Citric Acid Spray

Analisa Malone



Your no-smell alternative to cleaning with vinegar, reach for this to tackle hard water stains and soap residue.

Using vinegar as a cleaning spray is well known and common practice, however diluting a tiny bit of citric acid in water does the same job - without the smell!

In most cases this spray is the second step in the cleaning process, after 'dirt and grime' has been removed with a soap or alkali based cleaner.

Use it for:

  • Shining windows, glass and mirrors
  • Removing limescale, calcium and mineral deposits in showers and toilets. That's the crusty white stuff that appears on your shower screens and on tapware)
  • To remove soap scum in the bathroom
  • To remove rust

This spray solution can also be turned into a thicker gel solution, perfect for when more contact time is required and for vertical surfaces like the shower or toilet.

Care: Do not use on marble or porous surfaces as it can etch and damage stone. Always test patch up unsure.

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The Recipe

500ml Makes / Yield
< 1 minute Time

Ingredients

  • Citric Acid
    1 teaspoon (~7–10g)
  • Water
    Top with water to make 500ml. Tap or pre-boiled water is fine. If you have hard water, use distilled or demineralised water.
  • Optional Essential oils
    5–10 drops. Lemon, lemongrass or eucalyptus work well.

Method

  1. Add the citric acid to the 500 mL spray bottle.
  2. Add the essential oil, if using, then top up with water.
  3. Replace the spray trigger and gently tip the bottle a few times to combine. The small amount of citric acid will dissolve in the water.

Good to know

Can I use vinegar instead?

Yes — diluted or undiluted vinegar works too.

The citric acid creates the same pH and acidic environment as vinegar and is a lot easy to store. If used just for this purpose, a small 750 gram bag of citric acid would make at least 40 litres of spray!

Why this works

Citric acid
A mild acid that dissolves mineral deposits and neutralises soapy, alkaline residue — the two things that cause streaking on glass and cloudiness on shower screens.

Tips for best use

If the glass or surface has visible grime, fingerprints, residue, or a greasy film, an acidic spray on its own won't give good results. That layer needs to be removed first.

Clean the surface with a multi-purpose spray or paste first. Once the glass is clean, follow with this acidic window and glass spray as a finishing step. This two-step approach prevents streaking and stops residue from being spread around the surface.

See the multi-purpose recipes suited for dirt and grime removal:

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