There is so much to love about vinegar but today I will focus on using vinegar as a cleaner. This multipurpose liquid can disinfect and clean almost every nook and cranny in your home. It has the added benefit of being nontoxic. Which is great if you have pets or children. Or even if you just don’t want all of the many chemicals surrounding you.
Vegetable Cleaner
½ cup vinegar
3 cups water
Spray bottle
Use: spray on veggies and fruits when putting up, let sit for a minute then rinse
This can be a good mix regardless of whether you grow it, comes from a grocery store or even a CSA. There are some exceptions in which dampening in anyway would be problematic. This includes garlic, onions, potatoes. You can spray your peeling fruits like bananas and oranges, especially if you are going to use the outside like for lemon zest.
Floor Cleaner
2 cups Vinegar (post steeping)
2 gallons water
1 tbsp dish soap
Use: large mop bucket, combine all components
The vinegar is steeped in orange peels for at least two weeks. This draws out some of the oils in the peels which helps with wood floors and adds a nice scent. I boil the water in a stock pot because I’d like the high heat to help get off the many mud stains tracked in by my kids.
All Purpose Cleaner
½ cup vinegar
3 cups water
Essential oils, preferably tea tree oil (use caution on amounts, I do not use any essential oils when the kids are helping me)
Use: combine in a spray bottle and go to town. Will clean microwave, glass stove top, counters, sink handles, fridge. Safe to be sprayed around my kids so they can help too.
Dishwasher Rinse
1 cup vinegar
Use: during the rinse cycle put a cup in the bottom. The heated water and vinegar helps leave dishes sparkling clean. It’s helpful for some of the homemade dishwasher tabs I’ve used to help clear up residue
Clothes De-funk & Fabric Softener
½ to 1 cup vinegar
Use: again during the rinse cycle of washing clothes, it is especially helpful in removing the mildew and associated smell. Yuck!
Mirror and Window Cleaner
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup rubbing alcohol
1.5 cup water
Use: mix in spray bottle. For use on all windows and mirrors. Alcohol helps it keep streak free. Vodka works well too. I’ve tried it without any alcohol and it does remove any gunk ok but it’s harder to get out the streaks.
For all of these recipes there is some variation which is for your preference because the smell of vinegar can be strong, though it does dissipate pretty quickly.
One of my favorite sites for recipes is brendid.com. She has some excellent recipes for homemade cleaning but more importantly she has an entire post of what ingredients you should not combine. She also has information about why certain DIY cleaners work in certain ways. Definitely very informative. Another excellent post on homemade bathroom cleaners from Tips Bulletin will help you get your bathroom to a sleek shine.
What homemade cleaning recipes have worked for you? Leave a comment.
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Thank you for sharing such informative content. The wood vinegar market is anticipated to witness significant growth due to numerous factors such as technological advancement in production methods, a rise in demand from Asia-Pacific, and others. In addition, it is a great alternative to synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. It has enormous use in agriculture such as anti-pathogenic fungal, plant growth promoter, weed grows inhibitor and others.