A Simple Recipe For Orange-Rosemary Cleaner That Really Works

If you have ever pondered how you could use those beautiful orange peels, rather than throwing them away, then this post is your answer! This simple recipe for orange-rosemary cleaner works well and smells great. Plus, it is economical with only three ingredients needed.

image of orange peels and rosemary in a bowl

A Cleaner That Is “Cleaner”

Standard cleaning products are fraught with chemicals. And those products that we expect to keep our house clean can be endangering our families and us! Thankfully, it has become well-known that it safer to replace chemical cleaners with natural and homemade cleaning products for our homes.

However, those updated cleaning products are expensive.

Simple is often best and homemade cleaning products are very simple, effective, and frugal.

Our great-grandmothers used ingredients like white vinegar, salt, baking soda, and borax for cleaning their houses. They can set the standard for us.

Why Is Orange Peel So Effective?

A freshly peeled orange releases oil, called D-Limonene, into the air and can scent an entire room!

That same component gives orange peel it’s degreasing ability. Therefore, a cleaner made with orange peels and vinegar is a perfect combination for surfaces in the kitchen.

Furthermore, the oil in orange peel helps to makes surfaces shine, so an orange-rosemary cleaner is excellent for use on stainless-steel.

Orange peel has strong anti-microbial qualities, so this orange-rosemary cleaner recipe makes a suitable surface spray throughout the home.

Check out my post for Making Dried Orange Slices for more ways to use oranges.

Historical Uses For Rosemary

Rosemary is my favorite herb. I love its scent, appearance, and flavor. I have become fond of its folklore, as well.

“The herb of Remembrance” is another name people have historically called it.

Rosemary stimulates the brain and aids the memory. Therefore, ancient Greece scholars valued Rosemary for that purpose.

In old legends and traditions, rosemary brought fidelity, or faithfulness, to people who kept it near.

Rosemary Is A Great Cleaner

It is a delight to utilize the natural properties of plants to make safe cleaners for our homes.

Rosemary is a strong natural anti-bacterial which makes it a worthy ingredient in a homemade cleaning spray. Putting a few sprigs into your cleaner adds to the anti-microbial strength of this multi-surface cleaner.

Rosemary is also an anti-fungal and works exceptionally well at cleaning and preventing mildew.

image of a sprig of rosemary and an orange peel lying on a cloth side by side

Vinegar As The Base For Orange-Rosemary Cleaner

White vinegar has the ability to kill mold, bacteria, and viruses. So, this ability makes this inexpensive and humble ingredient an excellent base.

Vinegar works great as a cleaner, diluted with water. Though, you can increase the effectiveness of plain vinegar’s effectiveness if you infuse it with orange peels and rosemary.

How To Make Orange-Rosemary Cleaner

Things to gather:

Quart-sized glass jar with lid

Spray bottle

Funnel

White vinegar

Peels from several oranges

One or two rosemary sprigs

Step One:

First, put your orange peels and rosemary sprigs into your glass jar.

Step Two:

Pour white vinegar into your jar, leaving an inch or two empty at the top.

image showing how to pack the ingredients into the glass jar

Step Three:

Next, screw on the lid and shake the jar.

Step Four:

Shake your jar daily for two weeks.

image of orange-rosemary cleaner in a clear spray bottle in front of an orange and beside a cleaning cloth with a rosemary sprig and a jar of cleaner

Step Five:

Strain out the infused vinegar and discard the oranges and rosemary sprigs. Pour your Orange-Rosemary Cleaner into a spray bottle, using a funnel, to keep it from spilling.

Step Six:

Store any extra cleaner in a glass jar.

image of a jar of orange-rosemary cleaner

Extra Tips:

I always buy a large bag of oranges for my family, so I have a lot of orange peels accumulating at around the same time. Therefore, I make several jars at once.
If you completely fill a quart jar with orange peels, it will result in a concentrated cleaner.
Your Orange-Rosemary concentrate can be diluted with water, 1:1.
I store my extra cleaner concentrate in jars under my kitchen sink, so it’s ready when I need to refill.
Add a few drops of orange and rosemary essential oils for a stronger cleaner.

Great Uses For Your Homemade Cleaner

This makes an ideal cleaning spray for the inside and outside of your refridgerator.
Cleaning kitchen countertops
It makes a great all-purpose bathroom spray.
Use it concentrated with baking soda for a shower or bathtub.

Using Your Orange-Rosemary Cleaner for Pet Odors

This works really well if you follow these steps:

One: Completely wipe up whatever your pet left behind.

Two: Then sprinkle the area with baking soda, making it about 1/4 inch thick.

Three: Saturate the area with orange-rosemary cleaner in its concentrated, undiluted form.

Four: Finally, let the spot completely air dry, and vacuum up the baking soda.

I hope you use up what is typically thrown away and make some safe, natural cleaning spray!

Please tell me in the comments if you feel inspired to make a bottle for your home.

Thank You For Stopping By,

Courtney