DIY Cleaning Product Lab: Vinegar Sprays, Citrus Scrubs, and Zero-Waste Swaps

Intro: Welcome to the Lab

Let’s be real: most commercial cleaning aisles smell like capitalism in a bottle – gross and overpriced. Rows of neon liquids promising “fresh mountain air” or “tropical breeze” are really just petrochemicals, artificial fragrances, and marketing spin. Meanwhile, our homes are supposed to be sanctuaries, not chemical dumps.

Enter the DIY Cleaning Product Lab: part kitchen experiment, part feminist rebellion, part zero-waste hack. This is where vinegar, citrus peels, baking soda, and imagination collide. It’s not about aestheticized “clean girl” minimalism. It’s about reclaiming domestic work as something practical, creative, and aligned with your values.

In this lab, we’ll mix sprays, brew scrubs, test swaps, and ditch disposables — with recipes that are cheap, effective, and fully customizable.

All of these recipes come from my aunt, who worked as a cleaning lady until she retired. Over the years, she developed these all-natural solutions for clients who couldn’t handle commercial products — whether because of allergies, asthma, etc. I use them in my own home, as strong artificial scents trigger my own sensitivities, so store-bought sprays and scrubs are a no-go. These recipes aren’t just practical — they’re survival tactics, passed down and proven through daily use.

My aunty Kathy died a few days ago and so I thought it was timely to write this piece in her honour. She may have started with a mop and bucket, but what she really carried was a toolkit of family secrets — the kind of knowledge you don’t find in a store aisle, passed down hand to hand, kitchen to kitchen. Sharing these recipes now feels like keeping her legacy alive in the best way I know how.

The Case for DIY Cleaning

• • Health: You control what’s in the bottle. No mystery chemicals, no endocrine disruptors hiding under “fragrance.”

• • Environment: Less plastic, fewer toxins going down the drain, more reuse.

• • Cost: Vinegar, baking soda, and citrus peels cost a fraction of brand-name cleaners.

• • Autonomy: You decide what works for your space — not a marketing team.

Cleaning becomes less about products you consume and more about processes you own.

Recipe 1: The Classic Vinegar Spray (a.k.a. Counter Culture)

Vinegar is the Swiss Army knife of DIY cleaning — disinfecting, deodorizing, and cutting through grease.

You’ll Need:

• • 2 cups white vinegar

• • 2 cups water

• • Citrus peels (lemon, orange, grapefruit) or a handful of fresh herbs

• • A glass or reused plastic spray bottle

Method:

1. 1. Pack a jar half-full with citrus peels or herbs.

1. 1. Cover with vinegar and let infuse for 1–2 weeks.

1. 1. Strain and dilute with equal parts water.

1. 1. Pour into a spray bottle and label.

Use: Counters, sinks, mirrors, stovetops, bathrooms.
Skip: Marble, granite, or natural stone — the acidity can damage them.

Lab Note: Add 5–10 drops of essential oil (eucalyptus, peppermint, or lavender) if you want extra scent power.

Recipe 2: Citrus + Salt Scrub (The Heavy Hitter)

Perfect for cutting through grease, soap scum, or those pans you swore you’d soak but didn’t.

You’ll Need:

• • 1 lemon, halved

• • Coarse salt (kosher or sea salt works best)

Method:

1. 1. Dip the cut side of the lemon into salt.

1. 1. Scrub surfaces like cutting boards, greasy pans, or sinks.

1. 1. Rinse with warm water.

Use: Degreasing, deodorizing, brightening.
Bonus: Leaves your kitchen smelling like a lemonade stand, not a chemical spill.

Recipe 3: Baking Soda Soft Scrub (The Tub Fighter)

For bathtubs, tiles, and stovetops. Gentle but mighty.

You’ll Need:

• • 1 cup baking soda

• • ¼ cup liquid castile soap (unscented or lightly scented)

• • 10 drops essential oil (optional: tea tree, eucalyptus, or lemon)

• • Small jar

Method:

1. 1. Stir baking soda and castile soap into a paste.

1. 1. Add essential oils if desired.

