Orange Vinegar Cleaner

  ... (a “green” cleaner)

Several years ago, as I was spraying some household cleaner on my kitchen countertops, it occurred to me as I inhaled the strong fumes that they were probably settling in my water glass that sat nearby! And did I really want all this toxic residue on the surfaces on which my children ate, leaned, and played? Having read a bit about the effectiveness of good old vinegar as a cleaning agent and disinfectant, I dug out a spray bottle and poured some in. I never turned back!
When I saw the idea to steep the vinegar in orange peels, I marveled at how that could be a simple, clever, and inexpensive way to turn ordinary vinegar into a boutique-type cleaner (which could probably fetch ten times it’s value!).  But would the orange essence or the vinegar smell dominate?  Mind you, the vinegar smell never bothered me, but I do love that fresh, sweet smell of an orange being peeled!
After two weeks of steeping in the vinegar, the essence of the orange peels did, in fact, permeate the liquid and the result was a sweet smelling success!  While I used the following amounts, you could choose any size jar with a tight-fitting lid, stuff it with peels, and fill with vinegar.  Although it would require more fruit, lemons, limes, and clementines would be excellent options!
Orange Vinegar:
1 16-ounce canning jar
2 oranges, peels only (eat the insides!)
vinegar to cover
Curl the peels around the inside of the jar.  I used two large oranges and would not have been able to fit another peel.  If your oranges are small and you could fit another peel, feel free to add one more.  Pour vinegar into the jar to cover the peels and close tightly.  Store in the cupboard for two weeks, then transfer the vinegar to a spray bottle and use for all your cleaning purposes!

How to Make Orange Essential Oil from Orange Peels!~

It’s clementine season! I snatched a box up the first minute I saw them in the grocery store and raced home. Love eating them... save the orange peels!!

How to Make Orange Essential Oil

You will need

Orange peels

Grain alcohol or vodka* (a cheap grocery store brand vodka is perfect for this project)

Tray, cookie sheet, or towel

Knife or food processor (the food processor/chopper is easier!)

Coffee filters

Two jars, one should have a tight fitting lid

Make it

1. Eat a bunch of oranges, clementines, or mandarins and save the peels. Yum, yum, yum!
2. Lay the peels on the cookie sheet, tray or towel and let them air dry (do not put them in a dehydrator or you will lose the oil!) until the peels are rock hard. It took my peels about one week to dry.
3. Use the food process/chopper/knife to cut the dry peels into small bits. Do not over process the peels in the food processor/chopper until they are mushy or you will lose the oil in the peel.
4. Add the chopped peels to the jar with the tight fitting lid and cover the peels in grain alcohol or vodka.
5. Shake the jar to release the oil several times a day for several days. The longer you let the peels steep the more orange oil you will extract. I let mine sit in a sorta sunny spot on my kitchen counter for a weekend. 

6. Use a coffee filter to strain liquid from the orange peels and into the second jar.
7. Place a clean coffee filter or cloth on top of the jar of liquid. Allow the alcohol to evaporate from the jar. I let mine sit for one week.

My orange essential oil after one week.

8. Optional: I had sediment in the bottom of my jar of orange oil after one week. It isn't going to hurt anything. I had an extra disposable coffee filters that I know I wouldn't use for coffee ( I use a reusable gold coffee filter. It's supposed to make better coffee.) I strained the orange oil again with a clean coffee filter into an amber jar (a re-purposed yeast jar.) A dark colored jar will keep sunlight from degrading the essential oil.

The disposable filters came with a new coffeemaker. 

9. What you have left is a jar of orange essential oil!