DIY Organic Lemon Peel All-Purpose Cleaning Spray

I’m loving our new DIY series. The more organic all natural lifestyle products I create, the better I feel about my health and the earth. Let’s be honest. All the sprays, chemicals, and treatments we use every single day end up in our rivers, lakes, streams, and ultimately our food supply. Learning how to make even just a few homemade products may not save the earth immediately but it is a step in the right direction. The more I make, the more I can share with you. The more I share, the more you share. You see where this is going?

If we all share, that’s one more person that has the awareness and the power to empower others to make a difference. No matter how big or small; each one of our good deeds collectively make a difference.

Each one of our good deeds collectively makes a difference

With that PSA out of the way, it’s time for me to share this easy does it DIY Lemon Peel All-Purpose Cleaning Spray. Part of my mission to be completely natural by the end of twenty-sixteen is to compost and/or reuse all the veggie scraps that I might normally throw away. Biodegradable matter does no good wrapped in a plastic bag (more on that later). One way to do this with lemons (or any citrus fruit) is to steep the peels in vinegar to make a cleaner. Vinegar is a natural astringent and the combination of the orange oil makes for a totally toxic-fume free cleaner. The lemon also gives it a nice fresh touch and masks the vinegar smell (somewhat). This cleaner can also be made with lemon essential oil but I’ll save that for another post.

DIY Lemon Peel All-Purpose Cleaning Spray

Ingredients
Lemon peel, chopped from 6 lemons (I made a big batch of lemonade)
White vinegar (enough to just cover the lemon peels)

1 large half gallon jar
Distilled Water, 12 ounces
Large bowl
Spray bottle, make sure it’s clean or new

What You Need
1 large gallon jar or pitcher that has a lid
Plastic wrap
Fine mesh sieve
Large bowl
Spray bottle, make sure it’s clean or new

Preparation

1. Add lemon peels to a large mason jar.
2. Once the jar has enough peels, pour enough vinegar to just cover the peels.
3. Cover your jar with a lid, and allow it to sit in a dark place for no more than 2 weeks.
4. Strain your citrus cleaner using a fine mesh sieve placed over a large bowl.
5. Add water and discard the peels.
6. Pour lemon peel citrus cleaner to a spray bottle and use it as you would any other all purpose cleaner.
7. Optional: At step five add one teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon organic dish soap.