Imagine if you took the amazing cleaning power of grapefruit, combined it with the kazowwy wowwy magic of baking soda and added in some supercalifragilistic borax?
(Yes. This is my interpretation of a cheesy cleaner commercial. Live with it.)
What would you get? WHAT WOULD YOU GET?
This blessed little cleaner came about quite by accident. See, I bought this juicer for Christmas and have been a little overboard on the grapefruit juice. One day, instead of putting the grapefruit pulp on the compost pile, I plopped it in the sink.
The sink, by the way, is a white porcelain, and since I moved into this beautiful place, it’s been stained beyond measure. I swear, if you even hover a cup of coffee over it, it turns brown and starts laughing maniacally.
I sat there looking at the grapefruit and thought, “I wonder what would happen if I mixed in borax and baking soda and just mushed the grapefruit all around the sink.” So I did. And lo and behold, upon rinsing, the sink was a shiny, pristine white. Like I’d never seen it before.
Then I looked at the grapefruit peel, again at the sink, and stuck my tongue out and told it that it would never get the best of me again.
So, originally I created this scouring scrub for my sink, but it turns out that it’s fantastic for cleaning just about anything. Think of it as sort of a nontoxic Comet, if you will.
Make Your Own Grapefruit Scouring Scrub
The first thing you need to do is buy a grapefruit, peel it and tear the peels into smallish pieces.
Then you just lay them out on a large plate and turn them over every so often – if you live in a dry-ish climate. If you live in a warmer, wetter climate, you might want to pop them in your oven for a few days, where things stay a little more dry. (Leave the oven off.)
It took my grapefruit peels about 3-4 days to dry completely. The reason why we’re not putting them in the oven on low to dry is because we don’t want to damage the essential oils in the peels.
So once you have your dried grapefruit peel, pop it in a coffee grinder or food processor and let it go until it looks like this:
It becomes this very nice, fine powder that’s really soft to touch, which surprised me. I expected hard, gritty beads. But no. It’s the perfect consistency.
This is when you create your scouring scrub.
And here is everything you need. Three ingredients. Cleaning doesn’t get much more simple than that, does it?
Grapefruit Scouring Scrub Recipe
- 3 Tbsp dried, powdered grapefruit peels
- 3 Tbsp borax
- 5 Tbsp baking soda
Combine everything in a shaker (like an old parmesan container) and shake well to combine it all. Use liberally wherever scouring is required. Be sure to rinse the scrub off well with a clean, wet sponge.
Here’s what the results look like, after you’ve combined everything completely.
It’s a pretty, pretty color. But, even better, it SMELLS LIKE HEAVENLY GRAPEFRUIT. I was surprised by this development, as well, because before I ground the peels, they didn’t smell like much of anything at all.
How to Use Your Grapefruit Scouring Scrub
You can use it on counters and bathtubs, stainless steel and sinks. I used mine on just about everything, and it works like a charm.
Here’s how I’ve been doing it: Just sprinkle a little bit of the scrub on the surface you want to clean, and then take a wet sponge and scrub over it. Rinse the sponge well and go over it again. If there’s still scrub left on the surface, wipe it off one more time.
It’s very important to get all of the scrub off, though, because borax is a beeyotch to get off once it dries completely.
If you’re cleaning a hard-to-sprinkle-surface (like a toilet), just sprinkle some of the scrub onto a wet sponge and go to town.
Ideas For Containers to Use
The recipe mentions using an old, washed, reused parmesan cheese container. That’s perfect.
However, if you want something a little more fancy (or if you don’t eat bottled parmesan cheese), find a tea tin or something similar and decorate it a little bit. Then, just punch holes in the top of the lid with a nail and a hammer.
Like so:
Please note, I am not very good at spacial reasoning. That is the best I could do in terms of a circle of holes. It is a little sad, but it works.
Yours can be sad, too. Imperfections are what make our creations beautiful. Or something.
And that’s it!
Citrus Peel Powder – What’s Next?
So I have five orange peels and another grapefruit peel drying at the moment.
I’ve already decided I want to make a facial scrub with the grapefruit peel. It’s BEGGING me to do this.
However, I’m curious if you guys can come up with something else to do with powdered orange peels. I know there’s no reason to powder them, if there are no other ideas.
So, barring powdering them, can you think of other things to do with dried citrus peels?
