Easy DIY Orange Peel Cleaner (With Vinegar)

Don’t toss your orange or citrus rinds; instead, use them to make a natural cleaning concentrate. Here’s how to save money, reduce waste, and make an easy DIY orange peel cleaner with vinegar. And 4 incredible ways to use this powerful cleaner in your home.

PS: You can use any citrus to make this awesome cleaner: lemon, orange, lime, or grapefruit peels!

Baking soda, vinegar, and Sal Suds are my go-to non-toxic cleaning products. Every time I mention vinegar, I get a few comments like this, “But I can’t stand the smell of vinegar in my home!”

I get it. A house that smells like vinaigrette salad dressing isn’t for everyone.

This recipe is the solution!

It infuses citrus rinds, fresh herbs (optional), and warm pantry spices (also optional) with white vinegar. This infusion turns the vinegar into a deliciously-scented orange vinegar concentrate that you can use to make your own DIY cleaners.

Ingredients Needed

First thing, you need to make a cleaning concentrate with the citrus peels and vinegar (AKA: a citrus-infused vinegar). You’ll then use this concentrate to make your natural cleaning solutions (like all purpose spray, window cleaner, etc.) Here’s what you need to make the concentrate…

• 3-4 cups distilled white vinegar (should contain somewhere between 4-6% acetic acid, like this)
• a handful or orange peels, lemon peels, lime peels, or grapefruit peels
• (optional) 1 cinnamon stick or a few cloves
• (optional) a few sprigs of a fresh herb: sage, thyme, or peppermint (one or a combination)

Equipment Needed

• 1 quart-size glass jar (like a wide mouth mason jar) for infusing the vinegar and citrus rinds
• glass or plastic lid to seal the jar during the infusion process
• fine mesh sieve or strainer to separate the rinds from the infused vinegar
• large bowl for straining the vinegar from the rinds

Q: Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar?

A: I don’t recommend using apple cider vinegar to make this orange peel vinegar cleaner. White vinegar is considered to be the most acidic vinegar and the strongest option for making a household cleaner. Save the apple cider vinegar for homemade salad dressing.

How to Make: Step By Step Instructions & Video

Step 1: Add Citrus Peels to a Jar

You can use just one kind of citrus peel, like orange peels, or a variety of different citrus peels mixed together in the jar.

Step 2: Add Fresh Herbs or Spices (Optional)

This is optional. I love to add a sprig or two of fresh sage, mint, or thyme to the jar. Add both the stem and leaf.

You can also add a cinnamon stick or a few whole cloves as well. All of these ingredients add a lovely scent to the concentrate.

Step 3: Top with Vinegar

Pour vinegar over the peels and herbs/spices so they are completely submerged by the vinegar. Fill the jar to the top. Then secure the lid.

Step 4: Infuse for 2 Weeks

Place the jar under your sink, or on the counter, and allow the mixture to infuse for 2 weeks. Sunlight will speed up the process.

During this time the orange oils (in the rinds), herbs, and spices will infuse with the vinegar. The vinegar will turn a visible orange or yellow (depending on the citrus used).

Step 5: Strain the Peels from the Vinegar

After 2 weeks, the orange concentrate is ready to use. Yay!! Your patience has paid off and you now have a natural and incredibly powerful cleaning solution.

Using a fine mesh strainer and a large bowl, pour the contents of the jar into the strainer, allowing the beautiful cleaning vinegar to fill the bowl underneath and the strainer to catch the rinds. Discard the peels (and herbs or spices).

Return the infused vinegar to the storage jar (or use a clean jar) and secure the lid. Use this concentrate to make your own cleaners (see recipes below).

Storage

Store the infused vinegar in the jar with a lid until you need to use it. The vinegar can be stored at room temperature for a couple of months. Or kept in the fridge for up to 6 months (or longer).

Why & How This Cleaner Works

• Vinegar, used to make this DIY orange cleaner, has incredible cleaning power! Most household vinegars (used in the kitchen) contain 4-6% acetic acid, which is what makes vinegar such a great cleaning ingredient.
• Vinegar has been shown to have antibacterial properties. To quote Dr. Alan Taege, an infectious disease expert at the Cleveland Clinic, in a recent interview with Women’s Health Magazine, “Vinegar does have disinfectant activity. Vinegar is acetic acid, which has the ability to destroy bacteria and viruses.”
• The skin of citrus fruits contain something called d-limonene, which creates that lovely citrus scent we all love. If you’re not a fan of a vinegar smell, this cleaner is the solution: it has a pleasant citrus odor and a fresh scent!
• Beyond the scent, d-limonene is also a natural solvent. A solvent dissolves and lifts dirt from surfaces. Thanks to the citrus peels, this cleaner is a natural way to clean soiled surfaces effectively.
• The fresh herbs infuse antibacterial properties into this non-toxic cleaner. Yes, you could add essential oils, but I’d much rather go the sustainable and economical route and use fresh herbs. I love to add thyme, mint, sage, and/or a cinnamon stick.

4 Ways to Use Orange Peel Vinegar for Cleaning

Your orange peel vinegar concentrate is ready, now what? Use this concentrate to make your own household cleaners.

1. All-Purpose Spray

Use the concentrate at full strength or add 1 cup water and 1 cup concentrate to a 16-ounce glass spray bottle (my favorite bottles). Shake the bottle to combine the ingredients. Use throughout the home: bathroom, kitchen, counter-tops, sink, cutting boards, the tub, shower, garbage can, or inside the fridge. Always wipe the surface with a clean, damp cloth after spraying.

Caution: Never use vinegar (which is acidic) on granite or marble kitchen counters or bathroom counters.

2. Clean Windows

Use the concentrate to make this homemade window and glass cleaner instead of using white vinegar. Don’t use vinegar on your smartphone screen or computer monitors since acid can strip the special coating.

3. Garbage Disposal Pods

Finely chop 2-3 lemon or orange peels and add them to an ice cube tray. Pour the concentrate over the top of the peels and freeze the ice cube tray. Once the pods are frozen, remove from the ice cube tray and store the pods in a freezer-safe bag. To deodorize, de-grease, and clean the garbage disposal, run cold water in the sink, place 1-2 pods in the garbage disposal and run the disposal.

4. Kitchen Degreaser Spray

For a simple kitchen degreaser, add a few drops of natural dish soap or Sal Suds (not castile soap, remember the reaction issue?) to either the full strength concentrate or 1 cup water and 1 cup concentrate in a 16-ounce spray bottle. Spray on the surface and wipe clean.