Orange Vinegar Disinfectant Spray

An easy, inexpensive, all natural disinfectant spray.
Photo (c) Stephanie Miller ~ 2014

Before Christmas, I ordered a case of citrus (I think clementines of some sort?) from my favorite co-op source of all things produce: Bountiful Baskets.  Following the advice of some people on the internet, I saved the peels, covered them in white vinegar in a Mason jar, and waited.  And shook it occasionally.  I turned it upside down and right side up at least twice.  Mainly I forgot about it under my kitchen sink.
This weekend, I decided to see how it turned out. I strained it off (though I wish I had used a coffee filter or cheese cloth to get the little sediments).  I had to use a fork to get the rest of the peels out of the jar.  You could compost these peels or just toss them.  They're not needed after this point.

I filled by 32 ounce sprayer with about 16 ounces of orange vinegar, 6 drops of Plant Therapy Orange essential oil, and then 16 ounces of water.  You wouldn't really  need the orange essential oil, but I wanted to try to get rid of some of the lingering vinegar smell.  You could also add Tea Tree oil, Lemon oil, or another similar oil for more germ or bacteria-fighting abilities.

To me, the use of essential oils to fight some of these germs and to help clean the house is old news.  I've heard about it quite a lot over the years, but I'm rather new to it in practice, especially when it comes to making my own.  Just in case you have any hesitation in using an all natural product, use Google to find some research.  For example, the first link that came up today when I Googled "antibacterial properties of orange oil" was this decades old research from the American Association for Microbiology.

Vinegar also holds antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.  Thankfully, it is also quite inexpensive, so it's easy to use around the house.  I, however, have never liked the smell of vinegar, so I'm glad to have found this concoction, although the original "recipe" was just handed down word of mouth to me by my friends and on Facebook groups.  I hope you enjoy it, as well!

Vinegar Rinse. And Repeat!

Using a vinegar rinse (1 part vinegar to 10 parts water)

has extended the life of my produce incredibly! Read more below!

It seems like in years past, I might have had a gallon of white vinegar on hand for, oh . . . maybe 2-5 years.  I just rarely used it.  I knew it was good for pickling, and my mom used it to clean out the coffee pot and dishwasher.  But the smell of it made me gag, and I just wasn't a big fan of it, other than using a splash of it in regular milk to make instant "buttermilk."

However, I recently became a regular contributor to the food co-op, Bountiful Baskets.  I love it!  I contribute $15, and every other Saturday afternoon is a bit like opening up a present at Christmas.  You never exactly know what you get, but chances are, you'll love it!  Here's a photo of my "haul" (or contribution, as they called) from last Saturday:

My Bountiful Basket contribution from June 22, 2013.

Missing from the photo: two nectarines, about 1/3 of the blueberries, and one bunch of asparagus.

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When you have this much produce on your counter top, you certainly don't want it to go to waste.  So, after reading several posts on the Bountiful Basket Facebook page extolling the virtues of vinegar rinsing, I tried it out.  (Instructions/Recipe below.)  Suffice it to say, I was amazed at the results of how long my produce lasted when vinegar rinsing.  Oh, and the items "missing" from the photo above?  Well, that's my fault.  I was out of town this weekend so my friend picked up my basket Saturday afternoon.  Then we had no electricity yesterday due to thunderstorms.  So FINALLY, today, I did my vinegar rinse.  The veggies had been kept at room temperature.  Things were okay -- except the asparagus, some blueberries and some nectarines.  

I found that when I vinegar rinsed 8 pounds of strawberries, they lasted about 7-10 days.  The pound I did not vinegar rinse: molding within 3 days!  The proof is in the pudding (or the peaches!).

Vinegar Rinse How-To

Mix 1 cup white vinegar to 10 cups water in a large bowl.  Add a few fruits and veggies at a time.  Let them soak a few minutes (or longer, if you're say . . . vacuuming the living room or something).  When done, rinse them off under running water.  I place mine in a colander under the running water and let them drip into the sink.  If they don't air dry or if they are fragile fruits or vegetables, lay a soft dry towel out on the counter and let them dry there.  Amazingly, the vinegar does not affect the taste of the produce!  I rinse everything but bananas, potatoes, and onions.

Zuchinni, blueberries, nectarines, and (very important!) the blueberry
packaging soaking in the vinegar rinse.

If you have rinsed something that comes in packaging (blueberries or strawberries) and you want to reuse the packaging, throw out the absorbent pad inside, if there is one, and do a vinegar rinse on the packaging to get rid of any molds there!  I use a half of a paper towel, folded, to put into the bottom of the clamshell packaging.  

Freshly rinsed and almost dry blueberries resting
in a clean package with a fresh paper towel for the liner.
Last time, my blueberries lasted almost two weeks like this!

On the same day I do the rinse (hopefully, the same day I pick up my baskets!), I take the lettuce, celery, broccoli, and any other produce that requires "handling" and chop it all up so it's ready for the week.  I find that otherwise I won't use it if I have to clean it up later.  

My Salad Spinner (with a built in mandolin) has been the best buy ever!  We've had romaine lettuce in our baskets quite frequently, so I just get it all ready to go!  Chop, spin, and then store in a zipper top baggie with a clean, dry paper towel in the bottom (and top) to absorb any extra moisture.  

I'm always sure to squish all the air out of the bag before storing the ready-to-go romaine in the fridge!  Lasts quite a long time!  

I encourage you to try this method next time you pick up some produce from the market, co-op, or even from your own garden!