Make a Bottle of All-Purpose Natural Citrus Peel Cleaner

An amber spray bottle laying on a rustic tabletop, next to it are a lemon, an orange and a jar filled with citrus peels.

When life hands you lemons, go ahead and make a fresh-squeezed lemonade, but don’t toss out those peels. At least, not just yet. There are plenty of better uses for them – even before those citrus peels end up in the compost.

And if your ultimate goal is to go zero-waste in the kitchen, concocting your own DIY all-purpose cleaner certainly fits in with using up all scraps. Keep reading and you will discover just how easy it is.

On the right is a mason jar filled with vinegar and orange peels. On the left is an orange, a clementine, and a lemon. All are sitting on a table. — 2-3 weeks of soaking citrus peels in vinegar and your all-purpose cleaner is ready to go.

Making the switch to natural cleaners couldn’t be easier. Start with these 8 DIY natural cleaning products for the entire home and you will be well on your way to a healthier home and lifestyle.

Let’s move onto something brighter – more citrusy.

Citrus peels contain D-limonene, a powerful oil that works as a solvent for removing grease and dirt. Citrus oils are a common ingredient in many natural cleansers. But why buy a citrus cleaner when making your own is so easy?

A small wood table with an empty jar, a pile of citrus fruits and a jar of apple scrap vinegar. — Apple cider vinegar (or homemade apple scrap vinegar) and some citrus are all it takes to make an all-purpose spray.

What you need are two simple ingredients, a jar and a glass spray bottle to make a DIY all-purpose cleaner:

citrus peels, enough to fill a jar, organic if possible!
white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or apple scrap vinegar
a few drops of essential oils, optional (lavender, lemon, mandarin, pine, etc.)

With a little bit of time, your natural cleaner will be ready for use.

Overhead view of two jars. The jar on the left is empty and has a tea strainer over the mouth. The jar on the right is filled with vinegar and orange peels. — If you are only using citrus peels (no pulp) a tea strainer is fine.

In the end, you’ll also need a mesh strainer, or cheesecloth, for removing all bits of peel and/or pulp (anything that would clog your nozzle).

The same jars as above, only now the jar on the left has the citrus cleaning solution in it. The jar on the left is empty save for the citrus peels. — Your finished all-purpose cleaner with citrus peels should look something like the jar on the left.
Give it a whiff – orange delight!

Making your DIY all-purpose cleaner with citrus peels

First things first, you’ll need to collect enough citrus peels to make your all-purpose cleaner.

If you are making lemon curd or preserving lemon jam or marmalade, you’ll always end up with a pile of peels.

Lemons, oranges, mandarins, limes, grapefruit – anything goes.

An enamel bowl with orange peels in it sits on a table top. To the right of the bowl is an assortment of oranges and lemons. — How many citrus peels are enough to make your own all-purpose cleaner?
As many as it takes to fill a small jar.

As always, support organic farming when and where you can. After all, fruit trees can be heavily sprayed, and if you truly want to go au naturel, biologically grown is best.

If you can’t fill a jar at once, go ahead and let the peels dry out slightly as you fill up the jar. You can keep the jar in the freezer until you’ve collected enough. Wait until the jar is lightly packed to add the vinegar. Let the jar completely come up to room temperature if you kept it in the freezer.

It is also worth noting that you can also add piths, membranes, and the seeds from citrus.

Adding vinegar to your all-purpose cleaner

Most recipes will tell you to use white vinegar. It is an effective and cheap cleaner. In other words, it works well for most applications.

However, we tend to use what we have. Since we have loads of apples throughout summer and fall, we also make apple scrap vinegar.

A plain pine table top with a the jar of apple scrap vinegar, a mason jar filled with orange scraps and a two oranges on the table next to it. — A jar, citrus peels and apple scrap vinegar. Wait 3 weeks, and you’ll have a sustainable cleaning solution.

While it can’t be used for canning due to its lower acidity than apple cider vinegar, it is wonderful for making herbal-infused vinegar and, of course, for cleaning.

DIY all-purpose cleaner with citrus peels

Once you have the ingredients, here is how to put it all together, including the wait time.

Overhead view of apple scrap vinegar being poured into the jar filled with orange scraps. — Day 1 – starting the integration process of vinegar and citrus peels.

Instructions

Pack a glass jar loosely with citrus peels, at least a handful.
Top off with vinegar of your choice.
Let it sit for 2-3 weeks on the countertop. Stir it up every few days to ensure that all peels are submerged.
Strain and bottle your citrus-vinegar essence in an additional jar for safekeeping. You may even want to double strain it, so as not to create a potential clog in your spray bottle.
Grab a funnel and transfer your citrus peel solution to a spray bottle.
To dilute or not to dilute? The choice is yours and it depends on what you are spraying. At first glance it is best to dilute your all-purpose cleaner and see how it reacts on the surfaces you are spraying.
Get ready to clean!

An amber glass bottle has a metal funnel in the top and the newly made citrus cleaner is being poured into the jar. — Day 21 – pouring the strained all-purpose cleaner into a dark glass jar.

All in all, for stuffing a few handfuls of citrus peels in a jar with vinegar and waiting a few weeks, it really isn’t that much work.

What surfaces can you clean with your DIY all-purpose cleaner?

Once it is ready, you’ll be keen to try it out.

Not only does it smell fantastic, but it also works great too.

The amber glass bottle has been fitted with a spray nozzle. Behind it is the jar of citrus peels. There are several citrus fruits on the table next to the bottle. — Strained and ready for cleaning all the right surfaces.

Feel free to spray your citrus cleaner on kitchen counters, sinks, showers, tiles, inside the fridge, appliances, and more.

It can even be used to get that stubborn onion and garlic smell off of your cutting boards.

Let it sit for a minute or two on the surface you wish to clean, then wipe it off with a natural sponge, or cotton cloth.

What not to clean with your citrus spray

Naturally, a citrus-vinegar combo can’t be wildly sprayed everywhere.

Never use vinegar on granite, marble, stone or hardwood floors, or on your tech screens. Tempting as it may be to wipe the dust off of your laptop, it is better to do that with a dry rag.

Always exercise caution when applying cleaners for the first time, natural or not, to see how the surface will react.

It is the same scene as above only a white label has been attached to the amber bottle reading, "all-purpose cleaner". — Homemade cleaners are a safe and wonderful zero-waste alternative to anything that can be bought at the store.
Store your all-purpose cleaner in a glass jar for best results.

Other than that, feel free to spritz away and experience what your future life could smell like, chemical-free.

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