Tag Archives: household

Vinegar, what is it good for, just about everything!

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I do not like to clean. I do not like to use harmful or smelly chemicals in my home. I do not like to spend a lot of money on cleaning supplies. I do love a clean home though. After my son was born, these positions grew deeper. I needed to find non-toxic, easy and inexpensive ways to clean my home. I always used vinegar to clean glass but I started to explore it further. It was already in my kitchen, it’s used on food – thus non-toxic, and it was inexpensive. I started to use it in the bathroom, kitchen and then found it was an excellent cleanser for just about everything. Now I always have a spray bottle filled with a mixture of 1:1 white vinegar and water handy. I use it as some would use “Fantastic” or “409.”

Vinegar is an acid that neutralizes alkaline substances such as scale from hard water. It is also a disinfectant and antifungal.

Here’s what I use the 1:1 white vinegar and water solution in a spray bottle for:

  • Cutting the grease, soap scum, hard water deposits and dirt all over the house
    • Cleaning windows
    • Countertops and stovetops
    • Disinfecting cutting boards
    • All purpose floor cleaner
    • Bathrooms – for disinfecting and removing/killing mold and mildew
  • Removing hard water mineral build-up
    • Remove your showerhead and soak it in 1:1 solution of vinegar and water over night – like a miracle when you reattach the showerhead, water will flow through all the holes once again
    • Soak a cloth in 1:1 solution and lay it on objects with mineral buildup, leave over night, it should scrub off easily the next day – if not, leave it on for another day and try again. Patience is always important if you don’t like to scrub.
    • Clean out your electric drip coffee maker – run a 1:1 solution through a cycle and then run straight water through again
  • Removing mold from leather – spray on, wipe off and then let it sit out in the sun. You may want to rub some olive oil into the leather afterward to condition the leather, so it won’t dry out.
  • Carpet cleaner and deodorizing pet smells. Once a dog pees on the carpet they tend to go back to the same place, vinegar will destroy the scent so they won’t return to the scene of the crime.
  • Removing wallpaper, borders and labels that stick on. Spray anything you want the glue to release, let stand for at least 10 minutes or more then pull off. If some residue remains, spray again and if you’re patient, the glue will release with time and with very little effort. The vinegar breaks down the bond in the glue.

Uses for straight White Vinegar:

  • Use instead of a rinse aid for your dishwasher
  • Laundry – add a cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle and it will soften your clothes and prevent clinging.
  • WEED KILLER! I was very excited to learn yet another use for our old friend at the Northeast Organic Farmers Association in Saratoga Springs few years ago.

I loved the idea as I enjoy foraging our lawn for herbs to put into our salad, and using toxic chemicals is not an option to rid our lawn of uninvited plants. I typically enjoy watching and eating the weeds coming into our lawn but I simply cannot find affection for Bull Thistle. It hurts to walk on! I have tried digging the young seedlings up but their roots grow too deep, so I end up leaving craters everywhere. Now I pour a ½ cup of white vinegar into the base of the rosette, to saturate the root…and within one day, it is obvious that it has killed the plant. White vinegar does it again and now the bull thistle is eradicated without adding poison to our lawn.

 

Bye Bye Thistle!

What do you use white vinegar for? Please share and I will continue to share.

 

 

 

Taking care of wood with things you can eat

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I never liked using harsh chemicals to clean. The love the idea of using items from my kitchen, things I can eat to clean our home. However, when my son was born, it became a mission ~ creating a non-toxic home for Mathew.

I did a lot of research but also a lot of experimenting.

One of my favorite experiments was to stain an unfinished wood desk for Mathew to use. I decided to use tea. I simply steeped several bags of black tea in a Mason jar over-night and painted it on. It took four coats to get the desired color but it looked good. I only sealed it with olive oil, so over the last 10 years, it had gotten worn, but what doesn’t?

Here are some other ways I take care of wood in our home:

Wood Polish – I mix 70% olive oil with 30% fresh lemon juice in a small jar (it will keep for a while in the refrigerator). When I want to use it, I shake vigorously, and then apply. The acid in the lemon juice cleans the wood and the olive oil nourishes it. It was an excellent choice as Mathew starting to chew on our coffee table when he was teething.

Scratches in wood – walnuts or pecan, whichever matches your wood better. Simply rub the nut into the scratch; it will camouflage the scratch.

Water rings – Mayonnaise, leave it on the water ring over night and then rub off. The ring should disappear.

Wood Floors – Gotta love Murphy’s Oil Soap but a lovely homemade recipe works as well and is cheaper.  In a bucket of warm water add an ounce of Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap, I prefer peppermint for its scent and anti-bacterial properties, and then add a ¼ cup of white vinegar.

How do you take care of the wood in your home? Please share and I will continue to share.