This year, I’m learning to live with less in my 2014 Simplicity theme year.  That means finding innovative ways to save money so we can spend our money in the places we really need to (or want to). I saw this idea on Pinterest and just had to try it. Homemade sensitive skin laundry detergent! And the recipe is so simple – and best of all, it saves you hundreds of dollars a year.

Pinspiration: Citrus Cleaner. This easy, useful project can be completed in 15 minutes. And it helps save your household surfaces because it works on nearly everything! This cleaner also saves you money, and reduce your environmental impact (because vinegar and orange peels are natural ingredients, not harsh chemicals that can leach into the water supply).  I’ve made this cleaner for many people as gifts and everyone seems to love it! This mild, hard-working cleaner is fantastic and long-lasting!

Start with the right supplies.  We easily found all of these items at the big box store and our local grocery store. You’ll need:

• Oranges
• Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
• Airtight container
• Spray bottle

Peel your oranges.  This is the part that takes the most time.  I’d suggest giving everyone oranges in their lunches when they’re in season and putting them in a container so they can bring the peel back to you when they’ve eaten their snack. Even my 1st grader was able to do this – he was really excited, thought it was a secret lunch game.  But he did it, every day – so this is a great way to get kids to help you, especially if you’re giving these as gifts. Everyone in the family ate oranges for 3 straight weeks to have enough peels to make citrus cleaner for all of our gifts.

Mix the ingredients together. Here is the complete recipe:

• Oranges – fill 1/2 pint jar with 1-2 orange peels or 3-4 if you’re using cuties.
• Vinegar – fill 1/2 pint jar to top with vinegar after oranges have been added

Close jar and let it set for 2 weeks.

Store in a closable container or a spray bottle. You can dilute this 1:1 for regular jobs and cleaning or use it full-strength for really tough jobs.  I recommend the spray bottle for easier application. Just spray on and wipe off with a washable towel.

Cute packaging makes it a great gift. Store cleaner mix in mason jars and add an ornament or cute trinket as trimming.  Then you can easily gift this to everyone you know and start them on their path to more frugal, and still amazing multi-purpose household cleaner. And bonus! If you use apple cider vinegar as your vinegar in this recipe, then you can also use this cleaner as an amazing hair conditioner.