The Duped Project 11/50: DIY Orange Cleaner

I love Earth. I do not love the smell of vinegar. For years, these two things were in conflict, and my cleaning products continued to cost me too much simply because I preferred the smell of bleach or "clean linen" fragrance (which never smells like linen, by the way).

Recently, I decided it was time to give homemade all-purpose cleaner a shot when I came across this idea from Little Brick Ranch to harness the power of citric acid by essentially pickling orange peels. The claim: you won't smell the vinegar AND you'll get the added cleaning from the fruity goodness.

So did it turn out? Yes ma'am. I'll admit, there's a bit of a vinegarishness to the concoction, but nothing I can't handle. It cleans very well, is healthier for my family and the environment, and like any other homemade cleaning product, reduces packaging and fattens your wallet.

Ready to try it? Read on, dupers!

Supplies!

You'll Need:

• Citrus Fruit
• White Vinegar
• Glass Jar
• Spray Bottle
• Plus: Two weeks time

Step 1: Peel your fruit and put the peels in a clean glass jar. You don't have to do twenty oranges at once, just start with one or two peels in the jar, and add a few more as they "pickle." I didn't actually use oranges, since I don't like those as much as tangerines, but it turned out great. I would imagine you could also use lemon or grapefruit peels, if that's what you eat, or if you prefer the smell.

Step 2: Add white vinegar to the jar. Leave room at the top if you are going to add more peels later. Seal her up! 

Step 3: Let sit for at least 2 weeks. The vinegar will get dark orange and start smelling better as time passes. 

Step 4: Remove the peels. Pour enough of the solution into your spray bottle to fill it about 1/3 to 1/2 way, and fill the rest with water. Cap it, and shake gently to mix. Save the rest of the mixture in your jar for when you run out, and reuse the jar for the next batch!

Too easy, right? If you try it, let me know! I hope it works for you as well as it did for me.





If you liked this project, you may also wanna check out: 

Cloth Diapering

Detergent vs. Soap

Powdered Laundry Detergent

The Duped Project Introduction