Recipe For Homemade Citrus Enzyme Cleaner – Natural, Really Cheap (Almost Free) & Effective !

homemade-citrus-enzyme-cleaner-005-smallMy newly prepared eco enzyme cleaner made from lemon and orange peels

(Please READ HERE for my review and good feedback from visitors and myself of this wonderful enzyme :wink: )

(READ HERE is how to make Dragon Fruit Enzyme to drink for health)

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Good afternoon, dear friends :D

Heheh, for quite a while, I was suffering from a writer’s block – there was so much to tell you but every time I select the “New Post” option here, I ended up just staring at the blank page and no words came out…my mind felt like it was stuck in quicksand! :oops:

Anyway, I would say that the Earth Hour campaign carried out here in Malaysia a few weeks ago was a great success – environmental awareness has increased and there were many good articles in the local newspapers promoting environmental friendly programmes and articles.

One of them that caught my eye was the recipe or method for making our own enzymes using fruit and vegetable scraps or leftovers from the kitchen. These enzymes are really good and effective as a multi-purpose cleaner.

I have been using a fruit and enzyme based floor cleaner to mop my floors for the last 13 years but I bought the floorwash from a chemical engineer who made this environmental friendly floorwash for sale.  After mopping the floor, I would pour the water into my pots of plants, which would bloom beautifully….i.e. the floorwash doubled as a plant fertiliser, too. :wink:

Last year, a friend told me the “recipe” for making our own ezymatic cleaner…but I didn’t really try making some until I read about it in the newspapers last month. It was actually called “The Garbage Enzyme” but I thought the word “garbage” sounds kind of yucky and decided to modify things a bit and made my own Citrus Enzyme, consisting of lemon and orange leftovers.

Some wonderful uses recommended for this non-toxic, environmental friendly enzyme (use one to two teaspoon of enzyme) -

1)  to do dishes and laundry

2) for washing bathrooms and toilets

3) for removing stubborn stains

4) to clean vegetables and fruits

5) clear blockages in kitchen sinks and drains

6) as a natural insect repellent (use undiluted) for ants, cockroaches..

7) as a floorwash to mop floors shiny clean

8 ) as fertiliser for vegetables, flowering and non-flowering plants

9) as a skincare product, e.g. facial cleanser


Currently, most people that I  know are making this enzyme at home and many have confirmed its wonderful uses. Even my regular air-condition service/repair man said his wife has been using this homemade enzyme to wash her face and she has given it a name – SK3 ! :lol:

I made a small batch of enzyme to try it out for myself, and I have posted a pictorial recipe below. I  only used 10 % of the total ingredients required because I was impatient to get the enzyme started and I didn’t have a large enough plastic container. Anyway, the curiousity got the better of me and I didn’t want to go through waiting over a few weeks to accumulate the 3 kg of vegetable and fruit scraps from my kitchen. :lol:


Citrus Enzyme Based Multipurpose Cleaner

To begin, you need a plastic container with an airtight cover. Here, I have used an old 2-litre fruit juice bottle. The enzyme takes 3 months to “ferment” and be ready for use.

Ingredients :-

homemade-citrus-enzyme-cleaner-001-small

100 gms of brown sugar

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homemade-citrus-enzyme-cleaner-002-small

300 gms of lemon and orange scraps (these were leftover after I had juiced them)

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homemade-citrus-enzyme-cleaner-003-small

1 litre tap water

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homemade-citrus-enzyme-cleaner-004-small

Use a funnel to pour sugar into the bottle. Drop in the fruit slices. Pour in the water.

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homemade-citrus-enzyme-cleaner-005-small

Cover the bottle and date it, so that you will know when the enzyme is ready to use , i.e. 3  months later on

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homemade-citrus-enzyme-cleaner-006-small Give the ingredients in the bottle a good shake to mix them thoroughly. For the first month, open the cover to let out the oxygen build-up from the fermentation process. On some days, you will see the bottle swelling up in size.

