Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Make Your Own Lemon Dust Cloths


Dusting just happens to be about my LEAST favorite household cleaning chore. Why?  I have no idea. I just hate dusting.

So when I saw this idea at ApartmentTherapy.com...I thought it might be an incentive/motivator for me to dust more. I have no problem with "bribing" myself to do unpleasant chores.

I think one of the MANY reasons why I like making my own cleaning products so much is trying something new to keep things interesting. Because let's face it....until we all have robot maids (like Rosey from the Jetsons'), housecleaning is not likely to get any easier.



So make up a batch of these lemony fresh dusting cloths (you probably already have everything you need to make them)....turn on the "Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" REAL LOUD....and enjoy a truly special cleaning moment. :-)




Lemon Dust Cloths

  • Water
  • White distilled vinegar
  • Olive Oil
  • Rags
  • Lemons
  • Airtight glass container


First, peel some lemons. I had about 6 small Meyer lemons that I had intended on making into a delicious lemony dessert, but instead were almost ready to be compost material.


Mix equal parts water and vinegar. Add a couple drops of olive oil.


Soak rags in the solution until fully saturated. I used old cloth napkins that I cut into fourths. 
(One of these days I HAVE to remember to buy some pinking shears!)


Wring out the rags leaving them just damp.
Lay the rags out flat, and place a couple lemon rinds on each cloth.


Roll or fold the rinds into each cloth, and place into your glass container. 


Add a few extra lemon peels, and make sure the lid is tight. Store until needed.

Once used, wash the dust cloths and make a new batch!

Note: Vinegar is a great mold killer so I wouldn't worry about these getting moldy.


I let my dusting cloths sit in the jar most of the day and get nice and lemony and then used a couple tonight on our entertainment center. Just as I thought...it made my least favorite household chore a MUCH nicer experience. :-)


Adding a lovely lemony scent to brighten up a tiresome household chore is today's.....











17 comments:

  1. ZoquaraMarch 13, 2012 at 2:46 AM

    I notice you use a lot of fresh lemons (or, should I say real lemons? lol) for your cleaning stuff. I tend to avoid fresh fruits of any kind unless I know they'll be used FOR SURE within a day or two since we got a nasty fruit fly infestation at my house last year (I blame the local WalMart!). Can lemon juice be substituted?

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  2. AnonymousMarch 13, 2012 at 5:13 AM

    Love this idea! Are the rags supposed to be wet or dry when you use them?

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  3. AnonymousMarch 13, 2012 at 6:44 AM

    You are quickly becoming my favorite DIY guru! LOVE your tips! So practical! THANKS

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  4. EmilyMMarch 13, 2012 at 6:57 AM

    Do you think it would work to add some lemon essential oil to the water/vinegar/olive oil solution rather than use lemon peels?

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  5. Alyssa BMarch 13, 2012 at 8:31 AM

    This looks like a great idea...but I hate the smell of vinegar so I'm not sure if I want to try it. Can you smell the vinegar? Or just the lemons?

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  6. Jessica S.March 13, 2012 at 8:41 AM

    Have you tried them yet? I've read different variations of this and always wondered if the oil or lemon leave a stick residue on the furniture. What do you think?

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  7. ronikinsMarch 13, 2012 at 8:46 AM

    Zoquara- a great way to get rid of fruit flies... place a small dish (about 2-3 ounce size) in the corner on the counter. add half dish soap and half apple cider vinegar. the flies are attracted to the vinegar but get stuck in the soap. change every day or so (as it fills up with flies). it works! i have a problem with fruit flies every summer.

    i love your site, jillee!! will you just come live with me? please? i'm building a 'scrap' book off all these wonderful 'recipes'. i'm a data hoarder ;) as my husband would call me.

    i'm also wondering about using the bottled lemon juice or essential lemon oil too. makes me miss my meyer lemon tree that we had in l.a.

    thanks

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  8. UnknownMarch 13, 2012 at 8:59 AM

    I didn't notice any sticky residue at all after using it to dust my entertainment center. You are only using a few DROPS of olive oil.

    This didn't smell vinegar-y at all. Just lemony. If you really don't like the smell of vinegar...maybe use 1/2 as much.

    ronikins...yes...I will come live with you! (Have laptop...will travel...and blog!) lol! :-)

    Thanks for all the comments! Glad you liked the post. Off to dust something! (I have the Happy Working Song stuck in my head!)

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  9. ronikinsMarch 13, 2012 at 9:19 AM

    well i hope you like country life! i'm in the middle of nowhere aka missouri ozarks :) spring is in full bloom right now! now for some spring cleaning :)

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  10. MichelleMarch 13, 2012 at 9:57 AM

    The oil and lemon juice won't hurt your furniture, you can actually just mix the two for a furniture polish. It's a great alternative to something like Murphy's oil to keep wood conditioned and looking shiny! I always make a small batch, otherwise it can go rancid. As for everyday dusting, I just use equal parts water and vinegar with essential oil in a spray bottle and a microfiber cloth. Works great to clean most surfaces. I do like the adding of fresh rinds, though, may have to try infusing some vinegar!

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  11. MichelleMarch 13, 2012 at 9:58 AM

    The oil and lemon juice won't hurt your furniture, you can actually just mix the two for a furniture polish. It's a great alternative to something like Murphy's oil to keep wood conditioned and looking shiny! I always make a small batch, otherwise it can go rancid. As for everyday dusting, I just use equal parts water and vinegar with essential oil in a spray bottle and a microfiber cloth. Works great to clean most surfaces. I do like the adding of fresh rinds, though, may have to try infusing some vinegar!

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  12. CindiMarch 13, 2012 at 10:15 AM

    OMG I'm still laughing about the end of the video. Thanks for making my day. I've lived near pigeons and I don't care how much help they are, they are not allowed in the house. The others are a given.

    For me, the Mama Mia sound track gets the house clean every time.

    Thanks for your posts. As a result I have a fresh shelf in the pantry that stores all my raw ingredients.

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  13. BrendaMarch 13, 2012 at 11:42 AM

    Thanks for all of your nontoxic household cleaning information and recipes! I hope you won't mind my sharing a money-saving tip for those pinking shears you need to buy. . . . If you have a JoAnn Fabric and Crafts store near you, they often have all cutting tools on sale at a DEEP discount. They carry Gingher, Fiskars, and others, but you do have to get there early on if you want Ginghers. They don't happen to be on sale right now, but you can check the specials at joann.com and can order online, if that works out better for you. Thanks again, Jill!

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  14. Charlotte WilsonMarch 13, 2012 at 2:11 PM

    I love that all of the ingredients are so natural. I am definitely going to try this. Thanks so much for the "recipe"!

    ♥charlotte

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  15. UnknownMarch 13, 2012 at 2:20 PM

    Cindi....I'm glad you got a kick out of the video...I know I did! :-)

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  16. JennyMarch 13, 2012 at 10:45 PM

    I just recently discovered cleaning with vinegar and it has made cleaning fun for me! Probably won't last long, though. This is a great idea!

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  17. RachelMarch 17, 2012 at 11:39 PM

    What a creative idea! I think I'm going to have to try it, just so I can smell it, LOL. Going to go pin this on Pinterest.

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Please post a comment if you feel so inclined! I love reading your thoughts and suggestions! And let's just face it....we're a lot smarter collectively...than individually. :-)