Stop Throwing Away Orange Peels, These 5 Household Uses Might Surprise You

Most people toss orange peels into the trash as soon as they finish eating the fruit. Yet those colorful scraps can do more than leave a pleasant smell on your hands, and some cleaning experts say they are worth saving for a few household chores.

Orange peels contain natural oils that give them their strong citrus scent, making them useful for freshening areas where food odors tend to linger. They can also be combined with common household ingredients to help loosen certain types of dirt and grease.

From refrigerators and microwaves to kitchen trash bags, there are several ways to put leftover peels to work without buying yet another cleaning product. Some methods take only a few minutes, while others involve preparing a homemade mixture.

The benefits extend beyond the kitchen, too. Orange peels can be added to garden compost, although experts warn that some popular pest-control tricks are less reliable than they sound. Knowing the difference can help homeowners make better use of their food scraps.

A Fresher Kitchen

One of the easiest ways to reuse orange peels is to tackle odors around the kitchen. In an article published by The Spruce, cleaning experts Maria Mooney of Truly Free Home and Armando Calderon of Joy’s Cleaning Services shared several ways to make use of leftover citrus.

For garbage disposals, orange peels offer a fresh alternative to lemon peels. Their natural oils release a citrus fragrance that can help cover unpleasant smells left behind by food waste.

Homeowners should use only small amounts if their disposal manufacturer allows citrus peels. Large pieces and fibrous scraps can be difficult for some units to process, and citrus fragrance will not remove food trapped elsewhere in the drain.

Another simple option is to place a few orange peels in an open bowl inside the refrigerator. The peels release a light fragrance that may help make the space smell fresher, particularly after storing foods with strong odors.

Unlike baking soda, which is commonly used to help absorb odors, orange peels mainly contribute their own scent. They should be replaced regularly and removed before they become moldy or begin to decay.

Steam Away Grime

A microwave filled with dried food splatters can be difficult to clean, especially when spills have been heated several times. Orange peels provide a way to make that job easier without immediately reaching for a strong cleaning product.

Mooney recommends placing the peels in a microwave-safe bowl with water and heating the mixture for a few minutes. As the water warms, steam builds up inside the microwave and helps soften food stuck to the walls and ceiling.

After allowing the bowl and interior to cool, homeowners can wipe away the loosened residue with a damp cloth. The orange peels also release a citrus scent during the process, which may help freshen the appliance.

The cleaning benefit comes mainly from the steam rather than the orange itself, but the combination offers a convenient way to reuse something that would otherwise be thrown away.

Trash Can Troubles

Kitchen garbage bags can develop unpleasant smells before they are full, particularly when they contain food scraps or other damp waste. Calderon suggests placing a few orange peels at the bottom of an unscented trash bag to add a temporary citrus fragrance.

The location matters because leaving peels loose at the bottom of the trash can could create another problem. In a warm, enclosed space, the scraps may begin to decompose or grow mold, especially if moisture collects inside.

For households that regularly deal with strong trash odors, the peels are best viewed as a short-term freshener. Emptying food waste often and cleaning the container remain important for controlling the source of the smell.

Cut Through Grease

Orange peels can also be used to prepare a homemade cleaner for certain kitchen surfaces. One popular method involves placing the peels in a jar, covering them with white vinegar, and allowing the mixture to sit so the liquid picks up some of the citrus fragrance.

Once the peels have been strained out, the liquid can be used on suitable surfaces to help loosen light grease and everyday residue. Vinegar’s acidity contributes much of the cleaning action, while compounds from the orange peel provide a pleasant scent.

However, this mixture is not suitable for every countertop or appliance. Acidic cleaners can damage marble, limestone, and some other natural stone surfaces, while certain finishes may also be sensitive to vinegar.

Homeowners should check surface-care instructions before using the mixture and test it in a hidden area. It is also important to remember that a homemade orange-and-vinegar cleaner is not a registered disinfectant and should not replace one when disinfection is necessary.

Feed the Garden

Instead of using orange peels around the house, gardeners can add them to a compost pile. The University of Illinois Extension identifies fruit rinds as green organic material, which supplies nitrogen during the composting process.

Successful composting requires a mixture of green materials, such as fruit scraps and grass clippings, and brown materials, including dead leaves and twigs. Illinois Extension recommends roughly equal portions of each to help maintain the conditions needed for decomposition.

Orange peels should be chopped into smaller pieces before being added to the pile. Smaller scraps have more exposed surface area, allowing bacteria and other microorganisms to break them down more easily.

Moisture and oxygen also play important roles. Compost should feel about as damp as a wrung-out sponge, and turning the pile helps move air through the material while allowing scraps near the edges to reach the warmer center.

Depending on the season and how often the pile is maintained, finished compost can be ready in several months. Once fully decomposed, it can be mixed into garden soil or used around plants to improve soil conditions.

Don’t Spray Just Yet

Orange peels are sometimes recommended as a natural way to keep insects away from garden plants. Some homemade recipes call for soaking the peels with garlic and adding a small amount of dish soap before spraying the mixture onto leaves.

There is some science behind the interest in citrus-based pest control. In a response published through Ask Extension, an Oregon-based expert explained that limonene, a compound extracted from orange and other citrus peels, is used in several commercial insect-control products.

However, the expert cautioned that acidic treatments may harm plant material and recommended commercially prepared products rather than homemade mixtures. Citric acid and limonene are different substances, and the presence of citrus ingredients alone does not establish that a homemade spray will work.

Which use of orange peels do you find most useful?