Next time you eat an orange, think twice before throwing out those peels. Rather than tossing them, stick the peels in vinegar and create TikTok's new favorite nontoxic cleaner.
The scoop
Popular TikToker Ebby Moyer (@ebbymoyer) proudly showed off her large mason jar full of orange peels and vinegar to share a nontoxic alternative to chemical-filled cleaners.
@ebbymoyer Replying to @V (taylor's version) im genuinely shocked. Side note- be sure to use glass when making/using this as the vinegar will suck toxins out of plastic and kinda defest the whole point of the non-tox thing. 🫶 #nontoxichometips #nontoxiccleaner ♬ original sound - Ebby Moyer
With more than 1.1 million followers on TikTok, Ebby often shares clean living hacks and nontoxic swaps to help better the lives of her audience and the planet. In her household cleaner video, she explained that soaking citrus peels in white vinegar can create a powerhouse cleaner. That's because white vinegar contains acetic acid, the same acid found in most household cleaners.
"It's powerful enough to get rid of grease, grime, mineral build-up, and kill bacteria," Ebby said in her video. "But you can take it up a notch by adding citrus peels."
As Ebby explained, orange peels contain D-limonene, a natural degreaser and antibacterial. Letting the citrus peels sit in vinegar draws out this essential cleaning component, which she said makes the vinegar smell better and improves its effectiveness.
To make her cleaning brew, Ebby lets a jar of vinegar and discarded orange peels sit for a couple of months. Other green cleaning experts say a couple of weeks should be enough to adequately steep the orange peels in the vinegar.
"Be sure to use glass when making/using this as the vinegar will suck toxins out of plastic and kinda [defeat] the whole point of the non-tox thing," Ebby advised in the video's comments.
Ebby tested the concoction on her bathtub, which she said her construction worker husband had been using all week after work. After liberally spraying the tub and letting the cleaner sit, she wiped off the grime with one swipe of a cleaning towel.
"That's actually amazing," she said in the video. "I'm actually shocked at how good that was."
🗣️ Do you worry about using cleaning products with harsh chemicals in them?
🔘 All the time 💯
🔘 Sometimes 🤨
🔘 Not really 🤷
🔘 No — never 🙅
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
How it's working
Common household cleaners often contain chemicals that can negatively impact our environment and health, and avoiding them can be difficult.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, conventional cleaning products release harmful toxins down the drain. When not treated properly, these chemicals can be introduced into waterways, negatively impacting wildlife and humans.
By teaching TikTokers how to create a safe yet effective cleaning solution, Ebby is helping them save money while avoiding harmful chemicals.
What people are saying
After watching Ebby's video, TikTokers were excited to try the hack.
"The way my jaw dropped when the grime just wiped off," one commenter wrote. "I'm doing this!"
"Brilliant!" responded another TikToker.
"Kills mold too unlike any other horrid cleaner," one commenter shared.
"I've been doing this for almost a year and it's my favorite cleaning product ever," another TikToker added.
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