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March 24, 2011
Opt into orange peels
Challenge Yourself for: 24 Hours
As with many things created by nature, fruit skins have uses beyond their primary job of protecting the fruit inside them. Orange peels are a case in point: Up to 98% of an orange peel’s essential oil is limonene, a natural cleanser found in all citrus fruit peels that is strong enough to wash away grease (that’s why you see it in so many natural cleaning products). In fact, orange peels have lots of around-the-home uses. Today, challenge yourself to reduce waste and reuse your citrus skins in the following ways:
- Toss them around houseplants and other places cats like to dig or urinate (cats are rumored to dislike their odor).
- Try them as kindling (their high oil content makes them natural firestarters).
- Dry and bag them to use as potpourri for musty corners and drawers.
- Grate orange peel and sprinkle zest to dissuade ants, mosquitos, and flies.
- Grind a few occasionally in your garbage disposal to deodorize the unit (even though composting should reduce your disposal waste, bits and pieces can end up there).
- Leave dried orange peels at the bottom of trash cans to mask odor and discourage insects.
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Wow, great ideas! Can’t wait to try a few! One that I’ve always loved is to eat an orange as a mid-afternoon snack at work, then keep the peel where you can smell it. It’s a great way to combat afternoon sleepiness without caffeine.
I put dried out ones at the bottom of my garbage can, definitely helps mask the odors.
Didn’t know that…dissuade ants, mosquitos…will try :)
I grind the peels up in my food processor and add to a sugar oil mixture as a body scrub. Yummy!
I like that idea the scent would be great and uplifting.