Homemade Orange Cleaner

I have made my own cleaners for a few years now, particularly a spray cleaner with tea tree oil, vinegar and water. While this does a great job cleaning and it believed that tea tree oil has antibacterial properties, the smell is less than enjoyable, especially when compared to commercial cleaners with perfumes. When I spotted this Homemade Orange Cleaner, I knew I had to try! I peeled and sliced an entire bag of clementines and half a bag of oranges and piled my peels high. I had a partial bottle of vinegar left from my own homemade cleaner, so I used what was left with the massive pile of peels. I filled as many peels in the bottle as would still be covered by vinegar.



Two weeks later, and here is what the mixture looks like. Kind of gross, a thin skin across the top, and apparently a white sticker from an orange peel that I missed! To be honest, it was a little scary looking. I poured it out of the bottle through a strainer into a spray bottle. I added the required water and shook. I sprayed down my kitchen counter and wiped. While I will admit, I didn't smell the fabulous scent of oranges that I was hoping for, I did not smell a strong scent of vinegar as I am used to smelling when I clean. It was actually pleasant and my countertop looks great!



I have added several varieties of pure essential oils to my homemade cleaners to make them smell less like vinegar and tea tree oil, and I think this one could also be enhanced with an orange essential oil if you are looking for a strong scent like a commercial product. However, The smell is pleasant on its own and knowing I am cleaning without leaving a chemical residue for my family is enough to make me continue to use this product for sure.