Orange is one of the most delicious and widely consumed fruits.
But what do you do with the peels of your oranges?
Most people throw the peelings in the trash.
It's a shame, because there are so many uses for home, cleaning, garden, vegetable patch, etc. So what to do with orange peels?
Here are 10 surprising ways to use your orange peels:
If you have cats, you know they love to nibble on indoor plants.
It's really bad for your plants.
But, above all, it can be dangerous for the health of your pets.
Indeed, the leaves of the plants can be toxic and give them digestive disorders.
Orange peel can help keep cats away from indoor plants.
1. You need the peel of 2 oranges.
2. Cut the bark into small pieces.
3. Scatter the pieces of bark over the soil at the base of your plants.
Cats can't stand the smell of citrus fruits. With this trick, they carefully avoid approaching your plants.
Click here for more effective tips for keeping cats away.
Does your laundry sometimes smell musty?
This is normal, linen closets are poorly ventilated places.
As a result, linens and clothing can sometimes have a musty smell.
Here's how to get rid of that smell:with orange peels.
1. Place the peels in an old stocking.
2. Tie the top of the bottom to convert it into a sachet.
3. Place the bag on a shelf in your linen closet.
The white skin of the orange peel absorbs and neutralizes bad smells.
The bark also contains oils that perfume and refresh the interior of your wardrobe.
Often, brown sugar tends to harden in its can.
But by using the orange peel, your brown sugar will still be soft.
1. Place orange peel in your can of brown sugar (the equivalent of an orange wedge).
The oils in the bark dissipate slowly and prevent the brown sugar from hardening.
2. Replace the bark once a month.
Your sugar will then remain fluid and soft.
Here is a rather surprising use of orange peel.
It allows you to spend more time enjoying the warmth of your fire...and less time trying to light it.
1. Dry the peel of several oranges for 1 night (on a radiator for example).
2. Insert the dried barks into the fireplace and carefully light them.
3. Let it burn quietly.
The oils contained in orange peels are flammable.
The advantage is that bark burns longer than paper.
And in addition, the peels give off a pleasant fragrance throughout the whole house.
For the inside of your microwave, there is a trick to remove tough stains (mashed potatoes, tomato sauce, etc.).
1. Put the peel of a few oranges in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Add water until it covers the rinds.
3. Heat the microwave at maximum power for 5 minutes.
The water will boil with the orange peels.
Steam from the water naturally dissolves hardened stains.
The citric acid in the bark acts on stains by eliminating bacteria.
4. At the end of the 5 min, wipe with a sponge or cloth:the stains can now be removed effortlessly.
For a delicious addition to your salad dressings, you can use orange flavored olive oil.
1. Add orange peel to your olive oil.
For 475 ml, you need the peel of an orange.
2. In a saucepan, sauté the oil and rind over low heat for 5 minutes.
3. Allow the oil to cool.
4. Drain the oil to remove the rind and re-bottle it.
5. Use this fragrant olive oil to prepare your vinaigrettes.
The citric acid in the peel adds a touch of acidity and gives a citrus aftertaste to your salads.
Thanks to this tip based on orange peel, your glasses will regain all their shine.
1. Fill your sink with hot water.
2. Add 1 handful of orange peels to the sink.
3. Soak your glasses in this water for 5 min.
4. Then, wash your glasses with your usual dishwashing liquid.
The citric acid in the bark destroys the traces of limestone that make your glasses opaque.
Aphids can totally destroy your plants:roses, tomatoes, sunflowers, etc.
But did you know that you can protect plants against aphids with orange peel?
- orange peel (the equivalent of 60 ml to 120 ml in a measuring cup)
- 75 cl to 1 l of hot water
- 1 sprayer
1. Leave the peels to stand in hot water for 10 min.
2. Once the mixture has cooled, pour it into a spray bottle.
3. Spray this mixture on your plants once a week.
Aphids are naturally attracted to the scent of oranges.
But citric acid weakens their bodies and eventually kills them — harmless to your plants.
(This trick also works on all soft-bodied insects and slugs).
Cleaning products may be effective, but they contain a lot of toxic products.
Why not use a homemade magic cleaning product that is just as effective? It's extremely easy.
- the peel of an orange
- 30 cl of white vinegar
- 1 sprayer
1. Pour the white vinegar into the sprayer.
2. Add the peels to the vinegar.
3. Close the bottle and leave to macerate for 2 weeks.
It is an extremely effective cleanser.
Citric acid from orange dissolves grease and white vinegar disinfects surfaces.
You can use the whole peel or the zest of the orange.
Garbage disposals are practical, but can sometimes give off bad smells.
Here is a simple solution to end this little problem.
1. Insert the peel of an orange into your garbage disposal.
2. Turn on the grinder for 30 sec.
The citric acid in the bark completely neutralizes bad smells.
In addition, this trick is also effective in removing food particles stuck to the blades of your shredder.
Indeed, the coarse texture of the barks naturally scour the blades.
3. Repeat once a week or as needed.
There you go, you know what to do with orange peels :-)
If you don't have orange peel, you can do the same with clementine, grapefruit or tangerine skins... In short, all the citrus fruits you have on hand!
- Want to perfume the house pleasantly and naturally?
Did you know that you can dry orange peels in the oven?
The bark then gives off a delicious smell that perfumes the kitchen. It also works with lemon peels to eliminate fishy smells. Find out how here.
- If you have organic orange peels, you can reduce them to powder or use the zest to make fragrant infusions. A simple and delicious recipe!
- You can also put some orange peels in particular in your compost. Because contrary to popular belief, citrus peel can be composted.
