On a recent grocery shopping trip, I came across a large bag of mandarin oranges that was on sale and calling my name…so I had to bring it home! After eating my fill (and then some!) I didn’t know what to do with the rest of the tangerines, but I figured I could come up with something! After a bit of searching, I came across an idea that sounded like it was tailor-made for me… using the peels to make homemade orange oil!
Orange oil makes a great addition to homemade cleaners for several reasons. First, it has amazing grease-cutting abilities so that you can power through tough messes and stains. Second, it has antibacterial qualities to help kill germs. And finally, it smells wonderfully fresh. (Did you know the citrus scent can help boost your mood and energy? Fun fact!)
Related: Benefits of Sweet Orange Essential Oil
So I whipped up my very own batch of orange oil, and I’ve already added it to a few of my favorite homemade cleaners. Here’s how you can make your own orange oil at home!
Homemade Orange Oil
You’ll need:
- A lot of orange peels*
- A couple of mason jars
- Cheesecloth
- Mesh sieve
- Rubbing alcohol
*Note: We used the peels from a bag of mandarin oranges, which yielded a few tablespoons of concentrated orange oil. You can make more or less, depending on your needs!
Directions:
Start by peeling your oranges. Or you can start a “stash” of citrus peels if you’re working your way through a bag or box of oranges. Just set them in a dish on your countertop and flip the peels once a day until you’re ready to use them.
Next, you’ll dry the orange peels. We used our dehydrator, and the peels were dry in about 5 hours. If you don’t have a dehydrator, your oven would work just as well! Place them in your oven at the lowest possible temperature for 30-60 minutes.
You’ll know the peels are properly dry when you can snap them in half with your fingers.
Once the peels are dry, place them in a mason jar (or two, depending on how much you have). Fill the remainder of the jar with rubbing alcohol. We used the 70% solution, but a 90% solution would be even better.
Place the lid on the jar(s), and let the peels soak for about a week. The rubbing alcohol will draw the natural oils out of the peels, and you’ll see the alcohol start to turn orange as it soaks.
The next step is to drain the peels. Line a fine-mesh sieve with a piece of folded cheesecloth, then place it over a wide dish. Pour the alcohol and peels into the sieve and let the liquid drain out.
Then bundle the peels up in the cheesecloth and squeeze as much of the remaining liquid as possible. Discard the peels.
More Ideas You'll Love
Now you’ll play my least favorite game – The Waiting Game. ;-) Leave the dish of liquid uncovered on your countertop for about a week or so. Over time, the alcohol and water will evaporate, leaving the orange oil behind.
Perform a smell test once a day when you reach the week mark, to tell if the oil is ready. If you still smell alcohol, let it evaporate for another day or two. When it smells strongly of orange, it’s ready. :-)
Using Your Orange Oil
Store your finished orange oil in an airtight glass container. Add a small amount to anything you think could use some fresh orange scent or a boost of cleaning power. You can add it to hand sanitizers, mop water, homemade all-purpose cleaners, and more!
Have you tried orange oil for cleaning?
Does anyone know if the resulting oil would be safe to use for cold process soapmaking?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Carolyn, I don’t know why not. I would definitely experiment if I were you. Let me know how it worked out. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Is it effective if we try to combine the orange oil and Lemongrass oil? Because we are trying to make an insecticide out of these two oils. Hope you respond as soon as possible, need it badly for our project. Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That should be just fine!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.where is the water used? your recipe calls for water,but you have not used it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There’s no water in the recipe :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks to everyone for all these great ideas! I love the citrusy smell that orange and lemon leave, so you can bet that I’ll be trying these ideas out. Appreciate everyone’s input!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Orange oil kills fire ants in a vegetable garden. I live in Texas, and did not want to use dangerous chemicals in my vegetable garden. I was so happy to find this recipe online: 1.5 oz orange oil, 3 oz Dawn, 1 gallon water. Shake it up, and then drench the mound. In my garden, the fire ants were completely gone one day later!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Would this concentrated oil be the same as “essential” oil? I’m having a hard time finding lemon essential oil in my area and am wondering if I could use this process with lemon peels. Love all of your posts, Jillee! Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It is very similar and can definitely be used for cleaning. However, I wouldn’t ingest the oil or use it in a diffuser. It’s just not as pure as a genuine essential oil. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This sounds almost as good as when I used orange peel to clean the bathtub. It worked great getting scum off. The peel also worked very well as a scrubber. This recipe with the rubbing alcohol sounds much more sanitizing. Up until now I’ve been peeling oranges and freezing them for later use in my smoothies. All citrus peels are a natural air cleaner but am cautious as my cat like most cats hate the smell of any citrus.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you use vinegar when cleaning, you can just toss your peels directly into a big jar of vinegar, without having to dry them first, or wait for the alcohol to evaporate.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Then just dilute the vinegar to your usual recipe. Leave the peels in the vinegar when storing, as if you take them out the vinegar oxidises and turns brown, left in it stays a lovely pale orange. I rotate the peels that have been in the longest out, when i add new ones.
I have also used the white vinegar and orange peel recipe, but I did not realize that taking the peels out is what caused my oil to turn really brown. It takes a while for it to turn though. My last jar stayed light colored for almost a year before it turned. Still, I’m happy to know the reason. I’ll leave the peels in next time and rotate them as you said. I’ve used mine in just about every kind of cleaning that will hold up to citrus oil, even laundry that has oil stains. Works like a charm. Thanks for sharing.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What is the recipe for diluting vinegar and using the orange peel?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wonder if vodka would work better
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use cheap vodka with a few drops of essential oils to clean (lemon and orange). It smells great and kills germs. It’s not sticky like some cleaners and I don’t have to wear gloves!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It would be just about the same :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi, I just read that one of the characteristics of isopropyl alcohol is that it doesn’t evaporate.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How come it evaporates in the process of oil-making?
I definitely want to try, but I must make sure I have the right alcohol. Here in France things are different !!
Isopropyl alcohol dissolves a wide range of non-polar compounds. It also evaporates quickly, leaves nearly zero oil traces, compared to ethanol, and is relatively non-toxic, compared to alternative solvents. Thus, it is used widely as a solvent and as a cleaning fluid, especially for dissolving oils.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I gess you must use organic fruits, otherwise your oil will be full of pesticide…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.No, any fruit washed appropriately for consumption will work for this project. My daughter works in a pub and she brings me all the lemon, orange and lime wedges that have hung on people’s glasses and would otherwise be thrown out. I compost the flesh and save the peels to make DIY cleaners out of them.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.what is the scientific name of ´rubbing alcohol´?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Isopropyl alcohol
Please log in or create a free account to comment.