Even for the most frugal among us, there are certain things that the average person will immediately trash. Egg shells, plastic wrappers, orange peels – wait, scratch that last one. YouTuber Ela Gale brings us this video with her top 10 favorite ways to use orange peels! Move away from the trash and check out these creative and eco-friendly ways to get some good use out of those peels.

1. Orange Tea

For homemade tea packed full of vitamin C and pectin, simply put fresh or dried orange peels and water into a pot with a lid on, bring everything to a boil and then turn off the heat. Let the orange peels steep for one hour or more, then strain them from the water and discard the used peels.

2. Deodorizing Drawers

Orange peels are great, all-natural deodorizers. We love throwing them down the garbage disposal for a quick burst of citrus freshness, but they also can work to keep your musty drawers smelling fresh and clean!

3. Body Scrubs

Combine sugar, coconut oil, and some grated orange peel to create a homemade body scrub that you can use at home or give away as gifts!

4. Teeth Whitening

Ever seen someone with orange peels over their teeth? They might have been doing it to be a goofball or they might have been whitening their teeth! Orange peels have lots of d-limonene, which is often used in many whitening toothpastes.

5. Mosquito Repellent

It might feel weird to rub orange peels on your skin, but it actually helps to keep mosquitoes away. Insects dislike the smell of citrus and the compound limonene, which creates the citrus smell we know and love, is found heavily in orange peels.

 

For the other five uses, make sure to watch the helpful video below! Do you have a hack for re-using orange peels?