The general move these days seems to be to move away from the more chemically-laden commercial chemicals, and towards the more “natural” ways of cleaning. Reasons for this are two-fold – the price of the commercial cleaners play a factor, as many of these products are quite pricey, and the second, and for many, the most important factor, is the lack of all the chemicals and preservatives that most products contain today.
Many people are becoming more aware of what they are putting in and on their bodies, and the products they are using in their homes. In case you hadn’t noticed by now, I am one of those people. Yes, I am motivated by the cost factor, but the primary motivator is the awareness of there being better, just as effective ways to get the job done, without worrying that you are unwittingly poisoning yourself or your family.
I admit, I am a clean freak, and spring cleaning in my house is a major operation…while there are some things I would not budge on (yet!), like giving up the dish washing liquid and my laundry detergent, there are other things I have been willing to try, such as the vinegar cleaner. And surprise – it is pretty darn effective, especially with the addition of the orange peel! I am quite happy to use this to clean and polish my home with…I have been wondering where I could buy vinegar by the barrel! LOL!
This is really easy to make, and I have seen varied uses on the internet for the citrus vinegar. I personally use it diluted to clean my kitchen counters, bathroom, etc. I also tried using it as a substitute for fabric softener – it seemed to work pretty well. The vinegar smell faded, and then I could smell the oranges.
What you need:
A glass jar (I used an old beetroot salad jar)
Orange peels (from around two oranges)
White vinegar
Method:
Place your orange peels in the jar, pour vinegar over, and leave to infuse for around 4 weeks. When the orange smell is the primary smell, strain with a sieve and bottle. Dilute at a ratio of 1:1 when ready to use.
Tips:
*When filling your jar with orange peels, the orange peels should more or less fill the jar when packed loosely. The longer you leave the vinegar to infuse, the stronger your orange smell will be.
*You can use other citrus peels instead, but orange peels work best for busting grease and grime.
*You can add herbs as well – I have added cloves before, and I have a batch infusing that I added a cinnamon stick to.