Vinegar- The Miracle Cleaner

Yes, it’s true, vinegar is a miracle cleaner. It kills germs, bacteria and mildew due to its high acidity content. I think today we are all trying to find ways to avoid using harsh cleaning agents, yet many of the “environmentally-friendly” products sold at the store can be pricey. Vinegar is a great option as it’s very affordable and can be used to clean just about every surface in your home.

I have been using vinegar, cut with water, for as long as I can remember to clean my kitchen and bathroom floors, counter tops and bathrooms. You can buy the big jugs of white distilled vinegar and your house will be spic and span. For the floor, I use a cup or 2 of vinegar in a bucket of hot water. For counter tops. I use vinegar cut with just a little bit of water, or straight up if the counters are really dirty. The only surface you should never use vinegar on is marble, as it can damage it. Here are some other tips for cleaning with vinegar (from www.vinegartips.com):

To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.

Make your own scouring cleanser by combining 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent. Add just enough white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy texture.

Clean counter tops and make them smell sweet again with a cloth soaked in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so then run hot water down the drain.

Deodorize the garbage disposal by pouring in 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes then run hot water down the disposal.

Clean the microwave by mixing 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.

Clean the shelves and walls of the refrigerator with a half-and-half solution of water and white distilled vinegar.

To clean a grease splattered oven door window, saturate it with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Keep the door open for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping with a sponge.

For cloudy glassware, soak paper towels or a cloth in full-strength white distilled vinegar and wrap around the inside and outside of the glass. Let sit awhile before rinsing clean.

Remove the smell of spoiled food from a refrigerator by first rinsing the area with soap and water. Spray surfaces with full-strength white distilled vinegar and wipe them down with a damp cloth or sponge. Fill some containers with baking soda and place inside. Close the door and leave for a few days.

To remove a label, decal, or price tag, cover with a cloth soaked in white distilled vinegar. Leave the cloth on overnight and the label should slide off.

Renew sponges and dishrags by placing them in just enough water to cover them. Then add 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. Let them soak overnight.

Deodorize the toilet bowl by allowing 3 cups white distilled vinegar to sit in it for about a half hour before flushing.

To make the toilet bowl sparkle, pour in a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar and let it sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with the toilet brush and flush.

Clean up pet accidents by first blotting up the area and then adding a white distilled vinegar-and-water solution. Blot until it is almost dry. Then sprinkle baking soda over the area and let it dry. Vacuum up the residue the next day.

Create your own window cleaning solution by combining 1/2 cup non-sudsy ammonia, 1 cup white distilled vinegar, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a gallon of water.

Clean woodwork and walls with a mixture of 1 cup white distilled vinegar, 1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup ammonia and 1 gallon warm water. Wipe on with a sponge or damp—not wet—towel.

Clean wood paneling with a solution of 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar, and 2 cups warm water. Wipe on with a soft cloth.

Get decals off walls or doors by letting undiluted white distilled vinegar soak into them for several minutes before trying to peel them off. Repeat if necessary.

Remove white water rings from wood with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and vegetable oil. Rub with the grain.

To kill germs, spray full-strength white distilled vinegar on doorknobs and then wipe them dry.

Baking Soda, an Essential Cleaning Tool

I happen to notice recently that each box of baking soda, depending on the brand, has a different list of uses. If you look at them all, you realize this is one impressive box of powder! I couldn’t begin to explain to you why this mineral does what it does, but I can give you examples of what it does:

Baking Soda can put out fires. Remember in grade school you made the handy fire safety kits? I had to take a coffee can and fill it with non other than baking soda and was told to keep it by the stove in case something caught on fire. Throwing baking soda on the fire would put it out (apparently). I can’t recommend this as a serious fire extinguisher, but it’s a good thing to know, just in case.

Baking soda can be fun! Baking soda and vinegar, especially when mixed with food coloring, make a great fake lava fall or a witches’ brew for kids who like to make some fun in the kitchen!

Baking soda is a natural way to clean and disinfect many items.

