Hi friends!
This is a project I've been working on for a couple of months now- I wanted to try making my own cleaning products! I thought it was wise to start with something simple, so I made an all-purpose cleaner. I've documented my experience to share with you.
Considering the current state of the world right now (CO-VID19), I want to disclaim that vinegar is an effective cleaner- but according to experts, it is not as effective as commercial disinfectants at killing viruses and bacteria. So, this "all-purpose" cleaner may not actually be appropriate for all purposes. However, this is a nice alternative to store-bought cleaners as many stores are out of them right now.
I did a bit of research on how to make my own all-purpose cleaner, and it turned out I already had everything I needed in my home. I learned that a mixture of vinegar and water is an easy and effective cleaning solution. Many people add something extra to improve the smell, as vinegar is not a very pleasant scent.
I asked my boyfriend to do me a favour and save all his orange peels for me in a bag in the freezer (I'm not a huge fan of the texture of navel oranges so I usually don't eat them). He was very diligent and did as I asked. The orange peels will leave the vinegar with a pleasant orange scent. What I love so much about this is that I found a way to repurpose the orange peels. You could do this with so many things. Fresh lavender, lemon peels... however, oranges are my absolutely favorite scent.
I washed and chopped the orange peels, and loosely filled one of the mason jars with them. Once it was full, I poured the vinegar over the orange peels until the jar was full, closed the jar and... that's it! I just had a wait a week or so. I placed the jar into my cupboard, as it is recommended to keep it in a dark, cool place.
After a week, the vinegar was heavily scented, coloured orange, and appeared more viscous. The next step was to strain the mixture and transfer the vinegar into a spray bottle. I wanted the mixture to be 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water, and the amount I made was perfect to fill half of the bottle. Last-minute, I decided to add some lemon essential oil. I shook it all up and it was done! So simple.
It was time to put my DIY cleaner to the test. My oven top was in need of cleaning. Here is the before and after.
I was quite impressed with the results. It cleaned up the oil splatters and smudges just as easily as a store-bought cleaner.
Growing up, my mom always used vinegar combined with water when dusting. I decided I would try my DIY cleaner for this purpose too. Here is the before and after:
(Bonus points if you can spot my dog AND my cat in those photos!)
My overall impression is that I really liked using this cleaner. It got the job done for what I tested it for. Of course, I will continue to test it for different uses. I hear that I can use it to clean my yoga mat which will be really useful! My boyfriend commented that the cleaner smelled very strong. It was a good smell of course... in the same way that a commercial disinfected would also smell strong. From my first impression, I would make it again. It was inexpensive, low waste, and effective.
Thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun doing this DIY. Have a great weekend!
-Skylar
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