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homemade-fruit-enzyme-small

The above picture is my bottle of enzyme that is now almost 1 month old. To read more about this amazing enzyme cleaner from my local newspaper,  CLICK HERE

Happy Cleaning! :D

With peace and joy,


choesf :D

52 Responses so far »

  1. 1

    that’s so interesting! does it smell hideous when it’s a finished product? thanks!

    • 2

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there and welcome, dear innerspaceyoga :D

      Thus far, my citrus enzyme has a lovely “fruity, citrus fragrance” to it, it doesn’t smell at all. However, I would presume that those enzymes made from kitchen scraps like vegetables, fruits and potato peels may smell. Today, I made another 1 litre water of enzyme from apples leftover from juicing…I’m not sure how that will turn out.

      I forgot to mention in my post that when the enzyme is ready for use at the end of the 3- month fermentation process, just filter the enzyme with a piece of muslin cloth or an old t-shirt. I read in the newspapers that the local wet markets, which often smell at the end of a trading day, use only 1 litre of the enzyme to clean/wash the whole place and the stink is all gone.

      Have a wonderful week ahead!

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  2. 4

    rozalia said,

    Dearest choesf! :)

    I’m so glad to see you’re back and feeling well. It is the first time I hear about this wonder cleaner.I’m interested especially in using it as fertilizer for plants : do we have to dilute it or not? If yes in what proportion?

    Thank you. With lots of love, rose

    • 5

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Thank you, dearest Rose! I am back to my usual self and today is Day 3 of my second Gallbladder Cleanse. Meanwhile, I am counting the days impatiently with you until you can get out of bed! :wink:

      I don’t exactly know how much of enzyme to put as fertiliser but I am assuming about 2 tablespoons to a litre or 4 cups of water. Since it is almost free to produce this enzyme ourselves, I think I will use more enzyme in proportion to the water…up to 1/4 cup of enzyme for 1 litre of water, perhaps? Yesterday, I made another 2 litres of fruit enzyme – one from apple peels and the other one a combination of apple and orange scraps. :lol:

      Here is more interesting information on making our own enzyme-based cleaners and fertilisers.

      With love and hugs,

      choesf :D

  3. 7

    rozalia said,

    Thank you,dear chesf for the quick reply. I’ll try that asap. Hugs, rose

    • 8

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      You are most welcome, dearest Rose! Let me know how yours turn out. :wink:

      With love and hugs,

      choesf :D

  4. 9

    irene said,

    after extracting the juice from the fruits, can we use the palps to do the enzymes?

    • 10

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there and welcome, dear Irene :D

      Yes, we can. That was what I used to make the enzymes, but I used mainly the peels that were left, because the mushy pulp will absorb most of the sugar liquid.

      With best wishes for good health,

      choesf :D

  5. 11

    manila said,

    Hi Choesf,

    Wow!

    Sounds really good. Can I use white sugar instead? Should be fine, it will help in fermentation. What do you say? Do I need to strain it after 3 months and then use?? I will give it a go.

    Thanks for the lovely tip.

    • 12

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there, dear manila :D

      I was going to write about my experience with using this enzyme as a cleaner – last Sunday, I couldn’t wait for the enzyme to be fully matured and I had a “sneak preview” of the enzyme – I used it to clean my whole house with fantastic results! :shock: :D :D

      I strongly recommend everyone who can to try making this enzyme and see for themselves its wonderful cleansing, environmental friendly powers.

      I’m sorry I can’t advise if white sugar can be used instead of brown sugar. :oops: Perhaps, you may like to give it a try? :wink:

      Do have a lovely week!

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  6. 13

    cw said,

    dear choesf,
    enjoy yur posts immensely, inspired my own as well…
    i have 2 1 liter bottles fermenting at the moment and am starting on my 3rd one. getting the leftover peels is a breeze as the local wet market has tons!
    esp pineapple skins.
    and yes, veg does make it smell a bit so i use only fruits. am also waiting impatiently for the 3 months to come!
    btw, rozalia, you can check out my post:
    http://cwmustardseed.wordpress.com/?s=garbage+in
    for usage proportions.

