I have been on a cleaner DIY kick. I am a self admitting clean freak, but I hate the smell of harsh cleaners like bleach. Plus I hate to think about all the chemicals I am exposing my children to. So taking a few cues from my grandmothers, I started cleaning with baking soda and vinegar. I love the clean that I get with this more natural (and way cheaper) method of cleaning. What I do not enjoy is the smell of vinegar. Gag. I know that the smell dissipates pretty quickly, but it still grossed me out every time I was cleaning. (Which is a lot. Because I’m a clean freak, remember?)

Then I got this stupendous idea. It may not have originated with me, maybe someone else has done this before, but it was new to me and I had never heard of it before. I got to experimenting. I often steep things into olive oil to make flavored oils, so I figured maybe this would work for vinegar too.

The key was finding the right smell, and the right amount to steep in the vinegar. After some failed attempts, I came up with a successful recipe.

You will need
1 glass mason jar
2 oranges
1 lemon
Distilled vinegar

Directions

1. Peel your fruit and place the peels into your jar. I tried my best to have them placed around the edges, but they didn’t stay up well. Just stuff them in as best as you can.

2. Fill the remainder of the jar with vinegar. Cover the jar very tightly, and store in a dark place for about two to three weeks. The longer you steep everything, the stronger the new flavor.

3. Check things after two weeks, if you like the smell then pour the vinegar into a spray bottle and use to clean your house like normal. If you think there is still too much vinegar smell, let it steep for a while longer. -Stephanie Wright