Tired of chemicals and want to clean your home sweet home sustainably and ecologically? All you need to do is use citric acid. It is not only suitable for household use, but also offers you many other interesting uses. Check them out below:
What exactly is citric acid?
Citric acid is a carboxylic acid of natural origin, biodegradable and therefore environmentally friendly. It is a versatile product. It is known for its cleaning and disinfecting effect, in particular as a descaler. Cosmetics and cleaning products also contain citric acid. It prevents the development and spread of bacteria and mold and diffuses a pleasant smell of freshness and cleanliness. If you work with citric acid, vinegar, baking soda and soda, you save yourself a lot of expensive industrial cleaners. Opt for citric acid in all the rooms of your home: it has the advantage of being inexpensive and very effective!
Use citric acid in your bathroom
Citric acid will work wonders in your bathroom and at all levels. First of all, if your biggest problem is limescale, then it will help you get rid of those unsightly, stubborn white spots. Mix a quarter of a liter of water with 1.5 tablespoons of citric acid powder and use it to easily descale your taps, shower heads, bathtub, etc. Let the solution soak in for a while and rinse well afterwards. In the event of a particularly heavy lime deposit, for example on a shower head, you can also unscrew it and soak it in the mixture overnight. Kept in a spray bottle, you can also use it to descale your windows and the wall of your shower.
If you have mold on your joints or on your tiles, it is also useful. Especially since citric acid has a disinfectant effect but also a slight whitening effect. You can also introduce it into your clogged pipes. Add 3-4 tablespoons of citric acid, then as many tablespoons of baking soda and a little vinegar. Leave on overnight then rinse thoroughly. Citric acid can even be used to make pretty effervescent bath bombs! Because when it dissolves, it bubbles. Mix 200 grams of baking soda with 100 grams of citric acid and 50 grams of cornstarch and add 80 to 100 grams of coconut oil and the essential oils of your choice and voila!
Using citric acid in your toilet
If the water is not draining properly in your toilet tank, you can empty it. Then pour a few tablespoons of citric acid. Turn the water back on and wait a few hours. After that, the toilet should flush again. In the same way, inside the bowl, to get rid of limestone and urinary tartar, soak toilet paper in the water and citric acid mixture. Drop it on the affected areas for a few hours. For a pleasant fragrance, you can add a few drops of essential oils.
Using Citric Acid in Your Cooking
Surprisingly, you can use citric acid to make a dish cleaner. Mix two parts citric acid with one part soda and one part baking soda and you will get a practical and ecological detergent to wash your dishes. If you mix citric acid with water and alcohol, you get a cheap rinse aid. Citric acid not only cleans, it also softens the water and prevents the formation of limescale. If your dishwasher is no longer cleaning properly, these tips may help.
This also applies to your small electrical appliances that often come into contact with water, such as your coffee machine or your kettle. Dilute 2 to 3 tablespoons of citric acid in 1 liter of cold water, let it act in the device for a few hours, then rinse it. Of course, do not overheat.
Moreover, in this regard, if the bottom of your pan has burned and is left with a deposit, you can also soak it in a mixture of hot water and two spoonfuls of citric acid. Tarnished or rusted cutlery regains a new shine if rubbed with citric acid poured onto a soft cloth and then rinsed. Rinsing is important because the citric acid not only removes rust but also attacks the metal.
Use citric acid in your washing machine
Citric acid can be used in the drum of your machine but also to clean the outside. To descale your appliance, put 7 to 8 tablespoons of citric acid in your drum and run a high temperature program with no load. You can descale the soleplate of your iron in the same way, because the small holes sometimes tend to clog. As for the exterior of your washing machine, you can use the same mixture to clean it.
You can also put citric acid in contact with white linen. Dissolve about 3 teaspoons in a liter of water and add 2 measuring caps per wash cycle to the compartment where you usually put your fabric softener. Unlike conventional fabric softeners, no surfactants will remain on your clothes. And you’ll kill two birds with one stone, since the citric acid also fights limescale deposits in your machine. Citric acid having a bleaching effect, vinegar or baking soda are preferred as substitutes for your fabric softener for your colored or darker laundry.
Finally, you can use citric acid to clean certain textiles, especially those with an unsightly stain in the armpits. Stains will fade if, for example, you soak your T-shirt in citric acid for a few hours before washing it. You can also pre-treat shirt and blouse collars with citric acid. To remove fruit and rust stains from your clothes, you can also rub the affected areas with a citric acid solution or lemon juice. However, the acid in lemon juice is not as concentrated. It is therefore necessary to use a little more or to let it act longer.
Precautions for use of citric acid
As its name suggests, it is an acid. So be careful when handling it and use rubber gloves if you have sensitive skin. Citric acid is not considered dangerous or harmful because it is non-toxic and edible. It can be consumed in large quantities, but it can attack tooth enamel. Always keep it out of the reach of children. Citric acid mixtures should not be heated. It must be dosed correctly otherwise it will attack the parts with which it is in contact. Do not exceed 3 tablespoons of citric acid for one liter of water. And if you have natural stone at home, be it granite or marble, be careful. Because citric acid can attack the stone.