Homemade Orange Cleaner

I love Clementine tangerines and when I say I love them, I mean I truly love them.  They are a little pricey but it is one way I can get fresh fruit into my diet.  I usually buy them between November and February when they seem to be at their tastiest and are a bargain.

The other day I was thinking about all of the clementine peels that I have tossed away and I decided that I needed a practical use for them.  I did some research and I have started to make my own Orange Cleaner.  In this recipe you can use the peels of oranges, clementines, or tangerines or even a combination of these with lemon peels.

I took an old glass spaghetti sauce jar and dumped the clementine peels in the jar.  The next step was to cover these peels with vinegar.  I pushed down on the peels with the end of a wooden spoon so that the peels were covered by the vinegar, without having to fill the jar full with vinegar. 

So here is what I got. 

My husband came home and saw the jar on the kitchen counter and asked me what I was going to do with the "pickled orange peels."  I explained and he said a quiet "okay."

After only being in the vinegar mixture for 12 hours, it smells really good. I'm surprised at how quickly the vinegar has absorbed the oranges. 

Simply put - that is what I am trying to accomplish - simple and frugal. 

After these peels have soaked in the vinegar for several weeks (I'm going for 3), the liquid takes on more of an orange color and the vinegar smells more like orange than vinegar.  Then you strain the mixture and you are left with a nice base for a cleaner. 

According to the recipe, mix equal portions of the base with water and pour into a spray bottle.  Use with a rag to clean sinks, mirrors, windows, floors, wooden chairs and so on. 

I think this is definitely worth a try as I have decided that I need to go green when it comes to cleaners, as much as possible.