FYI, if you’re curious at all about Borax and haven’t read the post on Crunchy Betty where I get to the bottom of it, here it is.
Crunchy Angels – Help This Man Heal His Cancer
I wonder if this could be used in making enzyme cleaner, especially in making one that will last longer than a few months (because enzyme cleaner is usually made with fruit still attached to the peels).
I was just going to copy the recipe…but so enjoyed your preamble I had to copy the whole thing. Look forward to using grapefruit for all…I have access to a gazzillion of them from neighbor hood trees, never sprayed trees tooo!!
I know this is an old post, but I just found it, and I’m very excited to try this! And I soak my orange peels in white vinegar in a mason jar on the counter for a couple of weeks, and presto, I have delicious smelling orange vinegar. This is good for cleaning, but not so good for washing windows; it seems to leave a smeary residue. Sure smells better than the regular stuff though.
Hi can you use powdered grapefruit peels in homemade laundy soap? Is there anybody out there witg an answer? thanks Marion
Hi Betty,
Have the same coffee stained white porcelain sink and am going to run to the store for a grapefruit!!!
Thanks so much.
This is actually such good kismit, i am in the process of changing over most of my cleaners to natural ones and comet is one that I love adn havent been able to find a natural version of.
I like the way you think and write very much. Thanks for caring, sharing and being so real!
I use baking soda to keep my underarms dry and smelling fresh. I think I might try adding some powdered grapefruit . I wouldn’t reccomend this to any one with hyper sensitive skin though. 🙂
It’s great! But can you do it without baking soda, so just salt and peels?
And lemon is also very good and smell nis too.
I shoud try it
I tried this tonight using orange peels… and I LOVE it… read my post about it here:
http://sabhaileathome.blogspot.com/2012/04/citrus-scouring-scrub.html
Love your blog! 🙂
Just found this site a few days ago and love it! I can’t wait to try this on my porcelain sink — it’s impossible to keep clean. I also use citrus peels in the garbage disposal or simmer with a cinnamon stick in a bit of water for a wonderful smelling kitchen. I have also used the ground peels in cold-process soap as a gentle exfoliant.
I have been having a blast drying my grapefruit peels and now lemon peels … I’m going to make up some cleanser as soon as I restock my Borax. I love the smell when they are drying and love to open the jar of ground peels just to smell it! I’ve made a creative centerpiece for my peel drying and baked a from scratch pumpkin spice mini cake to put on top! By the way … I Love your Blog and since I’m a “Make do … Use it up … Wear it out …or do Without” kind of gal … I’m finding lots of helpful and entertaining information.
http://foodpluswords.com/2012/02/moisturizing-orange-face-mask/
I saw this on Pinterest today and remembered that you had asked for suggestions using powdered orange peels. This face mask uses dried orange peels. I’m very curious to try this myself.
WOW! This is awesome. I just happen to have a bag full of dried citrus peels. I read somewhere you could use them as fire starter. I haven’t tried it yet…I just ground some up. I have a mix of orange and grapefruit. I can’t see any reason why orange wouldn’t work as well. I unfortunately don’t have the other ingredients. I used them all up last week when I made my new batch of laundry soap. Thanks for the Recipe. 🙂
Orange peels… Carpet freshener… I put fresh sliced peels in borax, sometimes I combine different citrus fruits, adding lime makes smell great! I put 3c borax in container with lid, like a food storage container. Then add peels from citrus. Put lid on, shake every few hours to distribute. Let sit overnight or longer, put lid on. Next day remove lid fish out peels. Let sit open few hours to dry out a little. I sprinkle on carpet when still a little damp and let it dry out/ absorb dirt, the rest of the way on the carpet. You can use dry too. Few hours and vaccum thoroughly. Carpet will look refreshed and smell amazing. I am going to try what you did with letting peel dry out and grinding it to powder and add to borax or soda for carpet smelly good. That was a wonderful tip. Thank you!
FYI- I dried some grapefruit peel a few days ago, ground it up in my coffee grinder, and decided to add it to the basic body scrub that CB talked about in the 40 homemade gifts blog (for men’s gifts)….and it smells and looks AWESOME! Can’t wait to try it out. If it’s as winning as I think it’s going to be, the next batch is going to my boyfriend for part of his V-day gift. Thanks for the idea!
P.s. I got some awesome facial scrub as part of my Crunchy Community Gift Exchange over Christmas, and I might add the leftover grapefruit “powder” to it!
