Homemade all purpose Citrus Cleaner (Vegan)
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Want to make an easy all purpose homemade cleaner using ingredients which are mostly in your kitchen cabinet? Well you can make it with soapnuts, citrus fruits, salt and vinegar only.
Are you looking for ways to reduce toxic cleaning products in your home, so why not make your own cleaning stuff. You can’t get more natural than with this easy all purpose cleaner. All the ingredients are natural and what more 3 of them are from your kitchen pantry. I have been wanting to post this homemade all purpose citrus cleaner recipe since more than a year. Finally, got the time to write the post.
My grandparents and particularly one of my aunts introduced me to non-toxic homemade cleaning products. My grandparents grew up during a time where they viewed commercially produced stuff with suspicion. Therefore, I have learnt to do a lot of things from scratch and one of them is this homemade all purpose citrus soap for daily use. Lets jump into this easy homemade all purpose citrus soap recipe.
Table of Contents
What are Soapnuts?
Sapindus also known as Soapnut or Areetha
Soap nuts grows abundantly in India and is a common household cleaner. The fruits are used for cleaning hair, body and clothes. The nuts are 100% natural and contain no chemical additives, therefore the perfect choice for sensitive skin. Whole dried Areetha pods are organic & cruelty free that is used for making reetha powder, areetha oil & shampoo to promote hair growth.
Properties of Soapnuts
The fruits works like soap because the shells contain a substance called saponin. Saponin is released when it comes in contact with warm water. The inner seed is hard and black and contains no saponin.
Uses of Soapnuts
Since, its a natural herb it has medicinal properties. Reetha makes your hair stronger, healthier & shinier with each use. Other than using it to making hair oil, shampoo & conditioner, Reetha pods is also used as a laundry detergent. It is gentle on human hands & removes dirt from clothing effectively.
Tip: I usually use soap nuts for hand washing my silk saris which makes my saris shine without the need for any chemicals. Soapnuts preserve the colour and texture of silk leaving it soft. Silk is best dry cleaned, but sometimes, I prefer to handwash them.
One of my aunts made us her special shampoo powder using Reetha. For many years, I washed my hair exclusively with that until I switched to some organic liquid shampoos here. One of the reasons for the switch was due to the dryness in the air during the winter months and the powder shampoo was making my scalp very dry.
Vinegar
Vinegar is less toxic to the environment and less expensive than many commercial cleaning products. It is highly effective at removing odors and whitening whites in laundry, cutting through tough grime like soap scum, and unclogging sink drains.
You can make your own cleaning products by diluting it with water. Just to be on the safer side, I used Apple Cider Vinegar for this recipe.
Do not use Cleaning Vinegar on:
To clean marble, granite, limestone, or any natural stone counter top or floor. Also do not use it on knives, cast iron or such surfaces, it can pit the metal.
The distilled white vinegar you see in the condiment aisle contains around five percent acetic acid and 95 percent water. Cleaning vinegar contains around six percent acetic acid. That doesn’t sound like much of a difference, but cleaning vinegar is 20 percent stronger than white distilled vinegar for tackling cleaning chores.
Citrus Fruits and Peels
In addition to freshly cut citrus fruits, you can also use peels and dried peels. Citrus fruits cut through the grease and lemons are ideal for cleaning. I use cut lemons for cleaning shower glass, kitchen sink, oven and even polishing brass and copper. The acidity and the oils on the peel are gentle for cleaning, in addition to leaving a nice after smell.
Salt
Did you know, that Salt is also used for cleaning other than only for culinary purposes. For thousands of years, people have been cleaning with salt. It’s an inexpensive and effective way to clean grease, rust, grime, and stains.
How to make All -Purpose Citrus Cleaner?
Ingredients List
- Soapnuts
- Vinegar
- Himalayan Salt ( or any salt will work, I used Himalayan salt because that is what I had)
- 2 Cups of Citrus fruits cut into small pieces ( grapefruit, orange, lemon and even pineapple )
- If you have dried peels you can add them too.
Instructions
- Soak the soapnuts overnight in hotwater.
- Next day cook the citrus fruits, dried peels if you are using together with the soaked soapnut in water for about 1 hour minutes on medium heat. Cook till its really soft and soggy.
- Blend everything in a blender and filter using a fine sieve.
- Add 3 to 4 cups of water on the sieve with the paste till all the soapiness is out. If needed add more depending on the foam. Use your hands to squeeze out the soap.
- Add the salt and boil for 5 minutes.
- Finally mix in the vinegar and store in bottles. Use as needed.
Suggested Usage
You can use this cleaner for dishes, pots and pans. Do not use it on natural stone like marble or granite because of the vinegar in it.
I also use it for cleaning glass and oven. Other uses can be for ceramic sinks, stainless steel sinks and basins.
Tip: Use organic citrus fruits only, because it has no wax coating on the skin.
You can add a few drops of lemon essential oils for nice smell. If you are adding essential oils, store the cleaner in glass jars.
Recipe Card
Homemade All Purpose Citrus Cleaner
- Total Time: 13 hours
Description
Are you looking for ways to reduce toxic cleaning products in your home, so why not make your own cleaning stuff. You can’t get more natural than with this easy all purpose cleaner. All the ingredients are natural and what more 3 of them are from your kitchen pantry.
Ingredients
- Soapnuts
- Vinegar
- Himalayan Salt ( or any salt will work, I used Himalayan salt because that is what I had)
- 2 Cups of Citrus fruits cut into small pieces ( grapefruit, orange, lemon and even pineapple )
- If you have dried peels you can add them too.
Instructions
- Soak the soapnuts overnight in hot water.
- Next day cook the citrus fruits, dried peels if you are using together with the soaked soapnut in water for about 1 hour minutes on medium heat. Cook till its really soft and soggy.
- Blend everything in a blender and filter using a fine sieve.
- Add 3 to 4 cups of water on the sieve with the paste till all the soapiness is out. If needed add more depending on the foam. Use your hands to squeeze out the soap.
- Add the salt and boil for 5 minutes.
- Finally mix in the vinegar and store in bottles. Use as needed.
- You can add a few drops of lemon essential oil, its not necessary but optional.
Notes
What can you use this cleaner for?
You can use this cleaner for dishes, pots and pans. Do not use it on natural stone like marble or granite because of the vinegar in it.
I also use it for cleaning glass and oven. Other uses can be for ceramic sinks, stainless steel sinks and basins.
- Prep Time: 12 Hours
- Cook Time: 1 Hour
- Category: Sustainable Living
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