How to make homemade antibacterial cleaner

On step 3 you will be straining the liquid after it has sat for 10 days in the jar sealed up. Use cheese cloth to strain it or a small opening strainer and strain the liquid into a clean jar with a lid so that you can store it safely. I have found that the best thing to do with it then is to place the liquid into a squirt bottle and use it as you need.Place the vinegar and the orange peels in a jar with a lid. You can just pack in what you can fit in the jar. The lid will have to fit tight so do not pack it too tight.Peel some oranges, about two large oranges at a time should suffice. You will need to maybe cut the orange peels up so they will fit in a mason jar.View the list »
Here is the orange cleaner, ready for its 10 days of sitting

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Did you know that the ordinary chemical household cleaner is highly toxic to pets and children not to mention dangerous and deadly when drank accidentally. Yes there are warnings on the containers, but when you are using so much household cleaners around your home you are simply making your family sick. In fact many household cleaners contain flammable agents and can make your home a fire danger after cleaning! These cleaners that are flammable have a high risk of causing cancer in your family as well. Part of the green movement, organic living and for those that have decided to move off the grid and homestead or live a more natural life have found ways of replacing these dangers.

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Not only is it dangerous for you and your family but also dangerous for the environment. Even disposing of the containers after they are empty adds to the pollution of the environment. Making your own homemade cleaner is safe and fun and teaches your children how to make their own cleaners so they can also be safe and when they grow up and have a family they will hopefully pass on the recipe. Reusing an old dish soap bottle will be perfect for this cleaner, it will also recycle the old bottle and keep it out of the landfills. So not only are you doing a good thing by using an all natural cleaner, keeping your family healthier, you are also recycling old plastic bottles. When you make this cleaner you have to allow it to sit in the vinegar for a minimum of 10 days.

Simply take 2 large oranges, peel them and enjoy the orange, instead of disposing of the orange peels, place them into a large mouth mason type jar and fill the jar with white vinegar. Close the top on tight and sit the jar in a cool, dark place for 10 days. This will allow the vinegar to extract the cleaning agents from the orange peels. After it is ready, strain the peels and debris out of the vinegar and place the vinegar back in the jar for safe keeping or just put it into your squirt bottle for use. Its that simple to live green! Not only are you cleaning your home with a safe cleaner now and recycling old plastic bottles but you are saving a load of cash. Just about 8 large oranges will make you about a gallon of cleaner that will last a long time.

If you were to buy a gallon of citric cleaner in the stores today, you would pay a lot of money. For a bag of oranges, and you can buy the cheap ones if you are focusing on just making the cleaner mostly, you will pay about $3.50 or so for the bag. For a gallon of white vinegar you will pay about $2.50. For a gallon of citric cleaner in the store you will pay about $15.00-$20.00! So save money, live healthier and practice an art that has banished over 100's of years ago.

You will need:

Bottle of white vinegar

Quart size mason jar

Bag of oranges

View the list
  • Peel some oranges, about two large oranges at a time should suffice. You will need to maybe cut the orange peels up so they will fit in a mason jar.
  • Place the vinegar and the orange peels in a jar with a lid. You can just pack in what you can fit in the jar. The lid will have to fit tight so do not pack it too tight.
  • On step 3 you will be straining the liquid after it has sat for 10 days in the jar sealed up. Use cheese cloth to strain it or a small opening strainer and strain the liquid into a clean jar with a lid so that you can store it safely. I have found that the best thing to do with it then is to place the liquid into a squirt bottle and use it as you need.
View the list
Suggested by the author:

, National homesteading Examiner

Merlyn is a homesteader that lives on 5 acres of off grid country land in the Ozarks of Missouri. He and his family have went back to organic and natural living and now do everything as it was meant to be done, naturally. They grow only organic produce and raise animals naturally and free range...

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