Crunchy Swaps: DIY Citrus Peel Multi-Purpose Cleaner

As I’ve ‘crunchified’ my home with natural alternatives over the last decade, vinegar wins the title of “MVP” time and time again. I often compare it to the beloved Windex of Gus Portokalos, the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. “Put Windex on it!” was his solution for any ailment. While I ditched the Windex bottle a long time ago, I can relate to his enthusiasm for such a multi-purpose product.

Vinegar to the Rescue

I use distilled vinegar for cleaning the house, and any store-bought produce; balsamic vinegar goes into homemade salad dressing, which is often paired with apple cider vinegar; ACV also doubles as a hair rinse. Here’s the irony: as much as I love vinegar, I really don’t love how it smells.

While discussing this conundrum with a fellow crunchy mom, I mulled over the idea of adding essential oils to balance my versatile, yet overly pungent, cleaner. My friend mentioned that she avoids essential oils for cleaning, and instead infuses her vinegar cleaner with orange peels…Light bulb moment.

It’s a brilliant idea, but why stop at orange peels? Our family loves all citrus fruits: I go through many lemons for my lemon ginger water, and my toddler’s favorite dessert is grapefruit. So many peels…so many possibilities.

A quick search revealed this solution is very simple to make, and I’d get one more use out of all the peels I would otherwise toss. So, I collected some peels and made the infusion. While the citrus doesn’t completely neutralize the vinegar smell, it offsets it nicely. Here are the directions to make your own bottle.

Supplies

The pup was curious about my project. Yes, this solution will clean paw prints off countertops.

• Distilled white vinegar

• Glass jar with airtight lid

• Citrus peels (enough to fill about half the jar; I used lemon, orange and grapefruit)

• Spray bottle

Directions

Fill the jar halfway with a medley of citrus peels before pouring the vinegar.

1) Fill your jar halfway with fresh citrus peels - make sure it’s just the peel (no fruit).

2) Fill the jar to the top with distilled vinegar.

3) Close the jar with airtight lid.

4) Let the vinegar infuse for 1-2 weeks.

5) Strain out the peels.

6) Transfer the vinegar to a spray bottle and dilute with water in a 1:1 ratio.

A Word of (Crunchy) Caution

Crunchy cleaners, beware! It is not advised to use a vinegar solution on delicate surfaces like marble. I stick with my favorite all-purpose cleaner from Aspen Clean for those uncertain areas. The reports are mixed when it comes to using vinegar to clean hardwood floors. Since our floors have had to deal with three pets and a toddler since we moved in, a little vinegar is the least of their worries.