DIY Orange Peel Vinegar Cleaner (and Tips for Using It!)

With only a handful of orange peels and some plain ole distilled vinegar, you can make your own orange vinegar cleaner for literally pennies! It’s non-toxic, smells refreshing, and with the power of vinegar and orange oil, it's a cleaning superstar!
Instructions:
1. Fill a jar with orange (or other citrus) peels.
2. Cover peels with vinegar.
3. Pop on a lid and stick it in your cabinet for about 2 weeks…
4. Strain the infused vinegar from the orange peels using a mesh strainer or a cheese cloth.
To Make a Multi-purpose Orange Vinegar Cleaner:
Fill a spray bottle with a 1:1 dilution of orange vinegar and water. (half vinegar and half water)
Use on counters, floors, bathrooms, plastics, glass, etc. (Avoid use on granite, marble, and natural stone tile.)
So simple. So powerful!
For more tips and tricks, check out the blog post. thecrunchyginger.com/diy-oran...
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[@doreenwatson-read]

A lady after my own heart, I love to hate cleaning and like to find ways of making it more interesting. I love the idea of popping some herbs in the mix too. TFS

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Exactly! 😂

[@donnadickey5420]

I love the fresh herbs idea. Thanks for thinking outside the box and sharing.

[@ruthmills2292]

Thank you! I put orange peels in vinegar a dew weeks ago but forgot the ratio of water. Now, I can finish making it! I'm sure it's going to smell and work great!🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊

[@katherinekibbe4254]

Thank you for going into detail

[@SamPaste928]

Making this for my FFA SAE Project! Thanks a bunch!

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Awesome!

[@summersculpt9278]

Great video!

[@m6426]

Good video. Thank you for sharing

[@simplervcookingwithmelissa7245]

Thank you so much for the tip. I'm going to definitely try this because I have a ton of sinus infections all the time. I use a lot of products that have bleach in it I'm going to stop doing that now. Thank you 🥰👍

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

You’re welcome! I hope that helps!

[@nikkitobin8356]

Thanks for the tips

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pinamancini5211]

Great idea. For a more disinfectanting spray , why not add a little alcohol ? I use 1/3 vinegar 1/2 cup Of rubbing alcohol and water to wash my floors. It works beautiful. Why not?

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Yes! Definitely! Alcohol and vinegar spray also makes a good window/mirror cleaner.

[@LavenderLemur]

That’s exactly what I use too!

[@paulamcchesney8056]

Good job!!!

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Thanks for watching! I love this stuff 🍊

[@mapalomwewa7588]

Can you use it as a FLOOR cleaner and can you add dish soap to it

[@amomspointofview2250]

I love using vinegar to clean. Vinegar is so versatile!

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

It really is! I have had a difficult time finding it lately, too! I use a ton of vinegar in my laundry, especially for cloth diapers.

[@amomspointofview2250]

Me too! I went to the store one day and they were completely wiped out. Luckily my mother in law was able to find some for me. It makes a great fabric softener and I love to use it as a rinse aid in the dishwasher. I think it works better than any other traditional product on the market plus it’s much more cost efficient.

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

@@amomspointofview2250 A girl after my own heart!

[@dalegribble4308]

The Crunchy Ginger dollar tree is where I buy it

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Thanks for the tip! Good to know.

[@sherrymacquillan870]

Can I use pickling vinegar

[@michaelkay3945]

Maybe you can add on guard essential oil from doterra for the disinfecting part

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Adding On Guard (or a similar blend) would be a great addition! While it isn’t a true disinfectant, it does have some wonderful germ fighting properties and is a good surface cleaner!

[@mrsjade30]

Awesome video! Thanks so much. Is this honestly safe for cleaning baby toys??

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Hi! Yes, according to all my research, diluted vinegar is a great non toxic cleaner for baby toys and gear! (Good ole mild soap and water will usually do the trick, too!)

[@jerryb.2611]

Do you think it would be a good idea to add some alcohol into the mixture to increase its properties? And or add a few drops of essential oil.

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Yes! Those are both great ideas. There are lots of great recipes floating around out there for cleaning mixes and you could sub in your citrus vinegar. Vinegar and alcohol makes an especially good glass cleaner.

[@susanmccormick4627]

You reminded me I have 2 quarts of orange and white distilled vinegar that has been stewing for 4 weeks. I do purchase essential lemon oil by the 4oz bottle and do add a teaspoon of it to my mixture. I do dilute it by 1-1 or 1-2 parts distilled water. Tea tree oil from time to time I will add essential oil to this. It really does clean well. Thank you for this very nice video. 💞

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Thank you for the great tips! And it sounds like your orange vinegar is ready to go!

[@wowtv101]

Hahaha lol ... Bet it smells fantastic....

[@wowtv101]

Thank You .... Binge watching lol ..... Thank You & Hava Great Day !!!!

