When starting to swap all your conventional products that are super specialized for different places in your household, different problems and even surfaces, it might seem a bit strange that a simple ingredient such as citric acid or vinegar can be used instead in the majority of the cases. They are very affordable, versatile and natural.
Citric acid and vinegar are very universal, multi-purpose natural acids that dissolve alkalis, break up grease, dirt, and grime without damaging surfaces (just be careful with grouts or stone and work carefully with acid or vinegar there). It is also a natural fabric softener and descaler. You can use these for multiple different places in your household and they solve many household problems, as you can see.
In this blog post we would like to share with you a few tips where you can use them. When writing about citric acid, we always recommend using Citros, for perfect results and it is also a food quality!
1. Limescale remover
Use for: coffee makers, kettles, dishes, washing machines, bathrooms (glass, faucets), toilets (seat)Instructions: either pour or spray concentrated vinegar or 10-15% solution of citric acid, let it act, brush and wipe with water.
Tip: When used on tiles, do not leave too long because of the grouts.
Extra: For limescale inside of the toilet: dissolve 1 Tbsp (15g) of citric acid in 85g of soft or distilled water, pour on the walls, leave to act (even overnight), brush.
2. Mirrors polishing
Use for: Washing and polishingInstructions: Use concentrated vinegar or a mix of vinegar + alcohol + distilled water.
Use for: Limescale on mirrors
Instructions: Use 10-30% solution of citric acid (choose the concentration according to the level of clogging). Spray the solution on the mirror and let it act. Then wipe with the clean wipe.
Tip: Use a few drops of essential oil as a natural fragrance.
3. Floors
Use for: Cleaning the floorsInstructions: Add concentrated vinegar to the hot water (around 100ml of white vinegar for 900 ml of water)
Tip: Use a few drops of essential oil as natural fragrance (be careful when using essential oils in households with cats or dogs, some types of oils are irritating to them and even life threatening in bigger concentrations, e.g. lavender!)
4. Dust cleaning
Use for: Cleaning the dustInstructions: Make a solution of water and vinegar (around 100ml of white vinegar for 900 ml of water)
Tip: Use a few drops of essential oil as natural fragrance (be careful when using essential oils in households with cats or dogs, some types of oils are irritating to them and even life threatening in bigger concentrations, e.g. lavender!)
5. Washing machines
Use for: Fabric softenerInstructions: Dissolve 1 tablespoon (5g) of citric acid in 95g of soft or distilled water and pour into the fabric softener compartment. In our household, we do not use a solution, just pour 1 tablespoon of Citros directly into the fabric softener compartment.
Tip: Use a few drops of essential oil as a natural fragrance.
Use for: Washing machine cleaning
Instructions: Use a solution of citric acid to clean drum and rubbers with wipe, pour 1 tablespoon of citric acid to the fabric softener compartment and start a program (I use for cotton) at 90°C.
Tip: We recommend cleaning your washing machine regularly, once per month.
6. Dishwashers
Use for: Natural polisherInstructions: dissolve 1 tsp (5g) of citric acid or concentrated vinegar in 95g of soft or distilled water and pour into the polisher compartment.
7. Washing of fruits and vegetables
You might hear it for the first time now, but a citric acid solution has been proven to remove more pesticides and bacteria than soaking fruit in water alone.
Use for: Bath for washing fruits and vegetablesInstructions: Add approx. 2 liters of water and a teaspoon of citric acid of food quality to the bowl. Allow the acid to dissolve in the water and then add the fruit and vegetables. Leave the fruits to rest in the bath for 10-15 minutes while you can clean them with a brush. After that time, rinse them properly with clean water.
Extra tip: create your own fragranced vinegar
You need just 3 things for that: peels from biological citrus fruit, white vinegar and a glass jar.
Instructions: Collect the peels from the citrus fruits and put them to the jar, pour over with the white vinegar until covered. Keep adding the peels and vinegar until the jar is full. After two weeks the solution is ready.
It might take you a while to get used to a new way of cleaning with different cleaning agents, but it does not mean it would be less effective or more complex. We admit it may take a while to test and find your functional and effective combinations and practices. Benefit would be that you will need a minimum of products/ ingredients and when combined with the natural laundry washing, you will develop a healthier non-toxic household that is also ecological.
Are you also interested in other non-toxic topics? You might like:
Sources:
Walter J. Krol, Department of Analytical Chemistry, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station: Removal of Trace Pesticide Residues from Produce
Burak Polat, Turkish Journal of Entomology, 2021: Reduction of some insecticide residues from grapes with washing treatments
