this is awesome! i was just looking at my orange peels and felt really sad that I would be throwing them away...thanks!

Do you think this would work with grapefruit peels?

great idea! how long does it keep for?

ZoeCat...I'm doing this with grapefruit peels and using really cheap vodka instead of vinegar.

miabica, i wouldn't clean with that ... not when it would make the world's best salty dog! also, if you have oily skin you could actually use this as an astringent too. i might dilute with a wee bit more water - maybe 1:2.

Not sure if this is silly, but can a plastic bottle be used? Or is glass better because it won't affect the concoction?

This is my go-to kitchen cleaner. If you do use water to dilute it, use distilled! Tap water almost always has mineral deposits (for those of us who have hard water, we've seen the evidence) and a lot of bottled "drinking" water has small deposits of minerals that make it taste better. Distilled water is just plain ol' water and it's better to use if you're making a cleaning product.

I also use a small amount of essential oil to give it a stronger fragrance. I don't dilute it so much so I use the essential oil to counteract the vinegar smell a bit.

@ckron79: yes, you can use a plastic bottle. The vinegar itself often comes in a plastic bottle (if you buy the big size) so I think you're good to go!

I started making my own shower spray since I seem to go through it so quickly:
http://bit.ly/10myEH0

Can I compost the vinegar soaked peels?

Hi! Just wondering--can I spray this citrus cleaner around the house AND on cats to dispel fleas, or is it too strong (or is it ineffective for the purpose)? Since we currently have an small flea outbreak, but one of my kittens is under observation for a possible genetic neurological problem and I can't get him treated with flea meds for a while.. but if I treat the other cats alone, the fleas will feast on the poor baby. :/

I bet the vodka one would make a great DIY Febreeze (or would it stain?). I googled DIY Febreeze and recipes used fabric softened which I don't like.

What about just vinegar with orange oil added to it? This is what I use and no need for a wait time. (Or the potential for air to get in and ruin the concoction completely.)

I just use a natural oil compound from orange peel (no other ingredients) from my local natural foods store, it's about 50 cents per oz and I use about 1/3 of an ounce per spray bottle of white vinegar.

hi, I don't know about the health aspect of your question but I was under the impression that cats have an intense dislike of citrus scents and oils? If that's true, the citrus cleaner might not be a popular choice for your home ;)

Uhm, I hope you are kidding. Please don't use a vinegar spray on your poor cats lest it get in their eyes/mouth. I would try using Borax detergent in a bath or good ol' Ivory soap. I've also heard you can just rub half an orange on the animal to dispel fleas.

do not use on you cats. it would be toxic. so, once they started licking their coats to dry off, they are being poisoned. not good

Is that one of Ariele Alasko's tables? So pretty!

I just did this too! I love it, although I squirt a little dish soap in mine. First thing I cleaned was my floors, just misted it followed by a microfiber mop and they were glowing afterwards.

Where can I find sturdy plastic spray bottles that don't become clogged up after a time and that give a range of sprays?

A tip for the cat owner. DoTerra essential oils makes a blend called Terra Shield that is all natural and worth trying for your poor kitten. I've never tried it but plan to this summer for my kids and me. Their oils are amazing.

1. Yes, you can compost the used peels
2. I repurpose spray bottles from window cleaners etc. ask friends, relatives
3. It keeps for a loooong time, but since it is used everywhere in the house: kitchen, baths,dusting, mopping,windows, fabric softener in washing, i seem to go through almost a bottle every week.

D-Limonene is TOXIC to cats! As are most essential oils. For natural flea control, use *food grade* diatomaceous earth (not the kind sold for swimming pools -- also toxic!) You can find this on Amazon & it works great.

For god's sake, do the responsible thing and talk to your vet about how to deal with this issue instead of asking people on the Internet for remedies that may or may not poison your animals. Then talk to them about getting your cat - and the kittens - desexed so you don't add to the animal overpopulation problem any further.

PS 3-4 million cats and dogs euthanized in the US each year because they are unwanted. 25% of them are pure breds. Desex your pets.

Diatomaceous earth is silica, or, basically, ground glass. It is not a safe flea deterrent.

If home remedies worked on fleas, bubonic plague would never have killed so many.

Ask your vet about capstar, a flea pill that can be given to animals as young as six weeks of age. And don't try random stuff on medical issues.

I made a big batch of this. It beads up when I spray it, as oil would. Any suggestions?

Will absolutely try this...

As to the finding spray bottles, either recyle your windex bottles, or go to your local dollar store. They sell them there in a variety of sizes.