    • 14

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there and welcome, dear cw :D

      Thank you for sharing your experience and for link on usage proportions. I have a friend who had also used pineapple peels to make her enzymes. :wink:

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  7. 16

    mark said,

    Hi Choesf,

    I got some questions.

    When use as fertiliser, will it attracts ants?
    Is there anything or equipment that can be used to test the presence or concentration of enzyme?
    Is it safe to use enzyme on our bare hands?

    Thanks in advance.

    Cheers! Mark

    • 17

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hello again, dear Mark :D

      A few days ago, I used blended the pulp from my newly matured cleaner enzyme and mix it with 5 litres of water. I used the “enzyme fertiliser” on all my plants. So far, no ants seen yet. Also, I have tried using the enzyme in full concentrate form as an insect repellent as my kitchen tends to attract tiny ants…now my kitchen has no ants trails anymore. So, the enzyme does work as an ant (not sure about other insects) repellent. :wink:

      I’m not sure if there is anything to measure the strength of the enzyme – perhaps a biochemist may be able to answer that. My friend is a biochemist but she is out of the country at the moment. I will get the answer from her and post here when she returns to Malaysia.

      Thus far, I have found the enzyme not only to be safe on my hands but I find that my hands are even “conditioned” after using the enzyme, i.e. my skin is so much smoother, I need not use hand lotion. My air condition servicemen told me his wife even use the diluted enzyme to wash her face and her facial complexion is so good now. She even calls it “SK-3″. It’s that good. I have not tried this way yet.

      Cheers!

      choesf :D

      • 18

        mark said,

        Dear Choesf

        Thank you for the answer.

        About two weeks ago, while releasing the pressure in one of the bottle of my fruit enzyme, the content spilled over and wetted the paper box. I decided not to clear the spillage. About few hours later some small ants (residents) came and fed on the spill. I tasted the spill around the neck of the bottle and found it a little sweet. Interesting, the ants were all gone the next day even the box was still wetted. I can’t find ants in my home since then. I have no idea whether they were dead or have left but for sure to treat them with enzyme when they return. Dead or fled? Please let me know if you got the answer.

        Cheers!
        Mark

  8. 19

    cw said,

    For your information, MBPJ in collaboration with Beautiful Gates, Justlife and Section 19 RA is running a pilot project of educating PJ households of making the enzyme.

    For RA/RT or schools or organisations or corporates in PJ interested, we are offering to hold a talk and demonstration for them free of charge. AND every attendee will also be given a 300ml bottle of enzyme for trial. The project will end at early September. For those interested, please do not hesistate to contact Mr Lee at lee@mbpj.gov.my or 012-2081489.

    • 20

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Thank you for the contact details for Mr Lee at MBPJ, dear cw. Interested visitors in Petaling Jaya can contact him to arrange a demonstration on this enzyme. :D

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  9. 21

    cw said,

    hi choesf,

    recently i came across cooking oil containers that looked ideal for the eco enzyme. do you have a quick tip as to how to get rid of the residual oil? using a liquid soap would contaminate the insides?
    what’s you suggestion?
    thanks!

    cw

    • 22

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there, dear cw :D

      I think you can use a mixture of white vinegar and some dish detergent to quickly wash the cooking oil containers, rinse them well and it should be okay. :wink:

      Have fun with preparing your enzyme!

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  10. 24

    Jon Q said,

    This is a great idea! I’m trying it now. The reason it takes so long to ferment is that you’re relying on the tiny amount of natural yeast that lives on the citrus peels to reproduce and eat all that sugar. Since there isn’t much yeast at the beginning, it takes a long time to get the fermentation going. You can speed it up considerably by adding a spoonful of yeast at the beginning. It should take less than two weeks if there’s enough yeast. Another way to speed it up is to save the liquid / sludge at the bottom and use it in your next batch, it will speed things up a lot. Try using a balloon instead of a lid, it will stop the bottles exploding.

