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Life Currents
Home » Lemon-Vinegar Cleaner

Lemon Vinegar Cleaner

September 11, 2013 by Debi 14 Comments

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This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Lemon Vinegar Cleaner is an easy to make, nice smelling, economical, non-toxic, all-natural, environmentally friendly, way to clean the house! And, it uses something that grows freely around my house: LEMONS!

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • We appreciate your support
  • It all started with a lemon tree
    • Fresh smell
  • Notes on Vinegar
    • Don’t mix vinegar with bleach or hydrogen peroxide
    • Notes on Lemon Peels
  • How to use
    • my favorite laundry hack
    • gel
    • hard water deposits
    • coffee maker descaling
    • remove grease
    • Drain Cleaner Trick
    • Baking sheets
    • microwave
  • Bonus Tea Tree Oil tips
  • Let’s keep in touch
  • Lemon Vinegar Cleaner Recipe
  • Lemon Vinegar
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions

a spray bottle with lemon vinegar cleaner in it with two lemons next to the bottle on a white tile counter.

We appreciate your support

It all started with a lemon tree

One of my neighbors has a lemon tree. So, occasionally I’ll come home and find a bag of the tart little yellow orbs of goodness on my doorstep. It made me think that I really wanted to try something new with all those lemons.

I decided to challenge my friend Cheryl at Cheryl’s Delights with the task of telling me one of her lemon recipes so that I could make it. Kind of an active Pay it Forward idea. If you haven’t checked her blog, she rocks! She does all kinds of cool preserving, fermenting, natural, yummy, and just plain good stuff!

Well, she offered up her great Lemon Vinegar.

Fresh smell

I love using vinegar around the house for cleaning. The only problem is that my husband is not terribly fond of the smell. In fact, it cracks me up sometimes because I’ll pour some out, he’ll smell it, and he thinks that something has gone bad and he must find the horrible thing that is obviously past its expiration date.

Well, my friends, this is the answer to that “horrible” smell! Add in some lemons, wait a couple of weeks, and no complaints from the husband! Ha!

Notes on Vinegar

Vinegar is economical, non-toxic, all-natural, environmentally friendly, and kills most mold, bacteria, and germs! Can it get any better!

Don’t mix vinegar with bleach or hydrogen peroxide

Combining vinegar with chlorine bleach or hydrogen peroxide can produce toxic fumes. So, don’t mix them together and don’t use them alternatively on surfaces.

Lemon Peels after being soaked in vinegar
I like to use the lemon peels after you’ve drained out the lemon vinegar. Use them to help clean the microwave and the sink.

Notes on Lemon Peels

I also like to use the lemon peels after you’ve drained out the lemon vinegar. Making this even more economical. Use the peels to help clean the microwave by placing the peels and 1/2 cup water in a microwave safe bowl. Heat to a rolling boil inside the microwave. The steam will loosen baked-on food and odors will disappear. Wipe the inside of the microwave clean with a towel or sponge.

You can also use the lemon peels to scrub directly too. I’ll do this in the sink or on any hard water deposits. And, when you’re done with the peels, send them down the garbage disposal to help freshen it and eliminate odors.

vinegar and baking soda
vinegar and baking soda will help clear drains and will help clean mildew from towels

How to use

my favorite laundry hack

Do your towels smell a little, er, funky? Vinegar can help that too! Wash your towels in hot water with a cup of vinegar or lemon vinegar, then run the towels in a load again in hot water with a half-cup of baking soda. Doing this will strip that residue & mildew smell out of the towels, and will leave them feeling fluffy & smelling fresh. This really works! I love it & do it all the time!

vinegar and cornstarch
Loosen hard water (lime) deposits by making a vinegar “gel”. Thicken the lemon vinegar with some cornstarch until you get a paste. The vinegar will cling to what ever you spray or wipe it on giving you more time to work.

gel

Loosen hard water (lime) deposits by making a vinegar “gel”. Thicken the lemon vinegar with some cornstarch until you get a paste. The thickened vinegar will cling to what ever you wipe it on, giving you more time to work.

vinegar, salt, and lemon cleaner
Remove hard water deposits: make a paste of 1 teaspoon lemon vinegar and 2 tablespoons salt. Apply to sink fixtures and rub with a cloth.

hard water deposits

And, the alternative version for removing hard water deposits: make a paste of 1 teaspoon lemon vinegar and 2 tablespoons salt. Apply to sink fixtures and rub with a cloth. Yes, I have hard water deposits. Lots of them! And, yes, this totally works! Now, I’m not saying there isn’t still a little elbow grease needed, but I’d totally rather have my elbows in lemon vinegar than in LimeAway!

coffee maker descaling

Give your coffee maker and even a tea kettle some love. Heating water in these appliances will leave calcium and hard water deposits.

Pour equal parts vinegar and water into the machine and run the regular cycle. Afterward, run two or three cycles of plain water through the machine to rinse it out before brewing your next cup of coffee.

I like to put a clean paper filter in the machine to catch any larger chunks that come out.

And once the hot vinegar and water is in the coffee pot, use that to help scrub the glass pot itself as well.

vinegar, Dawn, and cornstarch
Add a little Dawn to cut grease; this one’s perfect for the stove top.

remove grease

Add a little Dawn to cut grease; this one’s perfect for the stove top. Heat 1 cup of vinegar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in the microwave for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons Dawn and put it in a spay bottle. Spray. Wait an hour. Wipe. Rinse. This also works wonders in the shower to get soap scum and lime deposits off the shower walls.

Drain Cleaner Trick

I love this little drain cleaner trick. It leaves a nice fresh smell too.

  • Pour 3/4 cup of baking soda in the drain.
  • Pour 1/2 cup vinegar or Lemon Vinegar in the drain and immediately cover the drain with a plug or set a plate over it.
  • Let stand for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the cover and run hot water down the drain for a couple of minutes.

