6 Genius Ways to Use Orange Peels at Home, According to Cleaning Pros

The next time you consume an orange or two, don’t be so quick to toss the peels into the trash can. It turns out, professional cleaning experts explain, that there are a multitude of beneficial ways to reuse orange peels all around the house to create a cleaner, more pleasant-smelling space.

Below, you will learn about six routes to take with orange peels that can help improve the state of your home in no time. You’ll be surprised that you hadn’t thought to implement these helpful hacks before.

Freshen Your Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal is working hard all the time and may need a bit of deodorizing. You can use orange peels for this purpose, Maria Mooney, a non-toxic cleaning expert and executive brand director at Truly Free Home, explains.

“The natural oils in the peel offer a light, pleasant scent, and their acidity can help cut through grease,” she says, noting that it’s her go-to way to give the sink a much-needed refresh.

Armando Calderon, the owner of Joy’s Cleaning Services, LLC, agrees that this is a great tactic.

“Everyone defaults to lemons all the time, but any citrus fruit will do the trick,” he says.

Want more cleaning and organizing tips? Sign up for our free daily newsletter for the latest hacks, expert advice, and more!

Add Fragrance to Your Fridge

The garbage disposal isn’t the only area that could benefit from a bit of a refresh. Jade Piper, the operations manager for BetterCleans, likes to add orange peels to the fridge, too, noting that this is a simple hack and it’s prettier than a box of baking soda.

All you need to do is place some orange peels in a bowl, put them somewhere inside your fridge, and let the peels go to work absorbing negative odors. Once the peels have dried out, toss them and start again with some fresh ones, and repeat as long as desired.

Clean Your Microwave

Your microwave might also need a bit of freshening up, and you can use orange peels to your advantage here, too. Mooney recommends placing them in a microwave-safe bowl, filling it with water, and heating it for a few minutes.

As she explains, the steam created by this process will help to loosen any grime in the microwave and eliminate odors. As a bonus, the pleasant orange scent will last once this step is complete.

Deodorize Your Trash Bag

In order to deodorize your trash can, just add some orange peels to the mix. Calderon recommends placing a few at the bottom of an unscented trash bag to freshen it up a bit. However, he advises, be sure not to place your peels at the bottom of the trash can itself, which can lead to decomposition.

Say Goodbye to Grease

Use orange peels to help tackle greasy areas of your home. Calderon suggests mixing orange peels into a cleaner (many people do this by mixing orange peels with vinegar) and then using the solution on areas like the microwave, oven, or cooktop.

“The abrasiveness of the orange and the cleaning power of a more acidic citrus will work well on food grease,” Calderon explains.

Protect Your Plants

Give your plant babies a bit of a boost with the addition of some orange peels, Piper suggests. If you’re growing tomatoes, peppers, or roses, in particular, Piper is a proponent of weaving orange peels into the mix to help ward off bugs.

All you have to do is steep the peels in water with some garlic and a few drops of dish soap. The next step is to strain and spray this mixture directly onto your plants in order to keep insects away.