Clean your microwave! (Yes, I use one, please don’t anyone get all crunchier-than-thou). You know when it gets all nasty crusty because you’re too busy living to clean it? Throw some peels in a cup of water and turn it on high for about 2 minutes…when it’s done all that gunk will magically wipe off. So cool.
So we can use any peel then? I’m going back to Colombia and we dont have grapefruit there. Can anyone tell me if orange will work with it? Many thanks, Great idea!!
Crunchy Betty,
My mom sent me a link to this recipe and I was so glad to find it! I didn’t have the same ingredients handy but decided to make it with a little spin. Orange Peel Scouring Powder! http://poppyjuice-poppy.blogspot.com/2012/01/homemade-orange-peel-scouring-powder.html
I can’t wait to try your recipe as soon as I can get to the store to buy some grapefruit! Thanks for the great idea!
Could I just use baking soda and grapefruit peels? I don’t have access to borax here.
I’ve always used my citrus peels in the garbage disposal – cleans nicely and smells wonderful. I am totally LOVING your idea…I will not dispose of them all.
I am so going to try this! It just so happens that it’s grapefruit season and I picked a TON off my grandparent’s tree yesterday. Hooray!!
I remember reading ages ago that the inside of an orange peel…the white bit…is good for whitening your teeth a bit. Could be a good toothpaste or just a one off teeth cleaner. I could do with one of those!!
you should be careful saying “non-toxic”! borax may not be acutely toxic, in studies done on rats at least, but the lethal dose to an adult human has not been determined, but exposure to the dust (i.e. sprinkling it around) can cause respiratory issues – we always wore a mask and gloves when mixing borax to use as flux when I was repairing jewelry. And on infants it is DEFINITELY toxic and can cause severe developmental damage by exposure, specifically on abrasions or in delicate membranes like the eye.
that said – this is such a cool idea 😀 i wish i had some grapefruit! I do have a bag full of orange peels in my freezer, maybe i’ll give those a go. thanks for being awesome, as usual
I’m so glad I read your comment. I was thinking I’d do the borax/citrus carpet refresher tomorrow, but I have a 14 month old. So, needless to say I won’t be sprinkling borax all over the house now. Thank you.
Wait. I JUST read this (don’t know how I missed this the first time), and I’d love to see the studies that show that borax can cause developmental damage to infants with exposure to abrasions. I spent many, many months researching all the potential issues with borax (as opposed to boric acid, two different things) and this is the first I’ve heard of this. Can you point me in a direction to learn more about this? Something I would DEFINITELY want to understand more about!
Also how about using the ground peels in Cold Processed or Hot Processd soaps? Minus of course the Borax. Also (again) in bath bombs
I have been making my own CP soap for more than a decade and have used the ground peels as an exfoliant.
I take large pieces of the dried peel – rough chop/grind so I still have large-ish pieces then shove them into my vacuum cleaner bag and when I clean the carpets or the wooden floor I get a nice citrus smell
What would happen if I added the grapefruit powder to my everyday scrub? Would it be too hard on my skin? I love the ground oat and almost daily scrub and I like to jazz it up with a little something extra. This batch I decided to add a little bit of cinnamon, but if the grapefruit won’t be too harsh then I’d like to add it next. Any thoughts? Could I do it?
Two recipes on my list of things to try is a grapefruit juice facial toner (grapefruit juice with witch hazel) and a grapefruit juice facial scrub. The scrub recipe I found is just ground oatmeal with grapefruit juice, but now I think I will also add some ground grapefruit peel for some extra grapefruity scrubby action.
I use fresh lemons and limes a lot when I cook and I’ve always hated throwing away the peels, but I didn’t really know what else to do with them. One thing that I think is really amazing about this blog is all the great ideas shared by all you wonderful crunchy people. I have a lot of vinegar infusing and peel drying and grinding to do!
Remember the baking soda dry shampoo? What about adding some orange peels? I wanted to try it out myself right now, but the thing is that my grinder is broken.
yeah, i think this is going to be the greatest ever. I hate wasting all of that good juicer pulp. Sidenote-sometimes we freeze some of the juicer pulp in ice cube trays and sneak a cube or two into some chili or pasta sauce, just to sneak in some bonus nutrients & fiber:)
Wow.
