Q&A for How to Make Enzyme Cleaner

You must use only FDA-approved products purchased only through the nursing home's suppliers (who are licensed and bonded). This is a legal issue.

No, I would not recommend trying to alter the methods shown here.

Without the d-limonene found in the citrus, your mixture's cleaning ability is likely to be reduced. You can always try it and see if it works for you.

It's best not to go adding things into a fermentation process that is already underway. You could accidentally add a contaminant or throw off the biochemical reaction happening naturally.

The brown sugar doesn't repel insects. The brown sugar aids in the fermentation of the product. The finished product is what repels insects. Sugars last indefinitely, but brown sugar is best to use within 2 years. The shelf life of enzyme cleaners is usually around 2 years as well.

Yes, use undiluted. Make sure you soak the urine stain with the enzyme solution and let it sit for at least 15 minutes, possibly longer if needed. Then use a carpet cleaner, extractor, or take a towel to extract as much as possible of the solution and urine out of the mattress. Let the mattress air dry.

The absolute best way to kill bedbugs, cockroaches, ants or any other insect invading your home is to buy food grade diatomaceous soil at an agriculture store ($5.00 plus tax for a cottage cheese sized tub). It will not harm humans or your pets, but will kill the pests rapidly. Sprinkle this soil over your mattress top, bottom & sides. Sprinkle it in your doorways, in any cracks, crevices & baseboards, under the fridge & stove as well as any other highly visible infested areas. You may have to repeat this procedure twice. It will work. It is organic & non-toxic.

No, it's not necessary to rinse. I use this for cat spray and I NEVER rinse. I spray generous amounts into the area where the cat has sprayed and allow to dry naturally. Usually one treatment does it, but sometimes 2 are needed. First treatment let sit 15-20 minutes, second treatment just let dry naturally. Then there will be no more cat urine/cat spray smell.

Citrus essential oils do contain d-limonene, which is the component of citrus peels known for both their aroma and cleaning ability, so theoretically yes. Just use them sparingly.

No, the yeast consumes the sugars as food until it is all used up.

The pulps aren't particularly useful; they could be composted, but take a long time to degrade. They need a lot of heat and time compared to other fruit and vegetable waste.

Your yeast might have been old. Check the expiration date on the package.

I would not recommend that as changing the recipe throughout could negatively affect the final product. If you have more ingredients, just make a second bottle.

All life contains enzymes, with the exception of extremely simple entities like viruses. Enzymes relevant to cleaning are sold in consumer products such as contact lens cleaning solution, meat tenderizer, pet stain remover, and a variety of laundry products. It's also possible to extract enzymes from food waste for use in household surface and textile cleaning; this tutorial outlines how to use citrus peels for that purpose.

Yes. The idea is to supply the citrus smell, which, if it is stronger, must also work.

The fermentation and extraction are both very likely to introduce food acids into the solution (acetic, citric, etc.); these can etch free lime in concrete. Sealed concrete resists this somewhat: most of the free lime at the outer surface has reacted with sealant (water glass, Na2SiO3) to form calcium silicate. Still not a sure thing, especially if the cleaner leaches into small cracks.

No, because it is not an alcohol cleaner, it is the enzyme that is released when the balance is different than that of alcohol. Alcohol doesn’t have ANY live active enzymatic material in it, where this does. This is introducing a SIGNIFICANTLY larger amount of yeasts vs. just a tiny bit of processed yeasts found in some bread scraps for your basic prison pruno.

No; the bark is non-porous, tough, and does not contain the chemical required to activate the enzymatic process.

Vegetable scraps like spinach and vegetable stalks will make the enzyme have a bad smell.

Peels tend to settle at the bottom of the container, indicating its readiness.

During the first two weeks the sugar converts to alcohol and carbon dioxide gas, so you need to release the pressure by opening the bottle and then closing tightly at least three times a day. The two-week fermenting stage is separate after that; you don't need to vent it as often, just once a day.

Fermentation doesn't affect the volume of the solution; after you take out the citrus peels, there should be approximately the same amount of water you started with: one liter, or a little over 4 cups.

You can use any type of citrus peel. Some prefer orange. I tried lemon and did not think it worked as well. I always make extra to share and one friend agreed the orange seemed to clean better.

Vinegar is a low acidic (read the label for the % usually around 2-5%) and can help break down solids without eating away too quickly. White and Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) are commonly used as a cleaner, in some food consumption, as well as other products such as dog shampoo.