How To Make Citrus Infused Vinegar All-Natural Cleaner
If you’re wanting to replace your chemical based household cleaners, this citrus infused vinegar recipe is for you! Citrus infused vinegar is a powerhouse all-natural cleaner. Vinegar has been used for many years for a multitude of cleaning purposes. Citrus infused vinegar, is just as effective, and smells amazing too!
More and more people are becoming aware of how chemical filled conventional cleaning products are. In the process of ditching the bad ingredients, problem that arises, is finding an alternative that is cost effective, smells good, and actually works. Citrus infused vinegar checks all those boxes, and more! It is the one cleaning product that can be used in every single room of the house. Is safe for pets and kids, and yes it actually works!
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Why You’ll Love Citrus Infused Vinegar
Honestly, I’m a very practical homemaker. I want the natural alternative recipe I make to be worth my time and effort to make them. (and they better work!) In my pursuit of reducing harsh chemicals in the home, and making room in my budget, I naturally turned to making my own homemade cleaners because they’re just so cheap and effective! Here I’m going to talk about why you should try doing this yourself (and why you’ll love it!).
- Effectiveness – I’m going to say this again, this DIY cleaner actually works! If you want the most shiny windows – vinegar. Annoying sticky residue need to go? – vinegar, trying to break down tough grease? – vinegar!
- Budget Friendly – using kitchen scraps and plain white vinegar? it doesn’t get more cost effective than this.
- Versatile – as mentioned before, vinegar can be used in every room of the house. At the bottom of the post I share 21 ways to use citrus-infused vinegar cleaner in your home.
- Customizable – You can make this recipe totally your own! Any citrus fruit will do. Got extra mint or rosemary in your garden? Add that too! Rosemary + Orange sounds amazing!
- Easy – This recipe takes less than 5 minutes to put together and NO extra dishes
- Safe – I love having the assurance that something I use on my home surfaces is safe for my kids to be inhaling, touching, and even licking (2 year old mom life)
Why Vinegar is Such an Effective Cleaner:
- Vinegar is such a cleaning powerhouse because of its acidity. White vinegar contains between 5–20% acetic acid. Distilled white vinegar is weaker, containing 5-8% acetic acid. ( Note: I’ve seen bottles labeled under 5% now, so be sure to get minimum 5% when you buy it!)
- The acid in vinegar make it can excellent choice to physically removing dirt, debris, and some germs from home surfaces.
- The high acidity can kill bacteria and viruses including Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.
- The acetic acid in vinegar helps to break down grease molecules. (Yes it can actually break down tough grease!)
- That acidity helps dissolve mineral deposits from glass, coffee makers and stainless steel.
- Vinegar can even strip excess laundry detergent and hard water minerals from clothes making it a great fabric softener.
Is Cleaning Vinegar Safe to Use around Young Children and PEts
Generally yes, cleaning vinegar is considered non-toxic and safe to use on everyday household surfaces around babies and pets. Although the acidity of straight vinegar can irritate the sensitive stomach lining, so if there is danger of them ingesting very much, it is safest to dilute using a 1:1 ratio. When specifically cleaning baby supplies like their highchair you may want to use a 1:3 or 1:5 dilution ratio 1 – part vinegar / 3-parts water etc.
Infused Cleaning Vinegar Variations
You can make this recipe totally your own by using whatever citrus you would like ( or whichever leftover citrus peels you have on hand). Orange peels, lime peels , mandarin peels, lemon peels, and grapefruit peels all smell amazing!
One note is that you may want to use organic fruit peels for your vinegar solution to avoid unnecessary pesticide exposure. You can also add fresh herbs to your infusion like rosemary, lavender, sage, eucalyptus, or mint!
Examples: Lime peels & Mint, Orange peels and eucalyptus, Lemon peels, grapefruit peels and rosemary. There are so many options!
What You’ll need To Make Citrus Infused Vinegar
Tools:
cloth
Ingredients:
White Vinegar
Citrus Peels (Leftover citrus peels work!)