Last night I pulled a ton of grapefruit peels out of the dehydrator. I ground them up in the Magic Bullet. Then I added some oil and sugar and wha-la Grapefruit Sugar Scrub. I took a handful of jars to work and the chicks were soooo excited! This stuff smells and feels t-riffic!!!
Someone asked if she could put it on her ice cream. Why….did all the chocolate in the world disappear?
Too bad i dont think we have Borax in this part of world ;o i use dried orange peels as potpourri… and there have been awesome list of ideas in the comments. I will try them as scrub and even venture into making teas (DIY earl grey? ;))
Thanks for another fab post!
Nice recipe! Just yesterday I mixed baking soda with pink grapefruit and lemon essential oils as a carpet refresher. I sprinkled this on my carpets and left it there for 20 or so mins. before vacuuming. Made the house smell so fresh and lovely! I wonder if the result will be the same with the peels instead of EOs. I might just give it a try.
You could also try infusing the peels in a light relatively unscented oil like sunflower or safflower for a nice body oil. I bet that would be yummy.
We use dried citrus peels in winter as fire lighters; much nicer than the chemical-laden shop bought ones and work a treat. Also, citrus peels are supposed to keep cats out of your garden (but worms don’t like them, so don’t put them in the compost!)
How do you dry the citrus peels? I just left mine on the plate and they got moldy after a while. Maybe I should have stored them in an airtight container after a few days? I was so disappointed that they did not last because I have tons of
citrus for a few months and then nothing for the rest of the year, so
I’d love to know how they can be properly dried and stored to last for 8-9
months.
I don’t have any grapefruit on hand, do you think it will work as well with oranges?
I use the orange/lemon peels to infuse vinegar (for cleaning and also hair rinse after BS), herbal tea, and cooking.
dry them in the oven like the post says… that prevents moulding ;)) HTH
My husband stretched some leftover screen material over two old picture frames for me (staple underneath) and I dry all sorts of plant material on these! Citrus peels will mold if they are not in a single layer with plenty of air circulation (at least in my house). The screens work beautifully!
What a great idea…we have been having grapefruits for breakfasts for weeks now and I have been throwing the shells in the compost bin….this is an awesome way to use all of the fruit!!!
What a great idea…we have been having grapefruits for breakfasts for weeks now and I have been throwing the shells in the compost bin….this is an awesome way to use all of the fruit!!!
Can’t wait to try this! Ooo, could you use the ground-up grapefruit (or orange) peels mixed with some epsom salts in a bath? Seems like it would smell heavenly! 🙂
After a recent round of making Orange Marmalade I had a big bunch of orange peel ends leftover. I soaked them in white vinegar to use for cleaning. I like to use white vinegar for that and sometimes would add orange essential oil to it. Orange is a great degreaser. So when I saw all these I thought….hey dont have to use expensive oil, just use these up. I also add it to my dishwasher now and then to clean it up and make the dishes sparkle, leaves a nice orange scent too.
But then I thought ooooo wouldnt a nice orange vinegar be good on salads? So I added some to some cider vinegar. Its yummy. But I also just zest the peels and dry them on a plate. Then I store them in a jar in my baking cabinet. This way I can add orange flavor anytime when I bake…how often do you want to use it and dont have any in the house? So I save it for those times.
The stores sell Lemon Pepper but if you have this around why not make your own? Orange Pepper , grapefruit pepper,,,,,,lime pepper ….or salt. Awesome on grilled foods and adds a lil kick to a finished dinner.
Hellooooooo Pat!
The meyer lemon tree went crazytown this year, so after buckets or marmalade I have a bunch of dried rinds. I also do the white vinegar soak and use it for all my cleaning needs, especially the floor.
I recently got a puppy and she turns into a jackal from wild kingdom or something when she is at the dog park, but a single squirt of the watered down citrus vin. settles her pants nicely.
I think the small bit of vinegar in the water gives her the olfactory clue for training, as well repelling fleas.
Watch out Cesar Milan!
P.S. ….try adding some to coffee when you brew it. You wont want to use cream or milk in it then but the flavor is awesome. I love my coffee with orange peel in it. But Italians use a twist of lemon with their espresso too.
Hi Pat, when you add the peels to your dishwasher are they in powder form or do you just throw them in as is? Also are they soaked in the vinegar too? Thanks for your help!
