With just citrus peels and vinegar, this simple two ingredient laundry deodorizer will give your clothes the extra boost they need when things get stinky.
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In our first home we had beautiful, durable, resilient laminate kitchen countertops. I loved them because they were a dark speckled pattern that hid everything when I didn’t have time to wipe the counters. I could also use my favorite DIY vinegar spray on them when I did have a chance to clean the kitchen. Vinegar is a natural cleaning agent and I never worried about harmful chemicals leaching into our food or my babies hands when I cleaned with it.
Our current home, which has beautiful, durable quartz countertops is a bit more picky when it comes to cleaning agents. Because of the acetic acid in vinegar it is not recommended to use on quartz surfaces. Thankfully there is a different DIY cleaning spray I can use on the counters, which leaves my vinegar solutions for mirrors, toilets and LAUNDRY.
What’s In This Laundry Deodorizer
- Citrus Peels– Orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit or any combination of these will work! Citrus contains a natural solvent that cuts through dirt and grease, called d-limonene. It also has a pleasant, clean scent.
- Distilled White Vinegar– Contains 5% acetic acid that dissolves grime and neutralizes odors. It is also an effective fabric softener.
How To Make a Citrus Vinegar Laundry Deodorizer
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Fill a glass jar with citrus peels (I used orange). Cover peels with distilled white vinegar.
Place parchment paper over jar and screw on metal lid or use a plastic lid. Place the jar in the pantry for 2 weeks.
Strain and discard citrus peels and rebottle the liquid. It’s now ready to move into the laundry room for use! For laundry this solution can be used at full strength, straight into your washing machine compartments. I love that it’s a natural solution to battling odors + I get to put food scraps to good use!
When Not to Use Citrus Vinegar Laundry Deodorizer
When combined with vinegar some substances can create extremely harmful chemical reactions. Don’t ever, under any circumstances, mix vinegar with the following substances:
- Bleach – combination creates toxic chlorine gas, even in your washing machine. If you use bleach in your laundry it’s best to wait several loads before using vinegar, as chlorine gas may still be released when you take the clothes out. Traces of chlorine gas can also stay on your clothes.
- Hydrogen Peroxide – combination creates peracetic acid, which can be highly corrosive.
- Ammonia – combination creates chloramine vapor.
- Baking Soda – combination may combust if in a closed container.
Vinegar can break down elastic fibers, so use sparingly on athletic wear.
Over time vinegar can break down rubber gaskets and hoses in the washing machine, so it should not be used for every load. Keep it handy for the stinky jobs!
Can I Use This as a Cleaning Spray
The recipe below is for a citrus vinegar concentrate, which can be used at full strength straight into the washing machine compartments. If you’d like to make a cleaning spray, simply dilute the citrus vinegar concentrate 1:1 with distilled water and add to a spray bottle. Plastic spray bottles are fine with the recipe below. If essential oils are added into the recipe you will need dark glass bottles for storing. Don’t use citrus vinegar spray on marble, granite, quartz or wood surfaces.
FAQ
How long will a citrus vinegar solution last? Several months at room temperature.
Will my clothes come out smelling like vinegar? No! The vinegar will work hard to clean and deodorize your clothes and the smell will dissipate in the rinse cycle.
Do I still use laundry detergent with the citrus vinegar solution? I do! Vinegar may counteract the power of some laundry detergent brands so you can try it both ways and see what’s best. Remember to never use bleach detergents with vinegar.
Can I pre-treat armpit stains with this? Yep! Spritz this solution on the problem area and wait at least 10 minutes before washing.
Where do I put the citrus vinegar solution in the washing machine dispenser? I add it to the bleach compartment. If using as a fabric softener, add it there instead.
Where should I keep the citrus peels while I gather them? They can be kept in a jar or baggie in the fridge until you have enough to make the solution.
Do I have to soak the citrus peels? You can skip the soak time and just use plain distilled white vinegar without the lovely citrus scent in your laundry.
If you use and love this simple two ingredient laundry deodorizer I would love if you could come back and leave it 5 stars! You can also tag me on Instagram @crimsonstonehome
Citrus Vinegar Laundry Deodorizer
Materials
- Citrus peels Orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit
- Distilled white vinegar
Instructions
- Fill glass jar with citrus peels
- Pour distilled white vinegar over peels to the top of jar
- Place plastic lid on jar and store at room temperature for 2 weeks
- Strain and discard peels
- Bottle and recap vinegar solution and store in laundry room
TO USE
- Pour 1 cup undiluted citrus vinegar solution into bleach compartment of washing machine and wash load as normal. Pour into fabric softener compartment to soften clothes.
This is amazing 🙂 Love the simplicity!
Very simple and easy. Makes the kitchen smell good.
The kitchen is a great place to use this recipe!