How to Make Infused Cleaning Vinegar:
This recipe uses a ratio of filling the jar 2/3 full with citrus peels/herbs (if desired) then topped off with vinegar to the top of the jar. So it can easily be adjusted to any container size you desire.
Peel the desired citrus fruit ( or use whatever leftover peel you have)
Place citrus rinds into jar
Top off jar with enough vinegar until the jar is almost full
Leave in a dark place at room temperature for one week shaking one daily. I keep mine on my counter top in a shaded area so I can see it and remember to shake it. (For an even more potent solution, leave in infusing for a couple of weeks)
After one week, prepare desired container or spray bottle using a funnel, with strainer inserted into it, then cheesecloth or towel inserted into strainer
Strain vinegar into desired container or spray bottle. A glass bottle is preferred, although plastic spray bottles also work.
Use right away!
How long will infused vinegar last?
If should stay good as long as regular white vinegar. If you ever do happen to notice a rancid smell, it would be best to discard and make a new batch.
21 Household Uses For Homemade Citrus Vinegar Cleaner:
- Making windows shine: In the United Kingdom, it has been a common practice for many years to clean windows or mirrors using white vinegar sprayed onto a piece of newspaper. I prefer using it in addition to my Norwex window cleaning cloth, but newspaper or a regular rag is fine. This homemade citrus cleaner works great for glass doors as well!
2. Cutting through grease: The acetic acid in vinegar helps to break down grease molecules. (Yes it can actually break down tough grease!). Vinegar is an excellent cleaner for greasy kitchen surfaces like the microwave and stovetop. Note: It not recommended to use vinegar frequently on wood floors or natural surfaces like granite, marble, or stone countertops.
3. Bacteria and Viruses: The high acidity can kill bacteria and viruses including Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. Making vinegar a great multi-purpose cleaner for household surfaces. When used with hydrogen peroxide, it’s more effective, and less toxic, than bleach. . Note: It not recommended to use vinegar frequently on wood floors or natural surfaces like granite, marble, or stone countertops.
4. Clean your coffee pot or tea kettle: Vinegar is excellent at demineralizing hard water buildup making it the perfect choice for cleaning your coffee pot or tea kettle
5. Laundry Softener: I have stopped using typical laundry softener since learning it actually just coats your clothing with a layer of chemicals to make it feel softer. I now use vinegar instead to strip my laundry of detergent buildup and hard water – making my laundry softer. I especially love this use for our bathroom and kitchen towels. Note: Vinegar may be able to break down rubber over time, so using in your washing machine often is not advised. Check with your warranty as using white vinegar may cancel your warranty.
6. Demineralizing your shower head: If you do not have a filter for your shower head, odds are you have hard water clogging up your shower head nozzle. Vinegar poured into a baggie, fitted to your shower nozzle with a rubber band, and let sit for awhile works as a great way to remove those miner deposits from your shower head.
7. Deep cleaning your dishwasher: The dishwasher is one of those appliances in my house that is most effected by hard water. Every so often I run a cleaning cycle with 1 cup of white vinegar on the top rack which works really well to remove any buildup inside my dishwasher. Note: Vinegar may be able to break down rubber over time, so using in appliances often is not advised. Check with your warranty as using white vinegar may void your warranty.
8. Mop Floors: Since vinegar kills some bacteria, viruses, and germs and is also non-toxic it is a great choice to mop your tile and linoleum floors ( it is not advised that you clean real wood floors with it). A good dilution ratio for cleaning floors is equal parts water and vinegar.
9. Neutralizing Odors: Vinegar sprayed on carpets or pet bedding is a good way to neutralize pet smell. Test on a small part of the surface before spraying the whole area.
10. Kitchen Towel Stripper: My kitchen and cleaning towels are both used for the messiest jobs. Since vinegar cuts grease, strips hard water and excess detergent, and neutralizes odors it is an amazing choice for cleaning and softening kitchen and cleaning towels. Note: Vinegar may be able to break down rubber over time, so using in appliances often is not advised. Check with your warranty as using white vinegar may void your warranty.
