How to Make Your Own DIY Natural Orange Citrus Cleaner

What do you do with your orange peels?

Do you usually them throw away or compost them after enjoying the sweet, juicy fruit inside?

Well if you knew the magic that these orange peels hold, you would never throw them away again.

There are a multitude of tried and true uses for these humble orange scraps.

One great use for discarded orange peels is a safe, effective DIY Natural Orange Citrus Cleaner ,

which you can make in your kitchen for pennies per use.

And I’m so glad I discovered this.

For good reasons…

My family has have always loved the scent of citrus in our home.

Unfortunately, the scent they were spraying came from an aerosol disinfectant spray can filled

with toxic ingredients and artificial scents or cleaning  products with a “fake” citrus-scent.

In their defense, they did not know how potentially harmful these air fresheners and cleaning

products could be.

They (like most of us) were lulled into a false sense of security by compelling–and sadly misleading–

product marketing claims.

Many commercial cleaners and fresheners use toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, phenols,

pesticides, lye, and phthalates (among others) in their ingredients.

Some of those chemical-laden cleaners are questionable at best and dangerous at worst–their

labels are festooned with warnings about accidental ingestion, inhalation of fumes, eye contact,

skin contact, etc.

Using these products is not only dangerous to your health, but also harmful for the environment.

EWG Cleans Up the Confusion

Environmental Working Group’s investigation of more than 2,000 cleaning supplies

on the American market revealed that many contain substances linked to serious health problems.

 Disturbing findings from the study included:

*Fumes from some cleaning products may induce asthma and other respiratory problems in

otherwise healthy individuals.

*Cleaning product fumes may trigger attacks in persons previously diagnosed with asthma.

*Common cleaning ingredients can be laced with the carcinogenic impurity 1,4-dioxane.

*Independent tests have detected 1,4-dioxane in numerous name-brand cleaning supplies.

*Other products contain preservatives that release low levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde.

*Studies show that children born to women who held cleaning jobs while pregnant have an elevated

risk of birth defects

*Some cleaners can cause chemical burns and poisonings as well as less severe irritations

and allergies.

Despite these health concerns, cleaning product labels often do not give consumers enough

information about their ingredients to allow people to make informed decisions on which ones are

safer and which ones might harm their health.

All the more reason why making our own safe, effective DIY Natural Orange Citrus Cleaner with orange

peels (or other citrus peels, if you prefer) is a smart and frugal way to protect your health and the

environment–and a lot more appealing than the alternative!

Plus, why discard, when you can reuse!

DIY Natural Orange Citrus Cleaner

Ingredients

1 or 2 quart sized mason jars

1-2 quarts white vinegar

Orange peels – I prefer organic

A spray bottle

Optional: 4 drops orange essential oil

Directions:

Fill a glass quart jar half full with orange peels

Pour white vinegar over the peels filling the jar the rest of the way to the top.

Cover the jar tightly with a lid and shake vigorously.

Mark the start date for your orange cleaner on a piece of tape or label on the jar.

Let the peels steep in the vinegar for 2-3 weeks. (The longer the peels steep, the more potent your

solution will become.)

At the end of 2-3 weeks, remove the orange peels from the jar and strain the remaining solution

through a fine mesh strainer.

Dilute the strained citrus vinegar solution 1:1 with water–one part citrus vinegar to one part water.

Pour your citrus vinegar ito  a spray bottle.

Optional: add 3-4 drops essential oil to boost it’s cleaning power

Use your DIY Orange Citrus Cleaner to safely clean counter tops, sinks, showers, bathtubs and even floors.

You can also use it to clean and disinfect toilets.

Got More Peels?

Orange peels make great household deodorizers, for instance:

*Freshen your home:

Fill your home with the welcoming scent of citrus by simmering a few pieces of orange

peel with a few cloves, or any other spices you enjoy.

This is also an appealing way to add humidity to the air in your household.

The soothing smell of the orange and cloves together wafts throughout your home

giving it a pleasant and refreshing feel.

*Deodorize your trash can:

Place some orange peels in the bottom your garbage can before you put in your clean trash bag.

*Deodorize your disposal:

To freshen a smelly sink, put some orange peels down the disposal and run until clear to create

a nice citrus scent.

*Deodorize your refrigerator: 

Cut an orange in half, remove the fruit and fill the orange-half with salt.

Put the orange half in a small bowl, then keep it in the refrigerator to deodorize it.

So remember, the next time you eat an orange, don’t discard the skin, use it to make a safe, natural

and effective household cleaner, a deodorizer or a refreshing scent for your home.

Have you made your own natural cleaners at home?

What other uses have you found for orange peels?

Share your thoughts, experiences and suggestions with us.

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