Diatomaceous earth is calcium carbonate, not ground glass. It is from diatoms, ancient living things that live in the ocean and make up much of the cliffs of Dover- that is, it is chalk. There is nothing more natural and the silicates are the reason they work. Like baking soda they cut through the waxy coating on the chitin of fleas and other insects. They then die of dehydration. The only warning I would give you is that it is so fine it will be difficult to clean up after- think chalk dust. And wear a mask. Cough, cough.
As to the citrus cleaner- sheer genius! I am so doing this. Thanks.

Exactly what I needed! I love the smell of Myer's spray cleaner but hate the price. Will try!

I'm allergic to oranges, but not lemons. At a guess, it will work about the same. I'll give it a try.

I use all stripes of citrus for my homemade cleaners (limes, lemons, mineolas, cuties, etc.)...peels are best--avoid entire fruits as they get murky. Also big fan of using a chunk of vanilla bean in vinegar...seems to generate several bottles full of cleaner without losing scent.

My jar is full and is waiting to become cleaner on my kitchen shelf. Just to say, it looks really pretty in the jar. Maybe thats just me.

I just finished filling my jar with peels and vinegar. I'm ridiculously excited about it. Before deciding to try it I asked a friend of mine who's getting into the DIY/organic "granola" lifestyle, but who isn't willing to make her life harder. She laughed when I asked her if she'd heard of this: apparently it's her only indoor cleaner and has been for a year. That was a decisive endorsement for me. :)

You're not making a whole lot of sense. Food grade DE isn't safe, but a chemical from the vet is?

Here's 166 testimonals, some in-depth, from people praising the food-grade DE.
http://www.amazon.com/Diatomaceous-Earth-Food-Grade-10/product-reviews/B00025H2PY

Maybe try not to make random comments on topics you're unfamiliar with.

This is very much a version of my own post about a year ago: right down to the little strainer in the photo.
http://ourfunwithfive.blogspot.com/2012/04/natural-orange-vinegar-cleaner.html
In mine, however, I covered some of the questions in these comments as to How and Why this it works.

This is very much a version of my own post about a year ago: right down to the little strainer in the photo.
http://ourfunwithfive.blogspot.com/2012/04/natural-orange-vinegar-cleaner.html
In mine, however, I covered some of the questions in these comments as to How and Why this it works.

Does anyone know where I can find these jars? I've only been able to find them with hinges so far. Thanks!

On the flea topic:

I'm a vet tech and what I would tell you if you came into my office:

treat all of the normal cats with a product from your vet like Advantage, Revolution, etc (or an over the counter generic with Fipronil ONLY, other OTC for fleas are useless and dangerous [we see more skin and neruo issues from OTC flea products than you'd imagine]).

To keep the one sick kitty safe and bug free change all bedding daily (store it in a tightly sealed black trashbag until you wash it), vacuum vacuum vacuum as often as you can and throw out the bag afterwards (they can crawl out) and use a flea comb on the kitten daily. This should be able to keep it relatively flea free until it's medically ok to have a topical or oral flea medication used.

Someone mentioned capstar which is a great product for short term use (only works for a day but you can repeat is several times.)

Anything that can't be washed can also be put in a black trash bag/car parked in the hot sun for several hours to kill fleas.

Don't be afraid to call your vet with questions! It doesn't cost anything to ask and they can give you help even if you can't afford their first choice for treatment. The internet can have some misleading info/people on it and they don't know your situation the way your vet does. DE and essential oils can cause skin/ allergic reactions in pets just like people btw.

I currently have a jar of grapefruit peels and vinegar sitting on my shelf, but I've noticed the amount of vinegar has slowly been decreasing over time and there are a lot of little white dots floating around. I'm wondering if my jar wasn't airtight or of it's because there was still some fruit attached to the peels. Think if I strain it out through a coffee filter or something it will still work?

I compiled a list of uses for vinegar that I've tried and like, plus a few that I've tried and am not a fan of:

http://bit.ly/13oV6RE

@riceroni - i just strained out mine, which was a mix of orange and grapefruit. The thick skins of the grapefruit absorbed a lot of vinegar so I squeezed them to get the liquid out.

The white dots ? Not sure. I brought my vinegar to a boil in a pot after straining just to kill anything that might be growing. That doesn't make sense if I am going to be using it as a cleaner (why could your cleaner be a breaking ground for bacteria?) but I did it anyway. Used it on my faucet and sink and it worked great!