Orange Oil & D-limonene

Orange oil and D-limonene are natural solvents extracted from citrus rind. Orange oil is just what the name implies. D-limonene is the commercial extraction of the orange oil. They have been used for fragrance and flavoring qualities. In the past decade d-limonene has been one of the fastest growing products of the household cleaning market. Orange oil is available commercially, or you can make your own. Put a bunch of citrus peelings in a container and cover them with water. Let them sit for a couple of days, then strain off the liquid. You can extract more oil by simmering the peelings. The strength of homemade orange oil varies significantly, so you’ll have to experiment when using it in the recipes that follow. It’s impossible to duplicate the concentration of commercial orange oil or d-limonene.

Commercial d-limonene at full-strength can replace a wide variety of toxic products. Be careful when using strong solutions since it can melt plastic and ruin paint finishes. It is a powerful natural solvent. For most of our purposes one to two ounces per gallon of water should be the maximum.

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