After a recent round of making Orange Marmalade I had a big bunch of orange peel ends leftover. I soaked them in white vinegar to use for cleaning. I like to use white vinegar for that and sometimes would add orange essential oil to it. Orange is a great degreaser. So when I saw all these I thought….hey dont have to use expensive oil, just use these up. I also add it to my dishwasher now and then to clean it up and make the dishes sparkle, leaves a nice orange scent too.
But then I thought ooooo wouldnt a nice orange vinegar be good on salads? So I added some to some cider vinegar. Its yummy. But I also just zest the peels and dry them on a plate. Then I store them in a jar in my baking cabinet. This way I can add orange flavor anytime when I bake…how often do you want to use it and dont have any in the house? So I save it for those times.
The stores sell Lemon Pepper but if you have this around why not make your own? Orange Pepper , grapefruit pepper,,,,,,lime pepper ….or salt. Awesome on grilled foods and adds a lil kick to a finished dinner.
Dried orange peel is great mixed with other herbs as a tea! (Organic of course) It adds a yummy flavor and is great for digestion. (Check out some of your favorite teas – you might find orange peel is one of the ingredients.) Nice with licorice root and other rooty herbs, but can also be ground up small and mixed in with a leafy tea. In fact my herbalist friend gave me a jar of dried orange peel for Christmas. It’s a little more than I’ll probably use for tea, so now I’m excited to try making an orange cleanser with it. Not sure if it will work as well as grapefruit, but might as well give it a try! (Not sure how grapefruit peel works in tea – would probably be kind of tasty too)
Dried orange peel is great mixed with other herbs as a tea! (Organic of course) It adds a yummy flavor and is great for digestion. (Check out some of your favorite teas – you might find orange peel is one of the ingredients.) Nice with licorice root and other rooty herbs, but can also be ground up small and mixed in with a leafy tea. In fact my herbalist friend gave me a jar of dried orange peel for Christmas. It’s a little more than I’ll probably use for tea, so now I’m excited to try making an orange cleanser with it. Not sure if it will work as well as grapefruit, but might as well give it a try! (Not sure how grapefruit peel works in tea – would probably be kind of tasty too)
This is a fabulous idea! Love your posts and look forward to each one. Although I’m new to the world of homemade natural products, I’m intrigued by all of the great possibilities for them. I’ve practiced eating/living healthy and organic for many years, but had not thought about the healthy home aspect, or making products myself. Your extensive research for your posts is informative, well written, and takes the scary mystery out of the process and use. And, you make me laugh and brighten my day! Thanks for the best tips ever!
This is a fabulous idea! Love your posts and look forward to each one. Although I’m new to the world of homemade natural products, I’m intrigued by all of the great possibilities for them. I’ve practiced eating/living healthy and organic for many years, but had not thought about the healthy home aspect, or making products myself. Your extensive research for your posts is informative, well written, and takes the scary mystery out of the process and use. And, you make me laugh and brighten my day! Thanks for the best tips ever!
First off, I’ve been a creeper for months now, reading your blog & making lots of things from it (deodorant, lotion bars, bs/acv for my hair…) but haven’t left any comments! So I’ll introduce myself. Hi, I’m Jenn! : ) Now, the comment! I’ve wanted to make birdfeeders from grapefruit peels (as well as avocado peels!) & went as far as laying them out to dry but then felt silly after a day & threw them out. I was sitting down to eat a grapefruit when I read this, and have several more on the counter, so I’ll give it another shot. Think the smell of grapefruit would keep the birds away? (Ummm, do birds even smell?) Anywho, I’ll try! Also, if soaking the peels in vinegar works for cleaning, would it work for ACV rinse for hair? I think of clarifying when grapefruit comes to mind, but I could be wrong! I, honestly, have temporarily given up on the no ‘poo for a while because I just couldn’t find the right mix but I’m getting inspired again! So, thank you for all you do for us!! You’ve totally empowered me to do what I felt was right, but never knew where to begin!! : )
First off, I’ve been a creeper for months now, reading your blog & making lots of things from it (deodorant, lotion bars, bs/acv for my hair…) but haven’t left any comments! So I’ll introduce myself. Hi, I’m Jenn! : ) Now, the comment! I’ve wanted to make birdfeeders from grapefruit peels (as well as avocado peels!) & went as far as laying them out to dry but then felt silly after a day & threw them out. I was sitting down to eat a grapefruit when I read this, and have several more on the counter, so I’ll give it another shot. Think the smell of grapefruit would keep the birds away? (Ummm, do birds even smell?) Anywho, I’ll try! Also, if soaking the peels in vinegar works for cleaning, would it work for ACV rinse for hair? I think of clarifying when grapefruit comes to mind, but I could be wrong! I, honestly, have temporarily given up on the no ‘poo for a while because I just couldn’t find the right mix but I’m getting inspired again! So, thank you for all you do for us!! You’ve totally empowered me to do what I felt was right, but never knew where to begin!! : )
Thank you for this recipe. You seem to have the perfect timing with your ideas…It must be that great minds think alike! haha. I have an old sink like you described…must try it! going to buy citrus now!
