Homemade Citrus Scouring Scrub

Guest post from Mindy Harvey

For the past several years, I have primarily used only natural cleaners to clean my house.  I don’t use anything fancy or complicated – just some vinegar, baking soda, and a few essential oils.

These simple items took care of all of my cleaning needs, and I never had a desire to try any of the more “complicated” natural cleaning recipes out there. However, when I saw this awesome-looking recipe for a Grapefruit Scouring Scrub, I immediately knew that I wanted to try it.

Why?  Well, because my kitchen floor had some set-in, been-there-for-years, won’t-come-off-for-anything dirt stains.  I wondered if this homemade scrub would do the trick, and sure enough, it did!

Picture 1:  Yes, that is my dirt stained kitchen floor.  This spot may or may not have been hidden under a rug.

Picture 2:  I sprinkled on a little bit of my homemade Citrus Scrub.

Picture 3:  I used a cleaning rag to scrub the citrus cleaner into the stubborn dirt stains.

Picture 4:  They’re gone!  Hooray!

Homemade Citrus Scouring Scrub Recipe

The original recipe used dried grapefruit peels.  I decided to use grapefruit and orange peels in mine.  I think that really any citrus peels would work great.  I want to try to add some lemon in my next batch of this dirt-busting scrub!

To make your own Citrus Scouring Scrub you will need the following:

• 3 tbsp dried, ground citrus peels (see below for instructions to make)
• 3 tbsp borax
• 5 tbsp baking soda

Combine all ingredients in an old shaker container (such as an old parmesan container) and sprinkle wherever you need some touch scouring action!  Simply use a wet sponge or cleaning rag to scrub over the area where you sprinkled the cleaner.  Rinse the sponge (or rag) well and wipe up all of the cleaner.

To make the dried, ground citrus peels:

• Reserve several peels from your citrus fruit(s) of choice and set aside on a small plate.
• Allow the peels to dry out at room temperature for several days.  It usually takes 2-3 days for them to dry completely.
• Once your peels are dry, grind them to a powder in a coffee grinder, blender, or food processor.

That’s all there is to it – so easy to make and so effective at cleaning those tough jobs.

Other ideas for using dried citrus peels:

• Homemade Potpourri (this makes your house smell fabulous!)
• Homemade Tea Blends (dried citrus makes a great addition)
• DIY Dried Orange Peel Topiary

What homemade natural cleaners do you use to clean at home?