Make it Mondays - Citrus Vinegar

 We all know I'm all about DIY and sticking it to the man where I can by making my own stuff.  It's a heck of a lot cheaper, better for the environment, doesn't contain a bunch of harsh chemicals, and honestly works just as good if not better than most harsh, commercial cleaners.  

I saw a post last year sometime about Citrus Vinegar.  One of my favorite cleaners for wood is Orange Glow.  It's made with citrus oil and cleans and conditions wood beautifully and when I saw the info on citrus vinegar I knew I had to try it.  It works something awesome!  It's cheap and cheerful to make and I use it in several different applications around my home.  Here's the recipe for it and I'll include a bonus recipe for a general around the home cleaner using your new fabulous vinegar.  

Citrus Vinegar

This recipe uses something that would normally end up in the trash and you can either use all of one citrus fruit or mix and match.  For this batch I used orange peels and lemon peels.  And no I didn't sit down and peel all those oranges at one time.  I just had a gallon ziplock bag in the freezer and as I used a lemon or ate an orange I just added the peel to the bag until I had enough to make a batch.  This jar is probably about a gallon, but feel free to make this in any size jar from a pint to a quart to a gallon.  

Directions:

Reserve the rinds from your fruit of choice.  Place the rinds into a glass jar, filling completely, and cover with white vinegar.  Cover tightly and sit in a cool, dark, place for at least two weeks.  Shake the jar every so often.  At the end of the two weeks, strain the rinds from the vinegar, and store in a clean jar.  

Use:

Use diluted 1:1 with water in a spray bottle.  Use to clean hard surfaces in kitchen, bathrooms, floors, and more.  

Now that you have this wonderful citrus vinegar made, let's mix up some general purpose cleaner!  I use this to wipe down my counter tops and for general cleanup on my hardwood floors. 

All-purpose Cleaner

1 Cup Water

1 Cup Vinegar

1 Cup Alcohol

2-3 Drops Dishsoap

Pour into a spray bottle, shake well, and use on laminate flooring, tile, and general use.  

Happy Monday lovelies!  And thank goodness it's almost over!