In terms of cleanliness, cleaning tools are familiar to us, such as detergents, bleach, or commercial cleaning products usually advertised or sold at the point of sale. Unfortunately, commercial products themselves are mostly made from hazardous chemicals and, worse, not environmentally friendly.
For this reason, as a solution to the problem, it would be nice for us to start using only natural products like clean with citric acid for cleaning purposes and activities every weekend. The product itself is commonly used in the form of citric acid. As one of the weak organic acids, citric acid is very safe and environmentally friendly.
Citric Acid vs. Vinegar Cleaning
Usually, natural ingredients are used to clean using citric acid or using vinegar partially. Their nature, which is a mildly acidic compound, makes them a safe and less expensive cleaning agent than conventional commercial cleaners.
Read also: How to Clean a Garbage Disposal that Smells
Although they are both used for cleaning other uses, they are not always the same. For example, producers can use citric acid to preserve their food production in the form of cans, whereas vinegar cannot do that. Not only that, their shapes are different.
Usually, citric acid is more easily found in powder form, whereas vinegar is found in liquid form.
Vinegar can only be used as a food additive in the household. Vinegar can be other ingredients such as polyvinyl acetate and cellulose acetate. It’s just that, to make it like that, it must go through a separate manufacturing process again.
Citric acid is usually used to:
- Food additives
In its use as a food additive, we can usually see citric acid if we buy a candy that has a sour taste. Then try to look at the composition of the packaging. There will be information on the ingredients of the formation of candy using citric acid. And proven, the taste of the acid is citric acid.
- Food preservation
If you are curious about canned food packaging that can last for years, it can be ascertained in the production process using citric acid. Citric acid is used to help increase the pH of food in cans to inhibit bacteria’s growth which can cause food to rot.
- Help make cheese
Have you ever wondered why milk that was originally runny can turn into a very thick cheese? Then the answer is the use of citric acid in the process. By using citric acid, of course, agglomeration will be faster than using other methods.
- Cosmetics
It is used for cosmetics because citric acid itself can be used as an antioxidant. For this reason, no wonder many cosmetics also use citric acid in their production. The ingredients are natural and also very safe for the skin.
- Purifier
In biochemistry, citric acid is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle in the mitochondria, which is very influential in the metabolism of living things. Thus, citric acid is used as a safe cleaning tool because it is very environmentally friendly.
- Clothing stain remover
It turns out that citric acid can also help remove soap scum. Its acidic nature makes lifting dirt and grease that stains on dirt when immersed in water. Interestingly, it does not make the color of clothing fade later.
As for vinegar, although most of it is used for kitchen purposes such as being a food additive, it is usually also used as:
- Cleaner
Here, it can be said that vinegar has a myriad of abilities to clean various kinds of tools. Starting from the floor, bathroom, furniture, and even electronic devices because of its anti-bacterial properties.
- Returns metal to shiny
You have a rusty device or tool. The solution is to use vinegar to polish it. Just wipe it with a wet cloth mixed with vinegar. The rust will immediately disappear.
- Clean stains on clothes
This can also be applied to vinegar. Drop the vinegar directly on clothes stains that are difficult to remove before the clothes are soaked. Relax. That won’t make your clothes fade.
Uses Citric Acid Powder to be Converted Into Liquids
In the market, indeed, most citric acid is sold in powder form. However, if you need citric acid in liquid form and it is tough to find it on the market, use the citric acid powder sold and make your liquid citric acid.
The steps are straightforward, namely:
- Provide enough citric acid powder and water.
- Prepare tools and ingredients. Try not to use metals because of the nature of the citric acid that reacts with metals.
- Determine in advance the quantities that you want to use. The use of more citric acid can make it last longer. However, of course, it will deplete citric acid faster. Therefore, use only what is needed because, in addition to not spending a lot on citric acids, of course, it will be something economical.
- Boil water until hot to be mixed into a container containing citric acid.
- Mix the boiling water into a container of citric acid, then stir until all the dissolved powders merge with the water.
- After that, filter the citric acid, which has turned into liquid, into another container.
- Let the temperature drop to the same temperature as the air in the room.
- Finally, store the liquid citric acid in a bottle and close it tightly so it does not evaporate.
- Store in a place that is not directly exposed to the sun.
That’s how to use citric acid powder to be converted into liquids. Easy right?
Applying Citric Acid Laundry Daily
Citric acid is generally better known as an ingredient for food additives. Adding flavor or preserving is indeed the dominant use in food by citric acid. But apparently, citric acid is not just for that. Citric acid can also be applied in the case of laundry.
The reason citric acid can be used as an ingredient in the laundry is its anti-bacterial and fungal properties. Because of these properties, citric acid is a natural disinfectant and is also very environmentally friendly.
As an example, in washing clothes, instead of using powder detergents, which can later leave the remaining powder attached and make clothes smelly and made from harmful chemicals, it is better to use citric acid combined with borax.
Citric acid can remove rust, lime, and soap scum. In some countries where people are starting to care about the environment, they have begun to make citric acid cleaning detergents for washing activities such as washing clothes, washing dishes, washing household furniture, to vehicle and bathroom parts.
Those are some examples of applying citric acid laundry. Interested in trying it?
