..I made my own Citrus Enzyme Cleaner!!

Because we use cloth diapers, we've learned that there are certain products that we can and cannot clean them with...we've also learned that sometimes the more natural a product is, the fewer ingredients they have, the more safe and effective they are at cleaning our diapers without harming them. Namely, a product called BacOut (by Biokleen). It uses naturally occurring citrus enzymes to break away and disinfect the grime and buildup in diapers, plus it actually helps to clean your washer as it runs through the system.

BacOut is a little pricey, though. So, I started doing some poking around online and found a way to make my own (here). The great thing about this recipe is that it not only works in your laundry, but it can be added to basically every household cleaner you make to boost cleaning power.

There are two ways of doing this: one involves adding yeast which speeds the fermentation process to only two weeks, the second is to leave out the yeast to let fermentation happen naturally which will take 3 months. If you choose to leave out the yeast, just skip that step ;)

Citrus Enzyme Cleaner Recipe:

Ingredients:
-2 cups citrus scraps (orange, lemon, or lime peels and pulp)
-1 liter (4 1/4 cups) water - distilled is best
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1tsp yeast (optional, to speed up proces from 3 months to 2 weeks)
-2 liter bottle (or any large glass or plastic container, I used a container from my husband's protein shake mix and an xl pickle jar)
*because my container was so large I doubled this recipe

Instructions:
-Pour brown sugar into the 2 liter bottle
-Chop or slice citrus scraps to 1/2 inch pieces, then add into bottle
-Add water and yeast
-Screw on lid and shake to dissolve sugar
-Mark with "Ready" date

Shake and release gas daily. This recipe relies on fermentation so there WILL BE GAS BUILDUP. You have two options: Leave the lid slightly unscrewed, or release the gasses daily. I chose to just unscrew the lid once a day when I shook it.

When your cleaner is ready you'll have to filter it before bottling it to remove all solids. I used one of our cloth diaper wipes (cut from old t-shirts) for a filter, but you can also purchase cheese cloth at a fabric store to do the job.

I filtered the cleaner first into a large pitcher, seen here with my second batch in a glass pickle jar (still 'cooking')

A square of old t-shirt works perfectly for filtering!

After filtering once into my pitcher, I used the same process to filter it again into my empty BacOut bottle. I store the BacOut bottle in the laundry room for easy access there, and also had enough to fill a large spray bottle for everyday cleaning.

Bonus: If you spill some on the counter like I did, it's okay! This stuff is a CLEANER so just use your 'mess' to wipe of your countertops :D

So far I've used this on natural and finished wood, bathroom surfaces (including toilet), kitchen sink and counters, in my homemade glass cleaner, and on linoleum flooring and it passes every test!

The original site OneGoodThingByJillee also notes the ratios to add your Citrus Enzyme Cleaner to your other household products, and lists a few additional uses:

1) for dishes and laundry (use 1/4 cup of enzyme)
2) for washing bathrooms and toilets. grime comes off easily (1 part enzyme to 10 parts water)
3) for removing stubborn stains and odours (coloured fabrics and floors) (use undiluted)
4) to clean vegetables and fruits (1 part enzyme to 10 parts water)
5) clear blockages in kitchen sinks and drains (use concentrated or blended pulp/sludge of enzyme)
6) as a natural insect repellent (use undiluted) for ants, cockroaches.
7) for mopping floors (1 part enzyme to 20 parts water)
8) as fertilizer for plants (use 1 part enzyme to 20 parts water, or use the leftover mop water)
9) as a skincare product, e.g. facial cleanser or toner (1 part enzyme to 2 parts water)
10) wash cars – cars will look as if they have just been polished! (1 part enzyme to 20 parts water


SPECIAL NOTE: After making the orange version of this, I think I would prefer to use limes next time. I like the smell of the oranges, but a more lemon- lime scent would be awesome!