1. 1. Store in an airtight jar.

Use: Apply with a sponge or cloth, scrub, and rinse.

Recipe 4: Orange Peel Powder Scrub (Zero-Waste Deluxe)

A way to turn food scraps into cleaning power.

You’ll Need:

• • Dried citrus peels (orange, lemon, lime)

• • Baking soda

Method:

1. 1. Dry peels completely (air dry on a sunny windowsill or bake at low heat).

1. 1. Blend into fine powder.

1. 1. Mix 1:1 with baking soda.

Use: As a stovetop scrub or sink powder.

Recipe 5: All-Purpose Disinfectant Spray (The Upgrade)

For when you need something stronger than vinegar.

You’ll Need:

• • 1 cup 70% isopropyl alcohol

• • 1 cup distilled water

• • 10–20 drops essential oil (optional)

• • Spray bottle

Method:

1. 1. Combine ingredients in spray bottle.

1. 1. Shake before each use.

Use: Doorknobs, phones, keyboards, and other high-touch surfaces.

Zero-Waste Swaps: Tools for the Lab

Cleaning isn’t just about the potion — it’s also about the tools. Here’s how to ditch the disposable economy:

• • Old T-Shirts → Rags: Cut them into squares and skip paper towels.

• • Wooden Brushes: Compostable, with natural fibre bristles.

• • DIY Mop Pads: Sew or knit washable covers for Swiffer-style mops.

• • Reusable Spray Bottles: Glass or durable refills.

Of course, running your own DIY Cleaning Lab means stocking up on the basics — vinegar, baking soda, castile soap, glass spray bottles, brushes, jars. You don’t need much, but having the right supplies on hand makes it easier to actually mix, scrub, and swap instead of defaulting back to the store-bought stuff. Below you’ll find a list of places where you can grab affordable, sustainable supplies (with Canadian options front and centre), so you can start experimenting right away.

Canadian Sources:

• • Well.ca (compostable brushes, refill bottles)

• • The Green Jar (Toronto) (bulk refills + sustainable cleaning tools)

• • Package Free Shop (ships to Canada) (reusables + eco swaps)

• • Ten & Co. (Ontario) (Swedish dishcloths with bold feminist prints)

Advanced Experiments: Scent & Functionality

• • Infused Vinegars: Add rosemary, thyme, sage, or lavender for seasonal scents.

• • Herbal Scrubs: Mix dried mint or chamomile into baking soda scrubs.

• • Essential Oils with Purpose:
    • • Tea tree → antibacterial
    • • Lemon → degreasing
    • • Lavender → calming
    • • Eucalyptus → deodorizing

Think of it as perfume-making for your sink.

Storage & Safety

• Test on small surfaces first.

• Keep vinegar sprays away from stone surfaces.

• Keep alcohol-based sprays away from open flame.

Reclaiming Domestic Space as Creative Space

Making your own cleaning products isn’t about romanticizing housework. It’s about refusing to hand corporations control over the most basic parts of your life. It’s about turning chores into experiments, transforming scraps into tools, and building a system that fits your politics as much as your budget.

DIY cleaning is practical rebellion: small, repeatable acts that add up to autonomy. Your kitchen becomes a lab. Your citrus peels become science. Your counter becomes proof that clean doesn’t have to mean toxic, expensive, or disposable.

Start your own DIY Cleaning Product Lab this week.

Try one recipe, swap one disposable, share your results. Tag @shezinemagazine with your experiments, fails, and victories. We’ll feature the best hacks in an upcoming round-up because cleaning — like feminism — works best when it’s collective.

So here’s to vinegar sprays, citrus scrubs, and the quiet wisdom that lives in kitchen jars and cleaning cloths. These recipes aren’t just about keeping a home spotless — they’re about reclaiming agency, cutting waste, and honouring the hands that came before us. My aunty Kathy may be gone, but every time I reach for one of her tried-and-true mixes, I feel her presence in the work — practical, resourceful, and grounded in care. Passing them on now feels like more than a how-to. It’s a way of keeping her legacy alive, bottle by bottle, scrub by scrub.

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