Thank you for this recipe. You seem to have the perfect timing with your ideas…It must be that great minds think alike! haha. I have an old sink like you described…must try it! going to buy citrus now!
You can candy them for a tasty treat or as garnish on cakes and pies.
We usually stick ours in the garbage disposal to make our kitchen smell fresh and clean. I have to try this cleanser now. We have an old 1960s porcelain sink and it’s just dreadfully dirty. Powdered orange peels should have the same effect as grapefruit.
We put lemon or limes peels in our garbage disposal. Also you can run it on the underside of the rubber flap (that keeps everything down in the disposal) to clean it up before you run them through the disposal.
Oh, and citrus sugars, too! =)
Well I’m sure u know about making tea with them http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/2010/03/orange-peel-tea.html#axzz1kaC2E3vm
I’m from Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean, and we never really throw away the peels. We also save them to add to cakes (just a few bits in the batter adds wonderful flavours – just be sure to take them out before u bake, or you can use a bit of the powdered peel instead so you don’t have that worry).
You can also add some cracked pepper to powdered peels for a different type of seasoning (it’s an acquired taste)
There’s also candied peel (I’m not fan, doesn’t mean you won’t like it though). Unfortunately I don’t have a recipe for that, so you can probably ask Google.
Mom always uses her leftover citrus peels as a kitchen deodorizer after making some smelly but delicious concoction – get a small saucepan and fill with 1-2″ of water, add citrus peel, a cinnamon stick, and a few cloves. Heat over medium-low for a lovely citrusy kick.
Add to homemade (or store-bought!) potpourri, with some cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, or whatever blows your skirt up.
And you can always add some to your body scrubs for a wake-up feel and smell.
We heat with wood, so we(royal ‘we’) keep a can of water on the stove, I get to add Cinnamon,cloves and now I know orange peels…if I can get him to buy some for me, On limited budget, so it’s hard. But all of these ideas sound GREAT!! Thank you!! p.s. I wish I could send $ to author of the page so she can eat-but we need to eat AND have 3 dogs…buy wood, etc., so I’m sure you see the problem,oh,& on VERY limited income, paralyzed since ’82.Back in the “dark ages” around here. My aide says “the black & white days!”(she’s 26-I’m 55) My guy is disabled too. LOVE ALL THESE IDEAS! My mom used Borax in laundry…
We lived on a farm,so “Lava” was the usual soap of choice…by her! I wanted the soap that ‘floats’! Very expensive-it was a ‘treat’!! Thanks for my lil’ therapy here!Ha-ha!! Happy smells, shiny faces,sinks,whatever to u all!
Mom always uses her leftover citrus peels as a kitchen deodorizer after making some smelly but delicious concoction – get a small saucepan and fill with 1-2″ of water, add citrus peel, a cinnamon stick, and a few cloves. Heat over medium-low for a lovely citrusy kick.
Add to homemade (or store-bought!) potpourri, with some cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, or whatever blows your skirt up.
And you can always add some to your body scrubs for a wake-up feel and smell.
Orange Peel…assuming that you’re using organic citrus…what about making Orange Salt? That would be a nice thing to have hanging around the kitchen. Check out 101Cookbooks for her recent posting on Citrus Salt.
I’ve actually bought orange powder from a supplier before, to add to bath bombs, facial masks, and scrubs. Since that time I’ve considered drying my peels and making my own botanical extracts. Tailor the grind quality to your use.
