• A bowl of citric acid granules with lemons showing its natural
  • A bowl of white small bath bombs using Citric Acid and Bicarb Soda
  • Jar of citric acid on a toilet as toilet cleaner
  • A kettle with a spoon full of Citric Acid being poured in as a natural descaler
  • Citric Acid granules in a wooden bowl
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The acid in the kit. A cleaner, plastic-free alternative to vinegar.

Citric Acid

Citric Acid

$11.50
$11.50
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Citric acid is a naturally occurring acid found in citrus fruits. In cleaning, it does something none of the alkaline ingredients can: it dissolves mineral deposits, limescale, and hard water build-up by reacting with the alkaline mineral compounds and breaking them down.

It's also the reason your dishwasher rinse aid works — and you can make your own with citric acid and water for a fraction of the cost.

If you currently use white vinegar for cleaning, citric acid does many of the same jobs in powder form: no plastic bottle, no smell, and it stores easily without taking up bench space.

Why buy it pure?

Buying the pure ingredient means you control the concentration and what goes into your cleaning.

One bag of citric acid replaces rinse aid, descaler, bathroom spray, kettle cleaner and fabric softener. One ingredient, a lot of problems solved. No plastic packaging heading to landfill either.

What can I use it for?

Citric acid is the go-to ingredient wherever hard water, limescale, or mineral build-up is the problem. Here's where it earns its place:

In the kitchen

  • Descale your kettle: fill with water and a tablespoon of citric acid, boil and rinse
  • Use it to make your own dishwasher rinse aid: dissolve in distilled water and fill your rinse aid compartment
  • Remove hard water stains from glass, carafes and jugs by soaking in a citric acid solution

In the bathroom

  • Make a bathroom spray: dissolve two to three tablespoons in one litre of warm water and spray on taps, tiles and soap scum
  • Remove limescale from shower heads by soaking in a citric acid solution
  • Clean and descale toilet bowls

In the laundry

  • Use as a natural fabric softener: add a small amount to the rinse cycle to soften fabrics and remove detergent residue
  • Remove mineral build-up from washing machine drums by running an empty hot cycle with citric acid

Around the home

  • Descale coffee machines and other appliances
  • Remove rust stains from metal surfaces

Being an acid, citric acid is not suited for natural stone surfaces like marble and granite, or for aluminium. The same caution applies as with vinegar: acid and natural stone don't mix.

Helpful information

Citric acid has a pH of around 2.2, making it strongly acidic. It dissolves limescale and mineral deposits by reacting with the alkaline calcium and magnesium compounds that form when hard water evaporates. The reaction breaks those deposits down and lets you rinse them away.

It works best dissolved in warm water and given a few minutes of contact time with the surface you're treating.

Safe for your home

  • Septic safe
  • Safe on coloured fabrics when diluted correctly

Safety and storage

Keep it somewhere cool and dry. Store away from moisture as it can clump over time.

Keep out of reach of children and pets. Avoid contact with eyes. At full concentration it can cause skin irritation — wear gloves for extended use or when handling undiluted powder.

Why buy it pure?

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A kettle with a spoon full of Citric Acid being poured in as a natural descaler

Why it's in my toolkit

Citric acid solved a problem I didn't know I had until I stopped using commercial rinse aid and started making my own.

The difference was immediate. Hard water spots on glasses, build-up in the dishwasher, limescale on taps — citric acid handles all of it, and it costs a fraction of what I was spending on single-use products for each of those jobs.

It's also the ingredient that finally got me off cleaning vinegar. I used white vinegar for years thinking it was the best low-tox option. Citric acid is more concentrated, has no smell, and goes a lot further.

Ready to go deeper?

  • Ingredient Guide

    Everything you ever wanted to know about Citric Acid

    Read the guide 

  • Put it to work

    Fabric softener, rinse aid and more. Recipes which you find citric acid

    Browse recipes 

  • More to explore

    Articles, guides and practical resources to help you clean with confidence.

    Explore the blog 
Clean on Your Terms

Clean on Your Terms

You choose the ingredients, giving you full control over what comes into your home.

One Ingredient. Endless Uses.

One Ingredient. Endless Uses.

No single-use products. Each ingredient works solo or together across many tasks.

Full Green Approach

Full Green Approach

Biodegradable & eco-friendly. Responsibly sourced with plastic-free packaging.