How to Use Citrus Peels Around the House

Last Updated: June 28, 2022 References

When you eat an orange or lemon, you might be tempted to throw the peels out in the trash. Before you waste the power within those peels, try a few of these uses for citrus peels around the house. Because of their acidic juice, citrus peels make a great addition to your cleaning supplies. Use dried citrus peels as cheap air fresheners by baking them or bundling them with spices. Place some citrus peels around furniture, doors, or the garden to deter house pets and outdoor pests from going where you don't want them.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning With Citrus Peels

1
Swirl lemon peels, ice, and salt in your coffee pot. If you're a coffee drinker, you've dealt with stained coffee pots. Add the peel from a least one lemon, three tablespoons of salt, and two cups of ice to coffee pot. Swirl it for two minutes and watch the stains fade away. Rinse the coffee pot with cool water afterward.^{[1]
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2
Make an orange (or lemon) and vinegar cleaner. Place cut peels from two or more pieces of citrus into a sealable glass jar. Fill the jar with white vinegar and seal tightly with a lid. Let the mixture soak for two weeks. Strain the peels and pour the remaining scented cleaner into a spray bottle.^{[2]
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- This mixture is great for cleaning countertops, toilets, sinks, and other household surfaces.
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3
Put citrus peels in your garbage disposal. You put all kinds of food in your garbage disposal, so it is bound to stink on occasion. Take your scrap peels from lemons and oranges and grind them up in the garbage disposal. Their scent will release, which reduces the foul odor and freshens up the air. The acid of the peels also cleans the blades.
- Remember that most garbage disposals work best if you run water while the disposal is running.
- To increase the effect, save the peels from five or more pieces of citrus so you have plenty to put down the disposal at one time, or perform this on a weekly basis.
4
Freshen up your microwave with lemon peels. Place the peels from one or two lemons in a microwave-safe bowl. Fill the bowl with water and microwave for five minutes. After the timer goes off, leave the door closed for another 5 minutes to let the steam remove any lingering odors.^{[3]
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- Afterward, take a paper towel and wipe the walls of the microwave. The lemon water steam will also loosen any stuck-on food.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Releasing Citrus Scents

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Bake peels in the oven to freshen up your kitchen. Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 175 Celsius. Lay the peels on a cookie sheet and bake them for a few minutes. The scent will release and freshen up foul smelling kitchens. This is also a good trick for when you burn something in the oven.^{[4]
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2
Create scented fire starters. Dry orange or lemon peels on a cookie sheet for a few days. They will harden as they dry. Use these, along with a bit of kindling, when you start your next fire. The carbon in citrus peels burns cleaner than paper. The peels also add scent to your fire.^{[5]
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3
Make air fresheners with peels and spices. Take a square of fabric about six inches by six inches (or about 15 cm on each side) and set some dried lemon or orange peels in the middle. Add cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, or cardamom to the pile. Then gather up the corners and tie the square shut with a ribbon. Set the bundle in drawers or around the house for a potpourri style air freshener.^{[6]
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- Use a thin, breathable fabric that will release the scent. Cotton is best. You could cut a square from an old shirt or other scraps of fabric.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Placing Citrus Peels as Deterrents

1
Keep cats off furniture or countertops with orange peels. Many cats do not like the scent of fresh oranges, so placing them around spots where you don't want your cats is a safe deterrent. Put them in the cracks of the sofa, around the edges of the kitchen table, or next to other food on the countertop.^{[7]
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- Be sure to replace them every couple of days as their potency decreases.
2
Place citrus peels by doors and windows to keep insects out. The oils in citrus peels are toxic to the fungus that ants feed on, so ants won't go near citrus peels. Place them by doorways, on window seals, or around cracks in the floor. You'll want to replace the peels every day or two. This trick also works to keep spiders, roaches, and fleas out.^{[8]
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- If you already have a lot of bugs in your house, you may need to take more drastic measures, such as placing traps, using a bug bomb, or calling an exterminator.
3
Sprinkle ground orange peels and coffee grounds around your garden. If your garden is prone to pests, this trick will help repel them. Grind the orange peels and mix them into your used coffee grounds. Sprinkle the mixture around the edges of your garden and between the rows of plants.^{[9]
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