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The Kitchn’s Nina Derwin tested a viral tip by putting orange peels in her dishwasher’s utensil compartments and running a cycle. She reported a clear citrus scent afterward but only a possible slight improvement in visible cleanliness; the test does not establish that peels replace dishwasher cleaner.
The Kitchn writer Nina Derwin tested a popular household tip by placing orange peels in her dishwasher’s utensil compartments and running a cycle, reporting a noticeably fresher citrus smell afterward but no clear, substantial change in visible cleanliness. Her account offers a small-scale firsthand test of the trend, not evidence that orange peels can replace a dishwasher cleaning product.
Derwin said she used peels from two Cara Cara oranges, placing them in the utensil compartments before starting a dishwasher cycle. After the cycle finished, she let the machine cool briefly, removed the peels and inspected the interior. She found the peels still intact and reported no pulp or residue left behind.
The most apparent result was the scent: Derwin said the dishwasher smelled strongly of citrus and that the kitchen smelled fresher overall. On cleanliness, she was less certain. She described the machine as perhaps a little cleaner, while noting that it had not looked visibly dirty before the test, making any change difficult to judge.
The article describes the proposed explanation as an idea behind the hack: oils in citrus peels are said to deodorize and degrease and may help with soap scum or limescale. Derwin’s single test did not measure those effects. She said she would not use the peels instead of a proper degreaser or dishwasher cleaning tablet, but might try them for a quick scent refresh.
A Scent Boost, Not a Cleaning Test
For readers curious about the viral tip, the account draws a useful distinction between making a dishwasher smell fresher and cleaning its interior. Derwin noticed the first, but reported no decisive evidence of the second. The difference matters because a pleasant scent alone does not establish that grease, mineral buildup or other residue has been removed.
The test may appeal to people looking for a way to use leftover fruit peels, but it is not a controlled comparison: the report describes one dishwasher, one cycle and one type of orange peel, without measurements or a before-and-after cleaning assessment. Readers should treat it as one person’s experience, not proof of cleaning performance or a substitute for routine appliance care.
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Derwin wrote that she had lived in her New York City apartment for four years and did not know how the dishwasher had been maintained by earlier tenants. She said the machine’s interior and smell had seemed better in the past, prompting her to try a trend she had seen circulating online.
Her method was straightforward: she peeled two large Cara Cara oranges, put the peels in the utensil compartments and ran a cycle. She did not report testing other citrus varieties, repeating the experiment, comparing it with a cleaning tablet or measuring the machine’s condition. She also wondered whether thinner peels from navel oranges or clementines might produce a different result, but did not test them.
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What One Cycle Cannot Show
The report does not establish whether orange peels remove grease, soap scum or limescale. It includes no controlled comparison, repeat trials or objective measures of cleanliness, and Derwin acknowledged that her dishwasher was not visibly dirty before the test. The proposed cleaning action of citrus oils therefore remains unverified by this account.
It is also unclear whether different fruits, peel thicknesses, machines or wash cycles would produce the same scent or leave residue. Derwin tested only thick Cara Cara orange peels and reported that they stayed intact in her dishwasher. The article does not offer a general safety assessment or instructions for every dishwasher model.
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Routine Cleaning Still Matters
Derwin said she might repeat the method when the dishwasher smells especially unpleasant, before guests arrive or when she wants a quick refresh. She did not report plans for a broader test. The practical next step for readers is to view the peel method as an optional scent experiment and follow their appliance maker’s guidance for cleaning and maintenance rather than relying on the anecdote as proof of degreasing.
Whether the trend does more than add a citrus smell remains unanswered. A comparison across several machines and peel types, with repeat cycles and a standard cleaning measure, would be needed to assess its effect on visible buildup. Until then, the confirmed result in Derwin’s account is limited: her machine smelled fresher after one cycle, while any improvement in cleanliness was uncertain.
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Key Questions
Did the orange peels make the dishwasher cleaner?
Derwin thought it might have been a little cleaner, but she could not tell clearly because the dishwasher was not visibly dirty beforehand. Her test did not measure grease, soap scum or limescale removal.
What did the test show most clearly?
Derwin reported a stronger citrus scent in the dishwasher and a fresher smell in the kitchen after the cycle.
Which orange peels did she use?
She used peels from two Cara Cara oranges, placing them in the dishwasher’s utensil compartments. She did not test other citrus varieties.
Can orange peels replace dishwasher cleaner?
The report does not show that they can. Derwin said she would not use the peels in place of a proper degreaser or dishwasher cleaning tablet.
Did the peels leave residue in the test?
Derwin said the peels remained intact and that she found no pulp or residue in her dishwasher after the cycle. That result comes from one test and may not apply to every machine or peel type.
Source: rss
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