DIY Household Cleaners and Disinfectants with Versatile Vinegar
Vinegar or acetic acid made from either apples, for the tan-colored apple cider vinegar, or usually from grapes, for the clear white vinegar, has long been known for its antibiotic qualities, hence why people for ages would “pickle” foods for long-term storage. It is also a great natural cleaning product, eco-friendly, good for the Earth and your family.
Evidence-based testing of the anti-bacterial potency of vinegar when used as a natural cleaning product was done in 2000 by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, finding that straight vinegar was 90% effective at killing bacteria. Used in conjunction with soap or other complementary cleaners like baking soda or hydrogen-peroxide and you have a powerful disinfectant, similar to the EPA-rated disinfectants on the market.
White Vinegar For Cleaning
White vinegar, 5% acidity, found in grocery stores everywhere, is most often chosen for cleaning because of the less pungent odour. You can use straight white vinegar in a spray bottle to spritz and let dry, after first washing and rinsing with an all-natural soap. You can also add to the soap a dash of baking soda. Used in this way, on any surface, you can clean and kill most germs with the soap and baking soda mixture, and then kill the rest as the vinegar evaporates.
Notice I said you can use this on ANY surface, even on your baby’s highchair or your pet’s chew toys! Vinegar as a natural cleaning product is edible, non-toxic, eco-friendly, biodegradable, and inexpensive, so it is great for the Environment and for the people and animals who share the Earth! Cleaning with a natural product like vinegar is a great way to promote natural health in your family.
See Homemaking Tips Below:
Recipes for Vinegar Natural Cleaner:
1. “Disinfectant”: Add straight white vinegar to spray bottle and spray accordingly. Let stand until dry, approximately 10 mins.
2. “Windex Substitute”: Dilute white vinegar 50% with water, add to spray bottle, spritz on any glass surface and wipe with paper towel, clean rag, or used newspaper.
3. “Toilet Bowl Cleaner”: Add 1/2 cup white vinegar to toilet bowl. Add 1/2 cup baking soda and scrub, then flush. To disinfect: Clean with a mixture of baking soda and liquid soap a dash/squirt of each and scrub, then add 1/2 cup vinegar and let sit 10 minutes more, then flush.
4. “All-Purpose Cleaner”: Dilute white vinegar 1 to 2 parts water, add to spray bottle, label, and spray, then wipe. For dirty jobs: scrub with soap, water, and baking soda first.
Vinegar, used for thousands of years in kitchen food preparations, for canning and recipes, and ancient medicinal uses is now gaining a well-deserved reputation as a wonderful, green-good-for-the-planet-and-you cleaner and disinfectant.
About the Author
About the Author:
Pamela Palmer is the founder and writer of Natural Cleaning Product Reviews at www.greenkeen.blogspot.com . Pam is also a contributing “Green” writer for the ezine, Suite 101, http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/pamelapalmer. She is also a eco-friendly columnist for www.womensonlinemagazine.com.
She has written for Clay Times Magazine, a ceramics magazine for artists, teachers, and students and other print publications, as well. She resides in Western Maryland, near the mountains and enjoys writing poetry from the porch of her almost one-hundred-year-old house. She is the wife of a very patient man for the last 21 years and is Mom to two energetic teens, a goofy dog and a street-smart cat. Visit her poetry blog www.goldapples.wordpress.com when you get the chance.
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