10 Uses for Orange Peels

We eat a lot of oranges at my house. But, even if you only have a few orange peels every now and again, did you know they can be used for a multitude of things? Orange peels are natural, organic and eco-friendly and can be used for everything from cleaning to deodorizing to bug repellent. They are literally a work horse around the home. I could go on and on with a long list of uses, but these 10 uses for orange peels are my favorite.

10 Uses for Orange Peels

1) Citrus-Scented Bath Powder: I love citrus scented bath products! They are so invigorating! To make the bath powder, just leave your orange peels to dry out on the counter. Then, you can grind them into a powder using your blender. Use as you would any store-bought bath powder!

2) Wood Polish: Fresh orange peels work great to give your old wood a nice, new shine! The oils inside the orange peels act as a polish for your wood dishes and utensils. It can also be used on things like sofa or chair legs. To use, just scrub the wood with the orange peel to give it a deep new shine!

3) Aromatic Candles: Cut the orange’s shell in half and pull the stem out on one side. Fill the bowl-like orange peel with some form of oil. Make sure you get the stem soaked in the oil. Light the oily stem, as if it were a wick. It will work like an orange scented candle! If you have a problem keeping the stem lit, tie a piece of twine around the base of the stem. Then, wrap it around the stem to help wick the oil up to burn.

4) Brown Sugar Preserver: Keep a few orange peels mixed in with the brown sugar, and the peels will absorb most of the moisture that gets in. This will keep your sugar from solidifying and turning into that all too familiar bag of brown rocks!

5) Insect Repellent: Instead of nasty chemicals, try rubbing the orange peels on your skin. You can also lay the orange peels around. Orange peels, with their citrusy scent, smell good and they will repel a variety of insects. Mosquitos, ants and snails don’t like the scent!

6) Make-Shift Sponge: Orange peels make a great tool to scrub with! Just use the inside of a fresh peeled orange to scrub whatever you are cleaning. It’s safe for use on many surfaces such as countertops, wood, metal, floors, ect. As an added bonus, it will leave a nice, citrusy scent on the surfaces you clean it with.

7) Fertilizer: Compost the orange peels and turn them into a nice fertilizer for your garden and flowers!

8) Kindling: Orange peels burn rather easily because of the oils in them. So, use them to help start your fires!

9) Deodorizer: I think most everyone probably knows that oranges, and their citrus scent, is a great deodorizer. If you don’t have a strong odor problem, just sit a few out in the room for a while. But, for heavy odors like trash cans and garbage disposals, you’ll want to place them in the bottom of trash cans, or put them down the trash disposal.

10) Repelling cats: Cats don’t like the smell of citrus! So, use around your plants in your flower bed and garden to deter cats. The peels will eventually break down, adding to the nutrients of the soil.