I love your cleanser idea! We use plain baking soda as a “Comet-like cleanser”, but the grapefruit or other citrus powder would add a nice scent when our citrus rinds are aplenty! We have a CSA and receive lots of fresh local citrus nearly year-round (San Diego). I run out of unique ideas…
Back in late 2011, we had oodles of clementine peels and I basically did what you did with your grapefruit peels (air dry, then grind) and added them to my face mask scrub. I made a loose interpretation of your floral mask/scrub and I use it with a dab of raw honey as a mask. Well, I had done this with a class and people were so excited, they have been bringing more and more items to dry and grind and add to my mix. I call it the perpetual face mask mix. I just keep adding freshly ground herbs and peels and such as the season changes and shake well. I use it about once a week and it is the most LOVELY face mask I have ever used in my life…and it keeps changing, which is fascinating. It doesn’t seem to matter that the mix is always changing, it is always perfect for my skin at that time. Oh, hello, new name idea: Perpetually Perfect Face Mask Mix. 🙂
I also use the fresh citrus peels to flavor my water kefir in one round (scrape pulp off first). I’ve been known to rub that pulp on my skin in various places where I have some freckles or other discolorations. It is said to lighten those areas naturally, which is actually why I got the idea to add the ground version to my face mask mix. Apparently, it has been working because people are commenting on my skin.
I also throw the peels in the garbage disposal for a fresh scent that lingers in the kitchen for awhile. A neighbor shared that a plumber told her it is very bad for garbage disposals, so I haven’t done this as often as I used to do it (used to be EVERY citrus peel). I don’t if it is true or not.
Sometimes I rub the pulp side of the peels all over the kitchen sink before tossing them down the disposal and running it. Sparkles things up!
I have a pile of citrus rinds on the counter as I type. I am very excited to toss some of them in a jar and cover with white vinegar. We use plain white vinegar (mixed with water) to clean windows, mirrors, stainless steel, counters, etc. The scent disappears after it is dry, but it would be more pleasant to have a citrus scent while doing the actual cleaning…
As usual, your timing is perfect. I had to clean my sink this morning and was just thinking how I wished there was an alternative to the name-brand crap. Voila! And I just happen to have eaten a grapefruit this morning for breakfast and the peel is still sitting in front of me and there are two more on the counter. Awesome. =) And I love the vinegar idea because I’m so sensitive to the smell… citrus-y sounds much better! Dried citrus peels also make a great addition to chicken or fish dishes, baked goods or ice cream when they’re minced or (and I’m going to try this now) powdered. You knew I was going to bring up food. 😉
I crowd-sourced a list of uses for citrus peel, and the good ideas keep coming in! I’m adding yours to the list: I, too, have a PITA white porcelain kitchen sink.
Feel free to visit the post for more great ideas with citrus peels! http://localkitchenblog.com/2012/01/23/what-to-do-with-citrus-peel/
Cheers,
Kaela
I recently read somewhere (i can’t remember where) that you can peel a clementine or tangerine… try to keep the peeling whole or as whole as possible, and insert a tea candle to have clementine/tangerine scented candle or something like it. I’m sure it would work with oranges or gratefruits too. Buy the way, I love your website. You’re a great writer and you crack me up… such a pleasure to read.
Wow, that sounds fantastic!!! I usually buy Bon Ami, because it’s way better than the other name brand…and it’s been around forever..but this sounds really nice. As it happens, I really like grapefruit, too 🙂 ): Thanks for the DIY recipe 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
This is GREAT. I’ve been eating a lot of grapefruits lately and am saddened to throw away all of those delicious smelling peels. Going to give it a go. Thanks.
Ground orange peel could be tossed in the garden to help prevent critters…and maybe squash bugs. Or save it and then slice it up and make potpourri…
LOVE this! I have an awful white porcelain sink, too. Not only do I fight it looking nasty – it has broken countless cups and dishes on me. I am so going to do this with my grapefruit peel. As far as oranges go (or all citrus for that matter), I usually stuff them into a mason jar and cover with white vinegar and let it sit for a couple of weeks. It makes the most wonderful citrus vinegar for cleaning because it absorbs those wonderful essential oils. And, then it smells much better, too. :0)
Love this recipe! And now I’m gonna save my grapefruit peels as well as eggshells and random vegetable bits (stock). My roommates thank you!
…also, could you add some citric acid and make a ‘bath bomb’ then put it down the garbage disposal? With vinegar or water to activate… kind of like the drain volcano you mentioned but with extra fizzing and cleaning and freshness.
I put leftover lemon peels in vinegar for a nice lemony kitchen cleaner 🙂