Cleaning dog’s pee-puddle or your kitty’s accident on the living room floor does not have to be a traumatic process.  We have addressed how to remove urine stains with home products, and a recent blog on described how enzymatic cleaners work to literally devour the nasty small of waste.  But for those who want to be resourceful and work with natural products to create an efficient and effective enzyme-rich cleaner, many pet owners resort to making their own enzymatic cleaners at home. The concept of resourcefully pulling items from your recycle bin, fridge or cupboard is appealing for those who prefer to use all home-made cleaning products.

Home-Made Enzymatic Cleaners

Note: Creating home-made cleaners can be a long process that may take several weeks to complete. In the meantime it may be best to keep a back-up cleaner ready while this product is developing, in case your cat or dog has an unexpected accident.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups citrus peels, rinds, and scraps. (This could be lemon, orange, grapefruit, or pineapple rinds, etc.)
  • ½ gallon tap water
  • 1 tsp yeast (optional)

Directions

  • Cut all the citrus fruit peels and put them in a large mason jar. Mix in the brown sugar and yeast (if you plan to use it) along with the fruit pulp/peels.
  • Add the tap water and close the jar’s lid tightly.
  • Shake the bottle to mix the ingredients together evenly, and continue to do this at least once a day.
  • Store the jar in a cool cupboard, and after the daily shaking, loosen the lid to allow any gases to escape from the jar.
  • The product will be ready to use in 2 weeks if mixed with yeast, or 3 months if left without.
  • When the liquid is ready, unscrew the jar, and strain the liquid 2-3 times until all the pulp and solids have been removed.
  • Pour this liquid into a spray bottle to use for cleaning.
  • For scrubbing powder: Take the rest of the pulp, and put it in a blender with 1- 1 ½ cups of baking soda. Blend this for 15-30 seconds, until the mix is thick and grainy. This can be used as surface scrubs for areas that need a bit more elbow grease.
  • The thick enzymatic scrub can be stored in a small Tupperware and used on surfaces that need a more abrasive approach to lift a smell or stain.

Note: Some DIY products exclude the yeast from the mix, since the enzymes content is uncertain in products made with yeast. However, adding yeast speeds up the fermentation process, so while omitting the yeast may create a stronger enzymatic product, it will take much longer to ferment.