Environmentally Safe Ways to Clean the Home and Office Part 2, Vinegar

For many years, long before the modern chemical cleaning products were made available, folks used vinegar to accomplish many of their cleaning tasks. Now, in our present world situation with chemicals and aerosols doing damage to our atmosphere and ground water, it is imperative to revisit the past and bring back the safe, natural cleaning methods that are environmentally safe. In part 1 we wrote about lemons and how their rinds, juice, and pulp can be used for safe cleaning. In this part, we will look at vinegar as an effective cleaning agent

1. Probably the most know use of white vinegar for cleaning is for cleaning glass table tops and windows. You can dilute the vinegar half and half with water or spray it on full strength. Wipe clean with a soft, absorbent cloth or balled up newspaper. This idea works wonders on car windows as well.
2. As an air freshener, you can fill a 4 oz spray bottle with distilled water and ½ teaspoon of white vinegar. Some people like to add a few drops of their favorite essential oil as well.
3. To clean the inside of a refrigerator, make a solution in a spray bottle of 50% water and 50% white vinegar. Spray the inside surfaces and then wipe clean with a soft cloth. This helps deodorize as well as clean.
4. For your microwave, mix ½ cup water and ½ cup white vinegar in a microwave safe bowl and place in the microwave. Microwave the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes or until the solution boils. Wipe clean.
5. To keep glasses from becoming cloudy and to keep tableware streak and smear free when washing them in a dishwasher, put a small amount of vinegar into the rinse aid receptacle.
6. Coat stained plastic containers with vinegar and let them sit several hours. Then wash as usual.
7. Keeping cutting board surfaces free from bacteria’s is vitally important. Vinegar is excellent for handling this. Spray with water and vinegar solution and then rub down with pure vinegar, rinse, and let air dry.
8. To get rid of lime-scale deposits around faucets and shower heads, fill a plastic bag with warm water and vinegar solution, half and half, and wrap the bag tightly around the fixture making sure the fixture is immersed. Let it soak several hours and rinse away the loosened particles — Polish with a soft cloth.
9. Use full strength vinegar around the base of toilets to remove urine stains and odor as well as bacteria’s which gather there.
10. Additional urine problems arise with toddlers and untrained pets. Use full strength vinegar to deodorized areas where there have been accidents such as tile or wood floors.
11. To make counter tops, shower tiles, and other tile surfaces clean and shiny use ½ cup vinegar in 1 gal. warm water to wipe surfaces and then let air dry.
12. Use ½ cup vinegar in 1 gal. warm water to clean wood and laminated floors. Mop and air dry.
13. Put a small amount of white vinegar in your wash to soften clothes and linens.
14. White vinegar can remove dirt and organic stains from color-safe fabrics. Use directly on fabric and wipe off with a clean, damp cloth or use as a pre-wash spray stain remover before laundering.
15. When water evaporates, it leaves lime-scale deposits which dull surfaces. White vinegar lifts the lime-scale and leaves the under surface clean and shiny. Pour white vinegar on a cloth and wipe surfaces such as drain boards, sinks, and countertops. Wipe clean with a soft cloth and rub to a shine.

White vinegar is an amazing environmentally, green, cleaning agent. And, when purchased by the gallon it is remarkably inexpensive when compared to most other cleaning products. Hopefully, this blog will inspire you to try white vinegar in your home and office and see how easy it is to help make our world a better place while keeping our living and working environments clean and odor free.