11. Cleaning pet messes. When mixed with baking soda, vinegar is an effective cleaner for pet messes on the carpet. Vinegar mixed 1:1 with water is sprayed on the effected area and then sprinkled with baking soda. Let that sit on the surface awhile before vacuuming up the baking powder. Note: It not recommended to use vinegar frequently on wood floors or natural surfaces like granite, marble, or natural stone countertops.
12. Clean your produce: Soaking produce in a solution of water + 1tbsp vinegar is a great way to clean your produce.
13. Cleaning tubs and shower doors: Vinegar is great for cleaning tubs and shower doors, making them shine!
14. Mold and Mildew be gone!: Vinegar is a great non-toxic way to get rid of mold and mildew.
15: Refrigerator: Deep clean and deodorize your refrigerator using a mix of dish soap and white vinegar.
16. Removing sticky residue: Have you ever gotten an amazing pair of shoes from the thrift store and then discovered an annoying sticky label on the tread? As an avid thrifter, this has happened to me dozens of times. Vinegar makes short work of any annoying sticky residue!
17. Natural Weed Killer: Vinegar is a great natural weed killer. Just put in a spray bottle and spray directly on weeds in your yard.
18. Dish Washing Aid: Natural dish soap sometimes needs assistance when it comes to a very greasy dish. A spray of vinegar will help break down that grease in no time!
19. Microwave/oven cleaner: We have went over the benefits of breaking down grease, well if you add some baking soda or salt for a little abrasive action, and you’ll have a sparkling appliance in no time!
20. Toilet Cleaner: Use vinegar in and around your toilet as a great deodorizer. If you add a squirt of castile soap, 1/2 cup of baking soda, and 1/2 cup of vinegar you’ll have an amazingly clean toilet!
21. Remove smells from Jars: I’m an avid jar re-user. The only problem is, some jars (like pickle jars) hold smells forever! Dilute a mixture of water and vinegar directly into the jar and secure lid. Let soak for a few hours. At some point, flip the jar so that the lid can be deodorized as well.
Citrus Infused Vinegar For Cleaning
If you're wanting to replace your chemical based household cleaners, this citrus infused vinegar recipe is for you! Citrus infused vinegar is a powerhouse all-natural cleaner. Vinegar has been used for many years for a multitude of cleaning purposes. Citrus infused vinegar, is just as effective, and smells amazing too!
Ingredients
- TOOLS:
- Pint mason glass jar with lid
- strainer
- cloth
- funnel
- INGREDIENTS:
- 8oz. White Vinegar
- Citrus Peels (Enough to fill jar 2/3 full leftover citrus peels work!)
Instructions
- Peel the desired citrus fruit ( or use whatever leftover peel you have)
- Place citrus rinds into jar until 3/4 full
- Top off jar with enough vinegar until the jar is almost full
- Leave in a dark place at room temperature for one week shaking one daily. I keep mine on my counter top in a shaded area so I can see it and remember to shake it.
- After one week, prepare desired container or spray bottle using a funnel, with strainer inserted into it, then cheesecloth or towel inserted into strainer
- Strain vinegar into desired container or spray bottle.
- Use right away!
Notes
For an even more potent solution, leave in infusing for a couple of weeks
A glass bottle is preferred, although plastic spray bottles also work.
This recipe uses a ratio of filling the jar 2/3 full with citrus peels/herbs (if desired) then topped off with vinegar to the top of the jar. So it can easily be adjusted to any container size you desire.
How long will infused vinegar last?
If should stay good as long as regular white vinegar. If you ever do happen to notice a rancid smell, it would be best to discard and make a new batch.
Visit donveyfarms.com for
21 Household Uses For Homemade Citrus Vinegar Cleaner
References:
Can You Use Vinegar as a Disinfectant?
Vinegar to Remove Hard Water Stains [and More!]
Vinegar to Remove Hard Water Stains from Fabrics
Is Vinegar Safe for Dogs When Used for Cleaning? Vet-Verified Facts & Benefits
Is It Safe to Clean with Vinegar Around a Baby?
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This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure policy here.
White vinegar sprayed onto a piece of newspaper.