Zero Waste Lemon Vinegar Multi Purpose Cleaning Mix

I always seem to have an excess of lemon rinds left after I juice or use them in recipes and I try not to put too many in my compost pile so I am always at a bit of a loss on what to do with the excess that we have.

This recipe is a simple, easy way to extend the life of the rinds and what is left in the lemons before I do eventually chuck them in the compost.

Vinegar has a pH of 2.0 and a high acetic acid content which makes it a inhospitable environment for many microorganisms, so it is the perfect natural cleaner. The lemons not only add a citrus scent they are also low in pH and high in antibacterial properties.

I use this lemon vinegar mix diluted with water as a multi-purpose cleaning spray in the kitchen and bathroom, as a floor cleaner and as a rinse aid in our dishwasher. It can be used to clean showers and glass as well as most other areas of the house.

Directions

Pop your used lemon rinds in a jar in the fridge and just cover with plain white vinegar. As you accumulate the lemons just putting them in the jar and keep topping up with vinegar.

Once full with lemons and vinegar - leave to soak for a week or so in the fridge. When you are ready to use, dilute the lemon vinegar mix at about a ratio of 40/60 with water. Pop into your spray bottle and use as you would a multi-purpose spray, keep the diluted mix beside your dishwasher powder and use as a rinse aid or use as a cleaning in your shower.

You can also use this as a rinse aid in your dishwasher and I typically would use a higher ratio of vinegar mix to water for this so around 70/30.

Do you have any other ways you use up scraps up in your home to get a little more life out of them before you compost? Let us know in our comments below.