How to make Bio-Enzyme Cleaners at Home using Citrus Peels
- anu aiyer
- Jun 10, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 3
What is a Bio Enzyme Cleaner?
Bio Enzyme Cleaner is a fermented mixture prepared from organic materials such as citrus peels, flowers, fruits, and vegetable peels. The bacteria in the peels produce enzymes that break down stains, grease, grout, and dirt into smaller particles, which in turn become food for the bacteria. Learning how to make this is essential for anyone interested in chemical-free and eco-friendly cleaning products.
What is the process for making Enzyme Cleaners?
Bio-enzyme cleaning solution can be easily made at home using materials available in any functional kitchen. It is produced by fermentation.
Lemon/orange peels (or any other organic vegetable/ fruit peels of your choice) are mixed with sugar/jaggery, filtered water, and a tiny bit of yeast in the right proportion and stored in a plastic bottle with a tight lid, in a cool, dark spot. In about three months, the enzyme cleaner will be ready. As the fermentation produces gases, the lid must be opened regularly to let it out. Open the lid once daily to release pressure for the first week or two; after this, the process slows down, so doing so once a week would suffice.
Here I have made detailed instructional videos about making Bio enzymes and their uses. Please follow this account for more videos on leading a more Eco-Friendly lifestyle.
What is the correct proportion for making Bio Enzyme mixture?
The right proportion of the mixture is essential for consistency and the right results. One part sugar/Jaggery, three parts Lemon, ten parts filtered water, and a teaspoon of yeast. The Enzyme cleaner pulp from a completed batch can be used instead of yeast for further batches. This also reduces the time required for the whole process by at least a month.
Once the Enzyme solution is ready, it can be strained, stored in a plastic bottle, and used for various purposes. The pulpy part can be used as a compost accelerator if you have a compost bin/pit or to clean tough stains, grout, etc. Otherwise, it can be discarded; it continues to do its magic by cleaning up any water body it reaches.
What are the various uses of Bio Enzyme Cleaners?
Bio-enzyme cleaners can be used in our daily lives in various ways.
Unclogging Drains.
Fertilizer for plants.
Insect and bug repellant.
Grout Cleaner.
Limescale remover.
Multi-purpose Surface Cleaner.
Deodorizer.
Vegetable wash solution.
I usually dilute the enzyme solution before using it for cleaning purposes, but it's best to use it directly when dealing with tough stains.
Always spray the solution and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it off. This gives the enzymes enough time to work their magic. The more challenging the stain, the longer the soaking time.
Whenever something requires a bit of scrubbing, I sprinkle baking soda before sprinkling the enzyme solution. So far, I have not encountered any dirt or grease on which these hacks do not work in my house.
I also noticed the kitchen drains are notorious for getting clogged. Soap water mixed with oils and fats in the cooking vessels tends to coagulate and cause clogging. Regular use of enzyme solutions ensures this doesn't happen.
How to use the Enzyme Cleaners :
The proportion for dilution is different for different purposes.
Enzyme cleaner | Water | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
100ml | 500 ml | Multi-purpose Cleaner |
50 ml | 5 Liters | Mop Floor |
30 ml | 1 Liter | Vegetable wash |
Concentrated | None | Grease, Grout |
Pulp | None | Toilet cleaning |
Strained Pulp | None | Compost Accelerator |
10 ml | 500ml | Fertilizer for plants |
Do they Really Work?
I have been making my own lemon enzyme cleaner for over two years. In my experience, they are excellent deodorizers that also repel bugs and can be used for most of the cleaning requirements for a regular home. This is my experience and observation, and I cannot categorically state that enzyme cleaners work better than standard chemical cleaners. Having said that, I notice grease and dirt melt away, grout vanishes, plants thrive, and house flies, and mosquitoes have reduced around my house.'
Why use bio-enzyme cleaners instead of commercially available cleaners?
It does a decent job for most of my home cleaning requirements and leaves a mild, pleasant, citrusy smell behind.
Commercial cleaners tend to emit toxic fumes that harm humans and the environment, and we should strive to reduce their usage as much as possible. They additionally pollute water bodies after they leave our homes.
When we use enzyme cleaners, they do the cleaning job effectively without harming us and continue to purify the waterbodies they reach after they leave our homes. By using lemon peels, which would generally be dumped into the garbage, we are utilizing our bio-waste more effectively.
Since this mixture is made in plastic containers, it's a way of recycling plastic or increasing the length of usage of single-use plastic. This will also reduce the number of plastic bottles in our homes, as cleaning liquids are usually sold in plastic containers.
It should also be noted that research is still being done on enzyme cleaners. I recommend trying it to find out for yourself. So far, I have been delighted with the results and keep trying to use it for various new purposes. I recently started mixing it with soap nut solutions to see if I can replace my commercial dish soap and laundry detergents.
Tips based on my experience
Start with just one big batch. It will be ready in roughly 3 to 4 months. You can experiment with the solution for various purposes before making it a part of your routine.
Collect the correct type of plastic containers, keep or store the peels effectively for future use, label them correctly, and dedicate space for keeping the plastic containers. You will give up quickly if the space looks like a messy chemical lab.
Start with Citrus peels; they smell very pleasant, like citrus-smelling vinegar. Once you get used to these enzyme cleaners, you can experiment with different types of peels. Each has its own specific use.
Don't forget to open the lid twice daily for the first few days to avoid popping the lid.
Ensure the bottles have enough empty space ( at least 1/3rd); never fill them to the brim.
If you find any black layers forming on the top, dump the batch; if you see a white layer, It is fine.
Label them with the date or month to avoid confusion. If you forget, wait until the pulp settles at the bottom after 3 to 4 months. That is when it is ready to be strained and used.
Strain the bottle when you are ready for the next batch. Using the same bottle with fresh ingredients is convenient, and whatever settles at the bottom will function as a starter for the new batch. This way, it is an easy swap, and yeast does not have to be added to the mix.
Have a dedicated box in the refrigerator or freezer for storing the peels until you are ready to make the next batch.
Chop up the peels into smaller bits before storing them. This makes it easier to fit inside plastic bottles with small openings.
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