How To Make Citric Acid Cleaning Solution

Like natural cleaning but don't like the smell of vinegar? Worry not – allow me bear witness you how to make this plastic-free citric acrid cleaning spray.

I love a good plastic-gratuitous cleaning hack.  I make most of my ain homemade cleaning products, a lot of which are made without plastic.

And then there are the cleaning products that are made with vinegar.  Now, I love white vinegar and buy my vinegar in bulk, but of course, it comes in a 5-litre plastic carton.

I utilise white vinegar a lot in my cleaning and laundry.  So for me, it'southward a good ecology practice to purchase bulk white vinegar, rather than individual plastic bottles of chemically dubious store-bought cleaning products.

Yet, I have had people ask me if in that location is a plastic-free way to buy white vinegar in big volumes. The simple reply so far is there is no way to buy white vinegar in majority sizes in anything but plastic.  Vinegar corrodes metal.  And a five-litre glass bottle would exist difficult to send and prone to breakage.

Even if you buy vinegar from a packaging-complimentary shop, that vinegar probably arrived at the shop in a five-litre plastic carton because there's no other easy way to send 5 litres of vinegar in annihilation but plastic. Plastic it is, sadly.

However, I recently discovered a clever plastic-free cleaning hack from Dri-Pak that acts equally a brilliant white vinegar substitute.  Information technology likewise had the added benefit that information technology doesn't smell like vinegar if you or a family fellow member is a footling nose sensitive to white vinegar.

What is it?  A humble £2 paper-thin box of Citric Acid*.

With this little plastic-free box of wonder that is citric acrid, you can create vinegar-free cleaning sprays for your abode, or utilise it in place of vinegar in near natural cleaning recipes that phone call for vinegar. The merely place I wouldn't utilize citric acrid as a vinegar replacement is in your laundry – for example, in homemade fabric conditioner. This is because citric acid can accept a balmy bleaching effect on coloured clothing.

What is Citric Acid?

Citric acid is an acid compound found naturally in citrus fruits, particularly lemon and limes, but can also be formulated by fermenting sugars. Visually, information technology looks a lot like carbohydrate.

Its name sounds a little scary, merely it'due south actually a primal component in abode-brewing beer, and in bath bombs.  Because information technology's naturally plant in food; used in food and drink production; and also easily biodegrades, then it's 100% rubber to utilize effectually the home in green cleaning with a few caveats for rubber making and usage, of course (meet beneath).

You can notice out more than about citric acid in my full guide to citric acid for cleaning.

How to Make Citric Acid Cleaning Spray

Contains chapter links

Ingredients & Equipment Required

• 500 ml hot h2o (boil first, and then allow to cool for ten minutes)
• A measuring jug and spoon
• 2 tablespoons citric acid – I buy my boxes of Dri-Pak citric acid online from Big Green Grinning* – they conveniently arrive in plastic-complimentary packaging.  The citric acrid box is even wrapped in a compostable bag, in instance of spillage in transit, that I then use for kitchen scraps.  Alternatively, for a local supplier, try homebrew shops, Asian supermarkets, chemists, or hardware shops.
• 500 ml spray bottle – recycle an old glass or plastic bottle – glass vinegar bottles are platonic –  and spray nozzle, or you can purchase a glass spray bottle here*.
• Optional: a few drops of your favourite essential oil

Method

For this homemade citric acid cleaning spray, starting time by pouring the hot water into your measuring jug.

Stirring well, deliquesce the citric acid in the hot water.

Add xx drops of essential oil if required.  I went for 10 drops of lemon essential oil* and x drops of rosemary essential oil* for a Mediterranean scented cleaning spray but feel free to utilise what you have to manus.  Lavander essential oil and tea tree essential oil are both great anti-bacterial options, for case.

Decant the mixture into your spray bottle and off yous go!  How'due south that for a clever plastic-free cleaning hack?!

What Tin can Yous Clean With Citric Acid?

Citric acid is a great all-circular cleaner.  It kills bacteria, mould, and mildew, and is brilliant for full general disinfecting and cleaning.  Where it comes into its ain is that it's really effective at removing soap scum, hard water stains, calcium deposits, lime, and rust.

I cleaned my glass shower screen with the cleaning spray and a cloth and so you can see for yourself how effective this citric acid cleaning spray can be. I know I love a good before and after:

Left – shower screen before cleaning; right – shower screen later cleaning with citric acid spray.

You can clean all surfaces with citric acid with the exception of stone, marble, and granite.  You'll want to brand a stone-safe cleaning spray for this job, the recipe of which can be found on page 34 of Fresh Make clean Habitation.

Safety First When Using Citric Acrid for Cleaning

Whilst Citric Acid is a natural ingredient, information technology is yet a chemical.  Every bit such the powder can even so cause impairment and irritation if handled incorrectly.  I adopt to use information technology in a well-ventilated expanse.  Peculiarly as breathing in citric acid tin can cause respiratory symptoms, such as a cough, shortness of breath, and a sore throat.  Citric acid can besides irritate your skin and eyes, and so take care when handling the powder not to spill it or rub your eyes before washing your easily.

And, as with whatsoever cleaning product, bootleg or otherwise, always keep both the citric acrid, and whatsoever bootleg cleaning spray, away from curious pets and/or children.

If citric acid isn't for you, then practise attempt this easy homemade cleaning spray recipe.

Source: https://moralfibres.co.uk/citric-acid-cleaning-spray/

Posted by: harrwalwascalith.blogspot.com

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