Last year I was on a mission to save us some money AND healthy up my house. My sister and I started using all natural, homemade cleaners. I was shocked at how easy and how frugal it was to use homemade cleaners.
Now, I am a confessed, reformed, cleaning supply lover. I used to coupon clip for exciting new household cleaners. All those shiny colors and comic strip starred 'WOW! All New Formula!" call to me like a siren's song. I also loved those pre-packaged towels with disinfectant super powers. I was a sucker for smelly, linen-scented sprays and sprinkles. Something to scrub the bathroom sink and a different one to scrub the shower. A toilet cleaner, a floor cleaner, cleanser, and window spray all for just the bathroom. Oh yeah, and the blue smelly bar to make my toilet water blue because it somehow seemed cleaner.
One day while teaching Prince Ray which cleaner was for what so he could do his bathroom 'quick clean' chore (Yes, they take turns quick cleaning the bathroom because it is NOT me or the Princesses that pee BEHIND the toilet. Just sayin'.)I got a wake up call. Prince Ray gives me this slightly confused look and in all his boyishness type honesty says "Why do we need so many!?"
Good question. Do I really need a separate cleaner for the floors and the baseboards? Do I need to have cleanser, and toilet scrubby, and window cleaner, and electronics cleaner, and dust spray, and wood oil, and all purpose cleaner, and de-greaser, and dish soap, and grout cleaner, and... well you get the idea.
Better question is: Do I need to be spraying all of these ridiculous chemicals into the air daily that can affect my family's breathing? Do I need all this fake air freshener and surface disinfectant? What are we breathing into our bodies?! YIKES!
If you don't believe that your bought cleaning supplies could make you sick all you have to do is a quick google search and be amazed at the number of people whose health has responded positively by dropping the store bought, chemically laden cleaners. I can attest that my asthmatic child is breathing better and using his inhaler 1/3 of the time he was using it. We changed how we eat and we changed how we clean and it has made all the difference in the world. This is of course our personal experience, but it might be worth a try!
On to the recipe! So easy you will be on board for trying it with the next orange you eat!
Orange Peel All Purpose Cleaner
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| Peel the oranges! I did 4 this day. |
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| Give the yummy oranges to your children for breakfast! |
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| I use most all the Orange peel. Sometimes I save some out for making Dried Orange Peels. |
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| Place in a glass jar that has a tight fitting lid. This is a canning jar but I have used any glass jar that is available. |
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| Pour in straight white vinegar to the top. Cover the orange peels. |
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| It is ready to be used when it is orange in color and the peels have begun to sink a bit. |
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| Here are 3 different stages of 'brewing'. Three weeks, two weeks, and just made. |
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| I like to strain it through a small sieve before placing in my spray bottle. |
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| Ready to clean! |
Note* I have also thrown in grapefruit, lemon, or lime peels as we have them. They can be a bit acidic but all citrus has natural cleaning and disinfectant qualities. See here for more information.
Always Blessed,
Gretchen :)
Possibly Linking With:
Frugally Sustainable
Raising Homemakers
Far Above Rubies
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Wholehearted Home
Growing Home
Raising Homemakers
Far Above Rubies
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Wholehearted Home
Growing Home