    • 25

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there and welcome, dear Jon Q :D

      Thank you so much for your great tips in -

      1) using yeast to speed up the fermentation and cut down the maturation time to 2 weeks

      2) using the sludge at the bottom of the matured batch of enzyme cleaner to start off the next batch – also to speed the fermentation process

      3) using a balloon over the mouth of the bottle to prevent explosion during fermentation.

      Heheh, I am interested to see how big the balloon will grow with the gas build-up, just out of curiousity. I shall go get some balloons today. :lol:

      I just made a 3 bottles of citrus fruit enzyme cleaners yesterday – they were leftovers peels from making citrus fruit enzyme for drinking. I will try some yeast in one bottle, some leftover mature enzyme sludge in the other 2 bottles and replace their caps with balloons. Then I shall post some feedback here. :idea:

      Thank you again for sharing your information. Do have a lovely weekend ahead!

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  11. 26

    K said,

    Hey, are you selling any of that? I’d love to use it, but I wouldn’t want to wait 3 months or deal with all that garbage :P

    • 27

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there and welcome, dear K:D

      I’m afraid I am not selling any of that. May I know where you are from? If you are in Kuala Lumpur, I have seen some places selling the cleaning enzyme at RM5 for a 500ml bottle.

      Meanwhile, Jon Q has some tips on how to shorten the fermentation process of the enzyme – for beginners, just add some yeast to the mixture and fermentation time is cut down to 2 weeks, instead of 3 months.

      Or you may like to try out the Rice Water Cleaning Enzyme – it takes only 1 week to ferment for use.

      Just use the water from the first wash/rinse of your rice. For every 1 litre of rice water, use at least 50gm of brown sugar (can put more sugar if you just want to estimate. 50 gm is about 5 tablespoons of sugar). Keep for 1 week.

      To use – pour out some rice water enzyme and add in about 10-20 % of dish detergent (to get the suds), add in enough water to get the cleaning strength that you like and this mixture can be used for cleaning.

      I noticed that the rice water enzyme is very good for heavy duty cleaning in the kitchen as it cuts grease very well. It was really easy to wash my oily woks, greasy mixing bowls used for preparing cake batters, and clean my kitchen tiles/cooking hobs, etc.

      Try and see…

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  12. 28

    Richard said,

    Do “green products” really clean?

    • 29

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there and welcome, dear Richard :D

      Yes, this natural fruit enzyme does a fantastic job in cleaning. Last weekend, my daughter was using it to clean her bathroom – she sprayed on some diluted enzyme onto the walls/floors and she could see the dirt separating immediately and coming to the surface, even before she started scrubbing them.

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  13. 30

    hoyoung yi said,

    Hi choesf.

    This article gave me a good impression,

    so I decide to translate it into koreans and write it in my blog(hoyoung2.blogspot.com).

    but the copy of above pictures need your allow.

    please email a your decision to me

    • 31

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there and welcome, dear Hoyoung Yi :D

      I’m glad you found this information useful and you will translate it into Korean at your blog. Of course, you have my permission to use the pictures. :wink:

      I’m not sure if you have read this post HERE, but we have a lot of good, interesting feedback at the comments section on the wonderful cleaning effects of this enzyme.

      Do have a lovely week!

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  14. 32

    Richard said,

    I see your daughter sprayed this on her walls in her bathroom. Was that the painted walls? Did it harm the paint? Thank you!

    • 33

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there, dear Richard :D

      No, the walls in my bathroom are fully tiled.

      I did use a diluted enzyme-water solution (1:10 ratio) and used an old face towel to remove hand prints from the painted walls – the dirt and grime came off easily without affecting the paint. But the paints we used on our walls have the feature that allowed us to wipe of dirt occasionally.

