Zero Waste Wednesday: DIY Surface Cleaner

by Jamie Simpher, KC Can Compost Volunteer

More sustainable, less expensive, crazy easy

If you’re looking to make your home more sustainable, one easy change you can make is to stop using harsh cleaning products.

There are plenty of cleansers out there that claim to be eco-friendly, but unfortunately it can be really hard to see through the greenwashing and know what’s really good for the planet. (Method and Seventh Generation are two great options.)

But fortunately, you don’t have to worry about greenwashing at all! You can make your own surface cleaner out of ingredients you likely already have on hand.

In addition to being environmentally friendly, this DIY surface cleaner is totally non-toxic (which is great if you use your kitchen surfaces for, you know, food preparation), and it’s also quite inexpensive.

Here’s the recipe:

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup white vinegar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (for bonus zero waste points, you can forego the lemon juice and instead stick lemon peels into the bottle)

• A few drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)

Mix it all together in a spray bottle, and you’ve got yourself a surface cleaner.

Pro tip: If you find yourself scrubbing at something at something truly grimy, pour some baking soda onto the surface you’re cleaning. As you may remember from the middle school science fair, the baking soda will react with the vinegar in your surface cleaner, helping to dissolve away the caked-on grime.