Looking for new ways to get the most out of your food waste?
Health expert Cory Rodriguez has taken to TikTok to share three simple ways in which you can recycle in the home – and create yourself new products you’ll benefit from in the kitchen. He began his latest video by outlining his “recipe” to create a cleaning agent using lemon peel.
“When you’re done using your lemons, throw them into a jar, add water (236ml approx.) and white vinegar (118ml approx.) and shake,” Cory instructed. After shaking vigorously, he poured the solution by straining it into a spray bottle before declaring: “Now you have an all natural, all homemade all-purpose cleaner.”
Cory also stressed the importance of making sure the peels are covered and that after sealing the jar, it should be left for one week to “infuse”. Similarly for his next trick, Cory placed leftover orange peel into a jar and added water (236ml approx.) and one tablespoon of witch hazel – a common natural skin tonic and cleansing solution.
“Now shake and pour into a spray bottle and now you have a homemade, all natural air freshener,” he said. Cory added in a caption: “Let it sit for 24 hours at room temperature. Strain out the peels and transfer the infused water to a spray bottle.”
Cory’s final tip involves used tea bags, meanwhile. “When you’re done with you tea, save your tea bag,” he advised. “Then squeeze out any excess liquid and allow it to dry.”
Once ready, he claimed the dried tea bag can be “slipped into a smelly shoe” to absorb any “funky odour”. Cory closed: “For anyone trying out the first two recipes – a friendly reminder – use a funnel, because if you don’t, you’re going to have liquid all over the place. Save yourself the mess.”
Hailing the ideas, one TikTok user responded: “I’ve been doing the lemon all purpose cleaner for years and it’s amazing, degreases and everything and super cheap!”
A second added: “You can also use tea bags to clean mirrors. I work in hospitality so we try and use as many natural products so food and drink doesn’t become contaminated. Lemon on it’s own is an amazing degreaser.”
A third person praised: “Beautiful, yes, let’s stop using all those expensive toxic chemicals they are always trying to convince us that we need.” Whilst a fourth said: “I love citrus and always have it in the house. When I have too many peels I freeze them for later.”