      I think for anyone who wants to try using the enzyme to clean their painted walls, it is best to try it out in a little corner of the wall that is out of sight, just to be safe. :idea:

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  15. 34

    MiniCooper said,

    Hi.. I read with much interests about this garbage enzyme thingy.. 1 question to ask is …when we use it as household cleaner, how much do we use ? For instances, mopping the floor, washing the dishes ( do we need to add some liquid washer to get some stud ?) and has anyone tried washing it on the car ?????

  16. 36

    Richard said,

    Thank you for the information!

  17. 38

    mustardseed said,

    hi, quick question: have you tried it on parquet? will it be too acidic for the wood? am using my very first batch for everything else and so far, it’s been great!

    • 39

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there, dear mustardseed :D

      The steps of my stairs are made from parquet and I have been using the enzyme cleaner to mop them. However, my parquet has a layer of varnish/sealer which we had applied 5 years ago. Thus far, I’m not sure if the varnish has become thinner or not from the enzyme use. So, I think you may have to use it at your own risk. :oops:

      Good question you had asked there.

      But I know my parquet steps has a good shine to them these days. :lol:

      Happy Cleaning!

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  18. 40

    [...] since I started using the miracle homemade fruit enzymes (READ HERE on how to make your own enzymes at almost zero costs) for all my household cleaning purpose, my [...]

  19. 41

    Guest said,

    Do you ever add Tea Tree Oil to make it stronger, or as a disinfectant?
    Thanks.

    • 42

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there, dear Guest :D

      No, I didn’t add any Tea Tree Oil…I think this oil costs quite a bit here in Malaysia. I kept to the original “recipe” to keep costs to a minimal for the cleaning enzyme.

      Do have a lovely weekend!

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  20. 43

    Hugh Lasenby said,

    Hi,
    Good reading as the wife just came back from Sibu where everyone is making the enzyme liquid. Fruit only for a better smell I’m told. I assumed it was vinegar (acetiic acid) formed with a wild yeast and the sugar. But if the container is covered it must rely on yeast already on the fruit I guess. When brewing beer, it’s always a worry that a wild yeast will take over and spoil the brew, so keep in mind that if you add yeast, you may end up with a fruit beer. To prevent excesive pressure, cover the top of the container with plastic film (glad wrap) and prick a small hole with a tooth pick. This allows enough gas to escape, although the glade wrap will still bloon up some what. Ready to start the first batch.
    Bye.

    • 44

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there and welcome, dear Hugh :D

      Thank you very much for your comments and helpful tips. :wink:

      Yes, the plastic cling film will work well, too. A few days ago, my puppy ran off with the cap of one of my juice bottles used to contain the enzyme and I just put a piece of plastic bag and tied a rubber band loosely over it. Your suggested “toothpick hole” is a great suggestion…I will go do just that now. :idea:

      Good Luck with your first batch of enzyme!

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  21. 45

    ms said,

    Hi,

    I have more queries thus i hope you can share your experience. There are very little discussion on the use the the thick jelly-like layer and the white foamy substance during fermentation process. I heard that some use the jelly like material for sponging the body while bathing, while others have sliced layers off to make face mask. Even the foamy layer is used directly on the face as a facial cleanser. Has anyone tried using it and how is it done? i understand the liquid can be too concerntrated and need to be diluted down before use. How about the jelly and the foam?

    Sometimes, there are tiny little worms around the bottle. What does it mean? Is the enzyme still ‘clean’ or has it been contaminated? Please advice and looking forward to your answer.

    Thanks.

    • 46

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there, dear ms :D

      You have posted some very interesting information and questions. Hope someone here can assist to answer them as well.

      Thus far, I have not heard anything about using the top jelly-like or foamy layer to use as a mask or for as a body scrub. Did you learn that from someone or it was a suggestion?