Check out more vinegar ideas here. And, this post was kind of a follow-up to one of my most popular posts… “Cleaning… trying those homemade mixtures“, check it out for more cleaning ideas.

Baking sheets

Do you have stained dark baking sheets that you’d like to refresh? Try this method.

Cover the pan generously with baking soda then pour in vinegar over. Spread the mixture evenly over the surface of the pan and let it sit overnight. Then scrape away and discard any leftover bits. Scrub with a scrubber pad, and wash with soap & warm water.

microwave

To clean the inside of the microwave, fill a microwave-safe bowl with equal parts water and vinegar. Heat it in the microwave for a couple of minutes to get it all steamy in there. Then wipe the inside clean.

Bonus Tea Tree Oil tips

tea tree oil
tea tree oil rocks! Use it to keep mold at bay | Life Currents

And, your bonus cleaning tip to kill mold. I use this one all the time in the shower, and it totally works! I also love the smell after I’ve applied it! This will kill the mold spores without creating harsh chemical fumes.

  • Mix 1 teaspoon of {affiliate link} tea tree oil to 1 cup of water. Pour into a spray bottle, and spray onto the shower walls and floors, allow to dry, do not rinse.

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Lemon Vinegar Cleaner Recipe

square crop of a spray bottle of cleaner with two lemons on a white tile counter.
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5 from 1 vote

Lemon Vinegar

Lemon-Vinegar Cleaner is an easy to make, nice smelling, economical, non-toxic, all-natural, environmentally friendly, way to clean the house! And, it uses something that grows freely around my house: LEMONS!
Course Household
Cuisine American
Keyword cleaner, natural
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Total Time 10 minutes minutes
Author Debi

Ingredients

  • White Vinegar
  • Citrus fruit peel Lemon, Lime, Orange, etc.
  • Clear container with lid
  • Spray bottle

Instructions

  • Put the fruit in a container and cover with vinegar. Allow to sit for 2 weeks (I keep mine in a warm window sill). Strain into a spray bottle.
  • That's it! And, it's awesome!
  • Share

Filed Under: Blogging, Budget, Research Tagged With: clean, cleaner, guide, lemons, natural, project, recipe, tea tree oil, vinegar

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about debi

ABOUT DEBI

Hello! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I’ll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read more...

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Adrienne

    September 11, 2013 at 4:51 pm

    SInce the local water is so hard, we use vinegar all the time. We toss a cup into the dishwasher to help prevent water spots and build-up on the glassware.

  2. Norna

    September 12, 2013 at 8:59 am

    It is also good to add to your last rinse of laundry for fresh clothes and they are soft.

  3. Janet Bowman Sola

    September 12, 2013 at 10:41 am

    I use it in my final rinse on all my clothes to remove all residue. My clothes don’t have that faded look.

  4. batsmum

    September 12, 2013 at 11:58 am

    great idea share Adrienne!

  5. Cheryl

    September 14, 2013 at 5:10 pm

    Debi!! You Rock hun! I just arrived home after visiting family and I find this super cool post! *happy dance* You Rock my friend. I LOVE that you added all the helpful hints! *Big hug*

  6. Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens

    September 15, 2013 at 6:57 am

    Hi, Debi! I love, love this post! It solves so many of my problems! We have very hard water, too, but I don’t like using harsh chemicals if I can avoid it. And I, too, frequently clean with vinegar, but (like your husband), my family hates the smell! How have I missed these brilliant, simple solutions before! Thanks!!!

  7. Florence Z. Fischer

    September 16, 2013 at 3:52 pm

    Vinegar has been used for 10,000 years. It just might be the world’s oldest ingredient! Vinegar has been used to fightinfections since Hippocrates, who lived between 460-377 BC. The acidity of vinegar helps stop colors from fading.

  8. robin lorraine williamson

    September 18, 2013 at 1:54 pm

    love all things natural so much better then chemicals have a great day

  9. vegetarianmamma

    September 19, 2013 at 11:41 am

    Oh, GREAT post! 🙂 Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂

    Hope your week is great!

    Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

  10. Paper Doll (@LilacPaperDoll)

    January 6, 2014 at 11:03 am

    Hi Debi, great post! I didn’t know that you could clean the microwave that way! And I love the bonus tip about getting rid of the mould in the shower. Thanks for sharing x

  11. Betty

    March 20, 2014 at 7:22 am

    Great post! I use vinegar as a deodorizer as well. When I fry bacon, fish, chicken, etc., I will add a cup of vinegar to a 1/2 cup of water in a pan, bring to a boil for 3-5 minutes, reduce heat to low, simmer for hours to deodorize the house. Although the smell of vinegar vaporizes very quickly, I am going to add lemon next time.

  12. Sue Quinn

    November 16, 2015 at 6:19 am

    Lovely story 🙂 I remember my grandmother making her cleaning solution with apple cider vinegar (made by her own) and grapefruit peels (fruits were from the grapefruit tree in our garden). I use her method of infusing vinegar everyday now and I have a bunch of good tested combinations that work for different stains and in different situations. I sometimes add few drops essential oil to my citrus-vinegar cleaning solutions. Greets, Sue from cleaners-westhampstead. com 🙂

  13. Anna Levis

    February 16, 2017 at 4:12 pm

    Vinegar and even baking soda is the best way to remove mold. Also there are some other natural ways through which we can easily prevent mold.

  14. Doug Mahoney

    January 6, 2020 at 9:24 am

    5 stars
    Vinegar is best for household cleaning. Though didn’t try with Lemon. It seems like an effective one. Thanks for sharing.

5 from 1 vote

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Hi! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents, where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes with some great desserts and other goodies mixed in! Read More >>>

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