I Clean with Vinegar

Yes. I do.

And that's all I clean with (for the most part).

Something about the extreme chemically smell of cleaning products has always bothered me.

I never wanted to breathe the fumes in....and now after doing research I have good reason not to!

So I use vinegar.

For my counters, toilet, shower, windows, mirrors, etc.

Here's what I found out about vinegar:

"Heinz company spokesperson Michael Mullen references numerous studies to show that a straight 5 percent solution of vinegar—the kind you can buy in the supermarket—kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). . He noted that Heinz can’t claim on their packaging that vinegar is a disinfectant since the company has not registered it as a pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency. However, it seems to be common knowledge in the industry that vinegar is powerfully antibacterial. Even the CBS news show “48 Hours” had a special years ago with Heloise reporting on tests from The Good Housekeeping Institute that showed this."

So here's what I do:

I fill a spray bottle with a solution of vinegar & water; either 1:2 or 1:3, depending on how I'm feeling or what I am using it for.

You can either spray it on the desired area and wipe off immediately or you can let it sit if you want it to work harder.

For my mirrors & windows I spray it on and wipe it off....streak free, for real!

In the shower, I spray it on all over and let it sit for a while. Then I usually go back spray it again and wipe it off, using a scouring pad in places that needs it.

To clean my toilet, I pour straight vinegar in, filling the toilet up just past the top of the water, in order to get that mucky ring off. I leave it for 30 minutes then dip my toilet brush in the water/vinegar, pour baking soda all over the brush and dip it back in the toilet to scrub, scrub, scrub.

On the kitchen or bathroom counters (and walls) I just spray and wipe off.

Here's another tip for using vinegar in the kitchen for cleaning:

"Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board, and in your bathroom, and use them for cleaning. I often spray the vinegar on our cutting board before going to bed at night, and don’t even rinse, but let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours."

One of the BIG pluses for cleaning with a safe and natural cleaner is that I feel comfortable having my daughter help me! One more practical life skill I am able to teach her and she really loves spraying the spray bottle :)

Oh yeah and the fact that it is SO much cheaper than traditional cleaners!!