      Personally, I only use the very clean enzymes (those without formation of a layer of foam on the surface) to wash my face and neck area. If I see any foam or jelly stuff, I only use that for cleaning and doing laundry because I am scared of using that on me. :oops: :lol:

      So far, I don’t see any worms forming in my enzymes but as I am terrified of worms, I would have quickly thrown away that bottle of enzyme that has worms. :shock: I think the sugar content and later acidity would have killed the worms? I’m only guessing…..

      Do have a lovely week ahead!

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

      • 47

        happyhomemaker88 said,

        Hello again, dear ms :D

        I’m sorry I forgot TgStar had commented at #12 at my post HERE that the jelly and foam can be uses as hair conditioner, facial mask and body scrub…. :oops:

        Wonder if anyone else have tried this way yet :?:

        With best wishes,

        choesf :D

  22. 48

    anna said,

    Most of the enzymes I made contain worms up to 2.5 months. Is it normal?
    I find those made in transparent bottle contain no worms.
    Pls feed back

    • 49

      happyhomemaker88 said,

      Hi there and welcome, dear anna :D

      Oh dear, yours had worms, too? Thus far, mine has no worms, thank goodness..because I am terrified of worms! :oops: :lol:

      Perhaps, the other visitors can comment if they ever had worms in their enzymes. May I know what scraps did you use to prepare your enzymes :?:

      I have used peels of lemons, oranges, apples, dragon fruit, pineapple, and even vegetables like cabbage and ladies fingers. I washed them cleanly first, used whatever I need out of them (like juices, drinking enzymes, etc) before I make cleaning enzymes. I am guessing that the worms came from some sort of meat contamination or there was not enough sugar to kill the worms? Hope someone else here may have the answers to your questions… :oops:

      For the enzyme containers, I have used old juice bottles, mineral water bottles and even an old plastic pail. These days, I will pour the matured enzyme sludge (the heavy stuff that floats to the bottom of the bottle, leaving a clearer yellow liquid at the upper layer) into a newly prepared cleaning enzyme to hasten the fermentation process down to one month. Also, I thought the sludge is also matures enzyme and it would help to kill bacteria (and any worms?).

      Thank you for sharing your enzyme experience here…we are all learning from this. :wink:

      Do have a lovely day!

      With best wishes,

      choesf :D

  23. 50

    happyhomemaker88 said,

    You are very welcome, dear innerspaceyoga..hope your enzyme works out! :D

    With best wishes,

    choesf :D

  24. 51

    happyhomemaker88 said,

    Hi there, dear Mark :D

    You are most welcome. Heheh, my enzyme bottles have exploded a couple of times, too, especially with my apple enzymes which somehow had more gas buildup. I had to clean my kitchen. However, I learned a lesson and have a tip for when we feel that the enzyme bottle is already very tight and going to explode when we unscrew the cover. Just place a large enough plastic bag over the bottle and then unscrew the cover slowly. Whatever is exploded out of the bottle will be within the plastic bag – no mess to clean up and we can pour back the “stuff” back into the bottle, no wastage also. :idea:

    Yes, when the enzyme is still relatively new, which I think is within the first month, it is still sweet and may attract some ants. But after fermentation is sufficient, the enzyme is no longer sweet but more sourish and becomes an insect repellent instead. :wink:

    Cheers!

    choesf :D

  25. 52

    happyhomemaker88 said,

    Hi there, dear K :D

    Thank you for pointing out that article in the newspaper regarding possible harmful pathogens in the enzyme. I had ready that earlier, too, before I started making the enzymes for cleaning.

    I think what is important is that the scraps that we use must be clean and not contaminated with meats and pesticides. I don’t use any vegetables but only cleaned, fruit peels. That is why it is better to make our own cleaning enzyme that buy it as we don’t know what had gone into making by other people.

    Heheh, I got sick from earlier from gallstones….not from using the cleaning enzyme as the rest of my family were fine. :lol:

    With best wishes,

    choesf :D


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