W00bu
Also here is a recipe which uses less oil which may be the problem...
1 c. Water
1/4 c. Lemon infused vinegar
2 tsp. Olive oil
Optional 10 drops of a citrus essential oil
The water will make it more looser in the bottle... my recipe is more richer in oil..