Two Mumbai moms turn kitchen waste into cleaners for safer homes
Mumbai: Two Mumbai entrepreneurs are turning discarded citrus peels into natural cleaning products through their startup ‘Urthy’, aiming to reduce chemical use in homes and protect soil and water systems.
Co-founders Sonia Verma, 47, and Farheen Ali, 43, produce bioenzyme cleaners by fermenting lemon peels with jaggery and water. The solution breaks down grease, dirt, and organic waste without harsh chemicals found in conventional household cleaners.
The friends launched Urthy in 2022 after experimenting at home. They met in 2019 and began discussing a brand a few months before the launch, driven by concerns over household toxins and environmental damage.
“We didn’t just want safer homes,” Farheen says. “We wanted cleaner soil, cleaner water, and a better world for our children.”Urthy’s process uses citrus waste that would otherwise go to landfills. When drained, the bioenzyme-based cleaners can also support healthier soil and water systems, the founders say.
The drums of fermenting peels sit on a terrace where their children play nearby, linking their personal lives to the brand’s mission of rethinking everyday cleaning habits.
