DIY Citrus Infused Vinegar for Cleaning

Let’s talk about vinegar for a minute. You might use it for cleaning, or maybe you use it to make salad dressing. I use the apple cider variety as conditioner for my hair. Whatever the use, one thing is always the same – it stinks. I mean the smell stinks, the product itself is fantastic! But the smell has much to be desired. I’ve seen it on Pinterest, and I am sure that you have too – the orange peels in a mason jar, so I decided to try it out.

Now, my kids are just nutty about those little clementine oranges so I kept an open jar on the counter and added the peels throughout the week. It didn’t take long to fill it up! But I did notice that if I put the lid on the jar condensation started to form, so keep the lid off to avoid mold growth.

Once the jar was full of peels I added white vinegar, closed the lid tight and put the jar under the sink for 2 weeks. After that I removed the peels, added the vinegar to a spray bottle and added equal parts of water. There is still a slight vinegar smell, but it is much better than before! You can add a few drops of essential oils if you want a stronger scent, but I didn’t think it was necessary. So, now that you have this cleaner, what can you do with it?

Uses for vinegar as a natural cleaner:

• Clean kitchen counter tops
• Remove grease and grime from your stove top
• Clean bathroom – counter tops, sink, toliet, tub/shower
• Drain cleaner: use a funnel over your drain and pour in 1/2c baking soda followed by 1 c vinegar. Once the foaming stops, flush with hot tap water, wait 5 minutes then flush again with cold tap water. This is great for routine drain cleaning as well as for clearing clogged drains.
• Room deodorizer – Simply spray into the air for a natural air freshener. Works just as good as Febreze!
• Wipe down walls, doors, door knobs, cabinets, etc.
• Routinely wipe down the inside of your refrigerator walls, shelves and bins to prevent the growth of mildew
• Mix pure vinegar with baking soda to clean and deodorize a wooden cutting board
• Use to clean windows and glass items
• Add 1/2 cup to your rinse cycle to use as a fabric softener

These are just a few of the common uses, there are literally 100’s of uses for vinegar!