Instead Of Tossing Those Orange Peels, Turn Them Into A Fragrant Cleaning Spray

While cleanliness is an important topic everywhere in the home, it's essential when it comes to proper kitchen maintenance. Since the kitchen is where we store and prepare food, it's vital to keep the surfaces throughout that space as germ-free as possible. Of course, in the quest to eradicate germs, it's easy to make other faux pas like using bleach wipes, which could damage porous surfaces, or — even worse — make you sick.

Luckily, good ol' fashioned white vinegar can clean a variety of things in your kitchen, making it an excellent non-toxic choice for keeping things fresh — which is especially great news for those with kids or pets. Possibly the only downside to using vinegar as your go-to kitchen cleaner is the smell. While vinegar is great at eliminating unpleasant odors, scrubbing your counters with it is bound to leave traces of astringence in the air that many people find less than appealing.

Fortunately, the remedy to this is simple, inexpensive, and can actually make your kitchen smell amazing. Simply take the fresh orange peels leftover from making delicious, classic old fashioneds or fresh-squeezed juice, pop them into a glass Mason jar, and add enough white vinegar to cover them. Store the mixture in a cool, dry place, such as your pantry, for about two weeks before straining into a spray bottle. The vinegar should now be light orange with the beautifully fresh scent of citrus. Use it to clean your counters and cabinets, making more as often as needed.

Despite the fact that the orange essential oil in the peels makes everything smell fresh and clean, it doesn't actually strengthen the vinegar's cleaning properties. The infused vinegar will essentially remove the same kinds of germs as plain vinegar, but with a more pleasant lingering aroma. However, orange oil does contain the compound d-limonene, which can help cut through grime and greasy messes a bit faster.

Of course, getting the full range of benefits from this hack means avoiding common mistakes that may ruin your infusion. To get the best possible scent, make sure you're using clean peels, rather than a combination of peels and flesh. Most of the scent you want is in the peel, and adding flesh to the mix could end up making your infusion smell like pickled oranges (ew). Next, it's crucial to make sure the peels are completely covered by vinegar. Though white vinegar is too acidic to foster mold growth, peels exposed to air could get moldy and negate the mixture's effectiveness.

However, once you've perfected your infusion method, it could be fun to begin experimenting with different kinds of citrus peels. Lemons produce a light yellow infusion with a classic fresh scent, while limes give a pale green result with a slightly tropical aroma. Grapefruit peels don't impart much color, but they offer a beautiful scent. You can also combine peels from different fruits as a practical way to reduce waste, or simply to create a custom scent for your kitchen.