DIY Enzyme Cleaner From Kitchen Scraps

During my years as a mom I’ve tried to be more natural in the products I use to clean my home. And while there are tons of green companies out there they still all have one thing in common… plastic containers. Which I also try to reduce our carbon foot print so so that just didn’t work for me. So over the years I’ve learned different ways to create my own cleaners. One of the best cleaners up can create is a citrus enzyme. It has so many uses and cleans really well. The only downside is that it takes 3 months to make. Yes you read that right 3 months! That’s how long it takes the yeast to feed off the sugar until it’s dissolved. And you want the sugar to be completely gone otherwise you will be spraying a sticky mixture all over your home and attracting ants and bugs.

So it’s best to keep a rolling supply of it being made. One of the best perks is it’s all made from kitchen items and scraps. It also helps reduce waste which is a big plus in my home.

So if your ready to get making your own enzyme cleaner let’s get into the recipe. Make sure to check out my below the recipe to avoid any mistakes and ruining your batch.

Ingredients

10 parts water (slightly warmer than Luke warm)
3 parts citrus peels (any work I’ve listed the most popular ones below in the tips section)
1 part sugar (white or brown)
1 tsp active yeast
Containers (I like to do 2 at time so one can ferment longer)

Directions

Put everything in a container and tighten the lid. Shake it up to combine everything. DO NOT USE GLASS!
Date it and store in a warm place.
Unscrew the lid to let out gases, don’t open it fully. 1st Week 3 times a day; 2 – 6 Weeks every other day; 7 – 12 Weeks once a week. (If you don’t do this then your container will most likely explode from the build up of gases)
Shake occasionally to help mix up.
After 3 months strain it and store in an air tight container.

Tips:

Residue:

After you have strained your citrus enzyme you can reuse the residue. A couple of ideas are…

A fertilizer to mix with your soil.
To jumps start your next enzyme batch.
Add to your compost.

Container:

Soda bottles work the best since they are designed to hold up gases. You don’t want oxygen getting in. This can cause more of a vinegar or vomit smell (use essential oils to cover mask this). It can also cause a white mold (add more sugar to help stop this). DO NOT USE GLASS!

Lid:

You’ll want to make sure your kid can create an air tight hold. You don’t want any oxygen getting into and disrupting your mixture. Yeast and sugar create a CO2 gas so you need to “burp” your container often to avoid it exploding from the build up.

Temperature:

The yeast needs warmth to do its thing so you need to store it in a warm place. I live in the Midwest so I try to make mine during the summer when there aren’t drafts in my home. So I’ll make extra to last through winter.

Peels:

You can use any citrus peel you have and you can also mix them. Make sure they are washed, you don’t want dirt or grime getting into your mixture. You also want to use fresh peels. If you choose to freeze them (to build up enough to use) then make sure you bring them to room temperature naturally (aka don’t warm them to do this)

Here’s a list Incase your stumped and don’t buy citrus on a regular basis.

Orange
Lemon
Lime
Grapefruit
Pineapple

I hope this was able to help you create your own citrus enzyme and realize how easy it really is. And gave up something to do with your citrus scraps by putting them to a good use.

Until next time, Live a life you love!

Xo Jessica!

DIY Enzyme Cleaner From Kitchen Scraps

Ingredients

Directions

Tips:

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