diy natural air freshener

When I was much younger – like 5 or 6 years-old – I felt so guilty whenever I threw out a banana peel or a chicken bone or even the core of an apple in the garbage. I knew that a banana peel didn’t have feelings, but what if it did? What if it was crying on the inside and calling out for me to not throw it in the trash can? What if it wanted to be eaten, just like it’s inside (because eating was somehow better than throwing it away)? In my eyes, trashing food was the equivalent of burying someone alive.

To this day, I still carry somewhat of a guiltiness whenever I throw something away, but thankfully not as intense as when I was younger (it’s kind of a wonder how I’m not a hoarder). So whenever I find a use for something that I never thought to re-use before, it makes me feel happy and accomplished. And less wasteful.

After spotting this idea on Pinterest, I decided to fill the air in my apartment with the scent of oranges and spice as a way to freshen the place, naturally. And the cool part was finding something to do with peels that we so often throw away. Here’s how it worked:

I saved the rinds of eaten oranges in the refrigerator for up to week.

Set a pot of water to medium heat.

Placed the rinds in the boiling water.

Added a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a teaspoon of cinnamon (I also tried it with pumpkin pie spice, which had a little more potency).

If a scent could have the characteristics of being warm and cozy, then this would be it. Perhaps suitable for a lazy Sunday?

It's probably not something I'll be doing regularly, but it's nice to know there's a use for something as disposable as orange rinds. For more interesting peel re-uses, check this out.

-jillian m.

p.s. Practice caution and common sense by never leaving the pot unattended.