Holiday Spice Infused Cleaning Vinegar
I am not sure where it comes from, but I love for the scent of my home to reflect the seasons. This often happens due to what I am cooking at that time; by baking fresh cookies or roasting a ham in the oven. Most of my cleaning supplies, however, tend to smell just summer. I like to go for fresh scents with lemon and rosemary or a little dash of vanilla. It is my all time favorite, but this year I wanted to spice it up… literally. I decided to try making my own holiday scented cleaning vinegar. I have shared how to make infused cleaning vinegar on the blog before. It’s incredibly easy! To make it smell like Christmas in your home all you need are some whole spices, oranges, evergreens, and perhaps a little ginger if you prefer.
what you’ll need:
1 64 ounce glass jar
4-8 cups of white distilled vinegar
orange peelings (about 2-3 oranges)
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
2 sprigs fresh evergreens such as pine or cedar
3-4 cinnamon sticks
5-6 star anise pods
20 whole cloves
other spices you could include: whole nutmeg, whole allspice berries, whole peppercorns, whole cardamom pods
directions:
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Place the whole spices on a baking sheet and toast for 10-15 minutes or until aromatic.
In a clean glass gallon jar, place the orange peelings, ginger, and toasted spices.
Heat the vinegar over the stove until almost boiling.
With a funnel, pour the vinegar over the spices in the jar. Allow to come to room temperature.
Place an airtight seal over the jar and let steep for 1-2 weeks.
Strain out the spices and store your infused vinegar for 4-6 months.
To use: place in an amber spray bottle and use as any other multi-purpose cleaner.
I always store my finished cleaning vinegars in amber bottles because they prevent the light from penetrating the liquid. This, in turn, keeps the oils and scents in the vinegars from losing their potency and making the entire bottle last longer.
I use cleaning vinegars for just about everything! Floors, windows, kitchen counters, bathrooms, table tops, etc. It really is a wonderful and natural alternative to bleach or other disinfectants. My grandma always washed her floors with vinegar! Now with a little spice, the harsh scent isn’t so unpleasant.
xoxo Kayla
