The Juicy Fruit That Makes One Of The Best Natural All-Purpose Cleaners

There's no denying that cleaning can be a pain. Scrubbing with a seemingly endless assortment of different sprays and cleaning agents is hardly anyone's idea of fun, so we're always looking for ways to make it easier. Fortunately for you, you can turn one juicy fruit you may already have into one of the best homemade all-purpose cleaners you'll find. Even better, it's completely natural and easy (if a bit time-consuming) to make.

Once upon a time in the 1700s, pineapple was a highly expensive and rare fruit that was often used as a status symbol. Today, it's easily found in grocery stores throughout the world and is your secret to making a natural and versatile cleaning agent to use in your home. Pineapple works well here because of its acidity, which helps it break down stubborn stains. It also contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins. That bromelain is key, as it allows pineapple to become an enzymatic cleaner, a cleaning agent that uses biological enzymes to break down dirt instead of more artificial chemicals.

However, it's not the inside of the pineapple you're after, so those canned pineapple slices from the store are better used atop burgers. Instead, you're meant to enjoy that fruit, then use the tough outer peel and leaves — you were going to discard those anyway, right? — to make your cleaner.

So, how do you turn pineapple into cleaner? It's a simple, if involved, process. Simply cut a fresh pineapple as you normally would to eat it and save the scraps. Since you need the pineapple's acidity, the less acidic, pink-hued Pinkglow pineapple variety is a poor choice; use a typical pineapple instead. Mix about 10.5 ounces of the skins and leaves with about 1/2 cup (100 grams) of brown sugar and a liter of water. Then, let the mixture ferment in a sealed container for three months, opening the container every two to three days to release gas buildup. You'll know it's ready if it's brown and has small pineapple bits floating on top. Bits of mold or other such nastiness are signs that the process has gone wrong and the mix needs to be discarded.

Once your pineapple mix is ready, you can use it as you would any other cleaner. As an enzymatic cleaner, it's particularly effective on organic protein stains like food or dirt, but its acidity means that it can be used to help fix up almost any kind of mess.

Don't think that just because this cleaner is natural, though, that you can throw all caution to the wind. Because of the acids and bromelain in the mix, it's a smart idea to wear protective gloves at all times when handling your pineapple cleaner and take care not to get it on your skin or in your eyes.