Homemade Citrus Enzyme Cleaner

I am loving this getting back to basics lifestyle! I made homemade laundry soap and love it! Now I have found a recipe for a homemade citrus cleaner. I am posting it below, and will let you know after I make it and use it how it works. From the reports I have received it is really good.


Some wonderful uses recommended for this non-toxic, environmental friendly enzyme (dilute enzyme with some water, use more if you prefer a stronger concentration) -

1)  do dishes and laundry (use 1/4 cup of enzyme)

2) for washing bathrooms and toilets. grime comes off easily (1 part enzyme to 10 parts water) 

3) for removing stubborn stains and odours (coloured fabrics and floors) (use undiluted)

4) to clean vegetables and fruits (1 part enzyme to 10 parts water)

5) clear blockages in kitchen sinks and drains (use concentrated or blended pulp/sludge of enzyme)

6) as a natural insect repellent (use undiluted) for ants, cockroaches.. (pouring some enzyme into sink/bath/shower stall drainage holes will deter cockroaches). My home is now cockroach and ant free! 

7) as a floorwash to mop floors shiny clean (1 part enzyme to 20 parts water)

8 ) as fertiliser for vegetables, flowering and non-flowering plants (use 1 part enzyme to 20 parts water, or use the leftover mop water)

9) as a skincare product, e.g. facial cleanser or toner (1 part enzyme to 2 parts water)

10) wash cars – cars will look as if they have just been polished! (1 part enzyme to 20 parts water)

 Happyhomemaker88′s Enzyme Cleaner Recipe (be sure to read all the way through her recipe – she made some adjustments, based on the experience of others). It only requires 3 ingredients: orange peels, brown sugar, and water… oh, and THREE MONTHS! Apparently I am also getting a lesson in patience ;0}

Citrus Enzyme Based Multipurpose Cleaner

To begin, you need a plastic container with an airtight cover. Here, I have used an old 2-litre fruit juice bottle. The enzyme takes 3 months to “ferment” and be ready for use.

Ingredients :

100 gms of brown sugar

300 gms of lemon and orange scraps (these were leftover after I had juiced them)

1 litre tap water

Use a funnel to pour sugar into the bottle. Drop in the fruit slices. Pour in the water.

Cover the bottle and date it, so that you will know when the enzyme is ready to use , i.e. 3  months later on

*

Give the ingredients in the bottle a good shake to mix them thoroughly.Everyday, for the first month, open the cover to let out the oxygen build-up from the fermentation process. On some days, you will see the bottle swelling up in size.

Added on 27 August, 2010

Since I last posted this, I had modified the method of avoiding (based on comments by visitors here)  extreme gas build-ups leading to explosions by leaving the bottle cap loosely fastened (about halfway tightened ? ) – this will allow some gas to come out at all times and there won’t be any buildup of gas

Added on 27 August, 2010 -

If you see any whitish stuff growing on top of the liquid, just tighten the bottle cover, and give the contents a good, gentle shake and the whitish stuff will be mixed into the liquid. Then loosen the bottle cap again to allow gas to escape.