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

@@wowtv101 Thank you!! Be well, new friend!

[@MatoNupai]

Actually the CDC Says 60% isopropyl

[@yuliaandronova4620]

Thank you! What kind of vinegar do you use?

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

I use just plain old white vinegar.

[@jesseg4206]

3 weeks later my orange peels are still sitting in vinegar but can I use this on natural wood dinner table?

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

I am so glad you asked this. Diluted vinegar can be a great cleaner for wood. But depending on how it is finished, it can sometimes damage the polish on wood furniture. For your table, I would recommend making a wood cleaner using 1 part orange vinegar: 2 parts olive oil. (So like 1/4 cup vinegar +1/2 c oil). This will clean, shine, protect, and smell great!

[@nekecherbenjamin6302]

How long the cleaner last and can I put the remainder in the refrigerator

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Your infused vinegar should be good for several months at room temperature ! If you want to make sure it stays super fresh for 6 months or more, you can definitely store it in the fridge.

[@vivianeb90]

Is there a cleaning liquid I could make with ginger?

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

You can definitely add ginger to vinegar using this same method (with or without the orange peels). I’m not too familiar with the cleaning properties of ginger, but I think it would certainly smell great!

[@somebodyelse7499]

Thank you so much. One question: what is the texture of the orange peels when you are done soaking them? I was wondering if they were still good as a garbage disposal cleaner or is possibly maybe they are too soft for that?

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

You’re welcome! The peels are pretty mushy when they are done. But I know someone who lets them dry out and then uses a handful to clean the garbage disposal. I haven’t tried it, but it seems like a great idea!

[@SexyGraffiti02]

Is the color of the vinegar supposed to change? Mine has been soaking for 3wks and there's no color change...?

[@MilanCHE78]

Mine is dark orange.

[@dexterhartnabrig8297]

This mixture also detur pets from using the bathroom.in the house

[@trulylynn9941]

You can also make your orange cleaner by fermentation. It make vinegar.

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Thanks for the tip!

[@kancy131]

please advise what to do with the orange peel after being sieved vinegar orange liquid?

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

One idea is to dry the peels and then toss a few down your garbage disposal to help deodorize it.

[@kancy131]

@@TheCrunchyGinger can i drain the mixture and put the orange peel in my plants?

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

I do not think that would be good idea. Vinegar will kill your plants, and the peels are pretty heavily saturated.

[@karigenyoung7451]

I know that u posted this a while but I have a question will the orange Peel make it sticky?

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Great question! No, it’s not sticky. I would say that the vinegar feels a little thicker from the orange oil.

[@karigenyoung7451]

@@TheCrunchyGinger thank you so much!!! I will definitely be using this thank you 😊

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

You bet! I hope you like it, too.

[@aleiciablove1432]

Can you use dried out orange peels?

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Interesting idea! I have never done this, but I think it would work well.

[@beatricethomas412]

😮

[@hellomonday.mimosa9350]

If I made this in bulk, does it go bad at some point?

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Yeah, I would conservatively say 6 months or so if you store it in a cool dark place.

[@JoanneRomanek-es4bb]

T❤y

[@dreameryoung38]

My reason for coming here was to find out what not to use this on.I have a part time job cleaning extended stays and I dont like the idea of cleaning fridgeraters and microwave with chemicals I dont know how my coworkers inhale the clorox cleaner ,I cant breathe,I dawn a mask

[@FrankGutowski-ls8jt]

‘Cleaning superstar’ that won’t dissolve grease and oil...

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

It works well for me! Especially on my messy stovetop 😊

[@FrankGutowski-ls8jt]

The Crunchy Ginger My experimental bottle of oil and vinegar salad dressing refuses to emulsify, despite frequent vigorous shaking. I think that’s because, whether or not you believe it, science is always right.

[@TheCrunchyGinger]

Vinegar by itself doesn’t “dissolve” grease but it does soften greasy food mixtures so they wipe up more easily. But orange oil does work to degrease. Also, that reminds me, this orange vinegar makes a tasty salad dressing, too! 😋🥗

[@FrankGutowski-ls8jt]

The Crunchy Ginger Doubtful there’s any orange oil in it. Vinegar is not a solvent for hydrophobic substances, nor is it a surfactant, so won’t extract any oil. Oil and vinegar don’t mix, as I said. It’s extracting some of the aroma compounds, which are hydrophilic, which is why it becomes scented. If you believe this concoction softens grease add it to a jar containing some bacon grease. You’ll see no effect the next day. Heat it and let it cool. Vinegar might dissolve some salt from the grease, but otherwise won’t affect it because it’s chemically unable to. What you may be referring to when you say it softens grease sounds more like simple rehydration of burnt-on or dried-out residues. Rehydration reduces surface adhesion, allowing them to slide right off when you abrade them with a sponge.