Make Your Own ECO-DETERGENT With Citric Acid

Recently I have discovered Citric Acid as a natural ingredient to make my own household cleaning products. It is so versatile and robust, it becomes one of my essential household ingredients nowadays. Trust me, once you start using it, your life will never be the same anymore. Thank me later for that.

What is Citric Acid? Citric acid is a weak organic acid that has the molecular formula C₆H₈O₇. It occurs naturally in citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, and limes. It is 100% natural and biodegradable. In industry, It is used to remove and discourage the buildup of limescale from boilers and evaporators. It is the perfect ingredient for household cleaning products because of its chelation properties ( a type of bonding of ions and molecules to metal ions). By chelating the metals in hard water, it lets these cleaners produce foam and work better without the need for water softening. A solution with a six percent concentration of citric acid will remove hard water stains from the glass without scrubbing. 

Below are my favourite household recipes made from citric acid that are tested and worked.

1. Citric acid window spray

You will need the following ingredients

• 150ml Demineralized Water
• 1 tablespoon of Citric Acid
• 100ml of 90 degrees alcohol
• 300ml Spray Bottle

Directions

1. Dissolve the citric acid in the water. Pour the liquid into your spray bottle.
2. Then add in the alcohol base liquid.
3. Shake well before use.

2. Cleaning spray for tiles

You will need the following ingredients

• 400 ml Demineralized Water
• 10 tablespoons of Citric Acid
• 25 g of surfactant Sodium coco sulfate
• 30 drops of Essential Oils of your Choice (Tea tree, Lemon, Eucalyptus,…)
• 500 ml Spray Bottle

directions

1. Dissolve the surfactant in the demineralized water with a double-boiler over medium-high heat. Remove from heat once it is dissolved.
2. Add in Citric Acid till it is totally dissolved. Then add in essential oil.
3. Transfer to a spray bottle.
4. Shake well before use.
5. Spray to the cleaning surface. For stubborn surface, spray it on and let for 30 minutes to 1 hour before cleaning.

Note:

• The active ingredients in tea tree, lemon, and eucalyptus essential oils have anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties.
• You will need a surfactant in this recipe as it helps to combine water and oil. Sodium coco sulfate is derived from coconut, it is a natural surfactant.

3. softener for laundry

You will need the following ingredients

• 700 ml Demineralized Water
• 250 g Citric Acid
• 50 drops of Essential Oil of your choice (Lavender, Lemongrass, Lemon…)
• 800 ml Recycled Bottle

Directions

1. Dissolve the citric acid in water and shake well.
2. Add in essential oils.
3. Transfer to an empty bottle.
4. For each load of laundry, pour in 1~2 tablespoons of the softener in the detergent compartment of your washing machine.

Homemade laundry softener with Citric Acid

Recipe by CalleighCourse: Household RecipeDifficulty: Easy

Yield

800

ml

Prep time

5

minutes

Ingredients

• 700 ml Demineralized Water

• 250 g Citric Acid

• 50 drops of Essential Oil of your choice (Lavender, Lemongrass, Lemon…)

• 800 ml Recycled Bottle

Directions

• Dissolve the citric acid in water and shake well.
• Add in essential oils.
• Transfer to an empty bottle.
• For each load of laundry, pour in 1~2 tablespoons of the softener in the detergent compartment of your washing machine.

Notes

• The tap water from where I am living is very hard, so depends on where you are living, if you are like me, to get the best result, it is preferable to use store-bought demineralized water.
• The essential oil in this recipe is more for its fragrance. Hence it is optional.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a small amount of commission at no extra cost to you for each qualifying purchase.

Others DIY Household Hacks with Citric Acid

1. For Washing machine

• To remove rust stains: soak or cover the stains with a solution of citric acid in a little water. Leave on, then rub lightly and rinse. If that is not enough, try sprinkling with salt after covering the stains with the citric acid solution.
• Descaling the washing machine: pour 6 to 8 tablespoons in the drum and put on the program at 90 or 95 °, without laundry.

2. for kitchen

• Descaling the coffee machine: dissolve 1 to 2 tablespoons of citric acid in 1 liter of cold water, fill the machine with this solution. Strain about a cup, let stand 15 to 30 minutes. Skip the rest and rinse twice with water.
• Descaling the kettle: dissolve 1 to 2 tablespoons of citric acid in 1 liter of water, fill the kettle and bring to the boil briefly, leave to react for 30 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly with water.
• Elimination of deposits in cups, tea or coffee pots, vases, etc.: pour ½ to 2 tablespoons into the container, cover with boiling water and leave to act for 30 minutes. Rinse.
• Cleaning the burnt bottoms of saucepans or stainless steel frying pans: dissolve 2 tablespoons of citric acid in 1 cup of water, heat the solution in the burnt saucepan for a few minutes, rinse well.

3. for shower room

• Descaling of taps, water reducers, showerheads: dissolve 2 to 5 tablespoons of citric acid in 1 liter of hot water, rub the affected parts or let them soak for a long time, then rinse.
• Cleaning ceramic, stainless steel, or chrome surfaces and shower screens (glass or plastic): dissolve 2 to 5 tablespoons of citric acid in 1 liter of hot water, rub the surfaces with this solution, rinse well.

Final thoughts…

Most industry-made cleaning detergents are not biodegradable and contain chemical ingredients that are very bad for the environment. Hence I encourage you to make your own DIY eco-detergent as part of the contribution to our environment. That’s it for the sharing! Please share your feedback on these recipes.

Have fun cleaning!

Calleigh

Hi, I am Calleigh, MEng Chemical Engineering and a process engineer, and I'm here to show you how to DIY your skincare and household products with the correct formulation and using only natural ingredients. I believe that eating good food (Yes I have cooking recipes too!) and living in a chemical-free environment are the keys to having a healthy lifestyle. And that doesn't need to be expensive.