DIY All-Purpose Cleaner

We have all probably read on those handy dandy wipes we buy from the store that you must wash the surface after use... the day I got tired of that was the day I made this "green" orange all purpose cleaner. Having children and realizing that I was probably doing more harm than good by purchasing those store bought cleaning wipes made me want to find something better... and boy oh boy something better I found. This orange oil infused all purpose cleaner will make your life so much easier and give you comfort in knowing it is good to use. The kids can even lick the table right after you clean it if they must. (Come on we all know that happens from time to time with young children... everything must be licked.)

What You Need

Peel from 3-4 oranges
3-4 cups white vinegar
Glass storage container

How To

You want the peel of the orange without the white pith. Try to just take the orange part off and leave the white behind. This cleaner can be made with many types of citrus peels so be sure to store away the peel from the small oranges your children eat or even the lemons and limes you use in your cooking. (You can always freeze them until you need to make more cleaner.) Place the peels in a glass container with lid, mason jars work great but utilize whatever you have on hand. Note, however, that if there is a rubber seal on your container over time the vinegar will cause it to soften (speaking from experience).

Place all your peels in your container and cover with vinegar. You can make whatever quantity you want but for my particular cleaner I use the peel of about 3-4 large oranges and cover with about 3-4 cups of vinegar.

Let It Sit

The first time I made this I was tempted to start cleaning right away... and you can because vinegar is a great cleaner on its on... but trust me when I say it is worth it to be patient. The first batch I made I let sit for 2 weeks and it made a great cleaner but the second batch sat for 2-3 months while I used what I already had made and it was FANTASTIC. The smell is of heavenly citrus and the cleaning power that you get by combining the orange oil from the peel and the vinegar is through the roof. You will never go back to those store bought cleaning wipes again. 

You can simply transfer it to a spray container and use (diluted or not... up to you... but I always add a little water to mine. I also like to run mine through a paper towel or coffee filter before transferring to a spray bottle to filter out any little orange pieces that might be floating around. This will help avoid your sprayer getting clogged.

See that beautiful orange color you get!!!

 

What To Clean

EVERYTHING! I use this to wipe down kids toys, clean the table and counters, clean our toilets... the list goes on and on. Having one go to cleaner will make life a lot easier, at least it has for this busy mom. Not to mention it is much MUCH more inexpensive than cleaners you might buy in a store.

Live, Laugh, Love and DIY

***If you use this cleaner or something similar I would love to hear how it is working for you! And as always, any all and all suggestions are welcome!***