I've bought this kind of household cleaner for ages, but thought it was finally time to make my own. Duh.
Making it is simple. Peel oranges, put the peels in a jar, cover with white vinegar, and let it steep for a few days (or weeks, doesn't matter much except it gets stronger with orange oil as it ages). When you think it's strong enough, strain the vinegar for use.
In the photo above, there are a few pieces of orange sections from where I squeezed some for juice. I figured it can't hurt, but if it eventually causes the vinegar to mold, I'll just start afresh.
Cool!! I'd love to know how it turns out and whether the orange bits did make it mold. Also how well it works.
ReplyDeleteYep, I'll post results.
ReplyDeleteBut, think about this: lots of orange oil cleaners sold in the US, and I'd bet the oil comes from the waste products from making OJ. Surely it would be far too expensive to peel the orange skins after squeezing... and too difficult to to squeeze the oranges if peeled first.
Just a thought...
I made some that I started about 4 months ago and have just begun to use. I added in a cinnamon stick. Smells wonderful! (Way better than just the vinegar!) And I love the added smell of the cinnamon. Next batch I'm going to add a steeping bag with some cloves too just for the scent.
ReplyDeleteMy husband says he thinks it works better than the store-bought orange cleaners.
Hi Darius, thank you for posting this way of making our own cleaner. What is the ratio of oranges to vinegar, for those of us who may need a little guidance on this?
ReplyDeletenumber of oranges.small or large, etc.
do they need to be organic to make this cleaner?
thank you,
Gail
Gail, I just fill a glass jar with orange peels and add apple cider vinegar. I don't think using organic oranges is necessary since we are not drinking it...
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