Natural Homemade Coop Cleaner: Citrus, Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Powder and More

Photo of Kassandra Smith

Kassandra Smith

Senior Editor • Backyard Chicken Coops

Last Updated: 18 March 2014

Although it may be a bit more time consuming to clean your chicken coop using all natural ingredients due to the preparation time, the benefits are egg-eptional!  Try out some of these wonderful natural homemade recipes! Not only can these be used to clean your chicken coop, but you can use them all around your home, from the kitchen to the bathroom and floors!

Did you know, cinnamon oil kills mosquito larvae and vanilla beans repel flies, mosquitoes and other insects! The best part is, these are all natural, so start using them today!

Cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean pods

What you will need: it is a good idea to stock up on the following items so you can make up plenty of natural fresh cleaners for your home and backyard:

  • Lemons - citrus fruits are a sweet-scented way of  getting rid of tough stains
  • Limes - see above
  • Orange or any citrus you like
  • Baking soda - a non-toxic ingredient that's great as a household or coop cleaner
  • Apple cider vinegar - a great all round cleaner, disinfects and keeps insects at bay
  • Vanilla beans, cinnamon quills, lavender, mint and other fresh herbs - they deter flying and crawling insects, and smell amazing

Keep these in your cupboard and you've got the right ingredients for a fresh smelling and clean coop.

CITRUS & APPLE CIDER VINEGAR CLEANER

Citrus and apple cider vinegar are really quite incredible natural cleaners, and are a great alternative to harsh chemicals!  Fans of fresh citrus know that the scent is extremely inviting - but it's also effective at removing tough stains and other oils. Vinegar is probably more well known as being a great disinfectant, but did you know it keeps pesky insects at bay as well! Again, like citrus, it gets rid of oils and marks.  So its no surprise when you add them together, they are an effective, natural cleaner that scrubs well and smells great!

Ingredients

  • 6 grapefruit or 8 oranges or 12 lemons or limes
  • Apple cider vinegar vinegar
  • Glass jar
  • Spray bottle

Method:

1. Get rid of the juice out of the grapefruits, oranges, lemons or limes - whatever you've decided to use.  You only need the skin for this recipe

2. Place the fruit skins into a large jar (with an airtight lid), and add apple cider vinegar until the skins are submerged.

3. Find a nice spot for it to sit and ferment for two weeks.

4. After two weeks, get a strainer and empty the jars contents through it, keeping the liquid and discarding the skin.

5. When using it as a cleaner, add equal parts water to the mixture.

This recipe definitely isn't confined to the coop - you can use it as a great natural house cleaner as well!

Natural cleaning products for your backyard chicken coop

STAINLESS STEEL KITCHEN CLEANER

Baking soda is another natural ingredient great as a cleaning agent. Here's a recipe that combines it with citrus and vinegar, that will have your coop and your home as clean as a whistle!

Ingredients:

  • Baking Soda
  • Old toothbrush
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Lemon

Method

Wet the sink area with apple cider vinegar, then generously sprinkle over the baking soda. Leave sit for 15mins. Then use tooth brush to scrub off any stubborn marks and use a cloth to rinse off all the baking soda, to reveal the shiny clean sick. Poor over lemon juice for a fresh smell and dry off with a towel.

Sources and further reading