Your mouth. Recently I was visiting my dentist who was telling me about the best way to keep my gums clean. She said to keep a box of good ole’ baking soda handy in the bathroom and mix it with water or hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. Use the paste and brush my teeth and gums with it, swish it around with some water and rinse out for a clean and effective mouthwash.

Your tub or sink. Ever look at the side of a can of sink scrubbing powder? It’s scented baking soda. Take regular baking soda, sprinkle it on your sink or tub and scrub away.

Laundry. If you throw 1/3 cup of baking soda in your wash cycle, it will help your laundry detergent work better, help eliminate odors, and soften fabrics.

The fridge. We all know a box of baking soda in the fridge will help eliminate odors, and it will. So will a sprinkle on your rugs or on your furniture or even in your litter box. Baking soda will help eliminate the odors in the rug and furniture and will also help absorb the spill.

Fruits and Veggies. I like this idea of cleaning veggies without harsh soaps. You just mix a little bit with water and scrub the fruits and veggies and rinse them clean.

Your bod. Sprinkle a little baking soda into your bath tub for a relaxing soak that also lifts off oil and dirt from your body. Ever get one of those fizzy bath balls? Look at the ingredients next time and I bet you’ll see sodium bicarbonate!

Kitchen Sink. Good to pour in your sink drain then pour vinegar over it…it will help smells and help to unclog the drain in kitchen, bathroom or anywhere.

Clean Stove. Make a paste of baking soda and a little water and use this on top of the stove to remove stubborn spots.

Poison Ivy or Poison Oak. If you get Poison Ivy or Oak on your skin, make a paste with baking soda and water or vinegar, apply to affected area and allow to dry. (You’d better sit over a tub or outside because soda will begin to fall off and make a mess on your floor otherwise).
Then take a washcloth, wet with hot water and scrub your skin very hard. The baking soda will cause the poison to rise back to surface of the skin and the scrubbing will help remove it and skip the blister stage. The baking soda also stops the itching. This method needs to be repeated every 12 to 24 hours for 2 to 3 days.

Coffee Pot or Carafe. A paste of baking soda and water takes all the gunky coffee stain off your coffee pot or carafe.

Clean bugs off car. Make a paste using a little water with the baking soda, take a damp cloth, put a little of the baking soda paste on the cloth and scrub the bugs off the front of your car and windshield. Then wash the car as usual. Works like a charm!

Garbage Disposal. Pour some baking soda in your garbage disposal and add a couple handfuls of ice cubes. Run the disposal for a few minutes and it will make it smell much better!!

Bee Stings. If you get stung by a bee or other stinging bug you can make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it to the sting and the paste makes the sting go away!!! (I have actually done this many times!

Car Battery. Baking soda can be mixed with a little water or vinegar and poured on your car’s battery terminals to remove all that gunk.

High chair. Effective to clean tray of high-chair which can get quite stained (as well as other baby items).

Pots and Pans. Keep a shaker container of baking soda on the sink and use it for getting burnt or food stuck to bottom of pans off. Just add hot water with a little baking soda, soak for 1 or 2 minutes. It is also good to make a paste and rub of old grease spots on baking sheets or bottom of pans. Rub and wham, most of it is gone.

Facial Scrub. I use Cetaphil cleanser and a shake of baking soda to scrub of dry flaky skin. Works great and is so much cheaper than any other scrubs out there!

Remove chlorine from hair after swimming. I use baking soda to remove chlorine from my hair after swimming. I make a paste with baking soda and shampoo and rub it into my hair. If you leave it about 10 minutes, you’ll smell the chlorine leaving. Then, rinse it out and shampoo and condition normally. The hairdresser said she turned a platinum blond’s chlorine-green hair back to platinum with this treatment. It’s way more effective than the chlorine shampoos.

Stuck fabric on hot iron. Make a paste with water and baking soda and clean the iron. It also cleans the steam holes.

Burnt food in pans. When you have burnt something in a pan just put enough water in the pan to cover the burnt area plus a couple tablespoons of baking soda. Place back on the stove and bring to a boil. The burn will lift right off.

Detox Bath Salt. Baking soda and epsom salts makes a great detox bath soak. Use hot water and soak, then wrap yourself in towels and sweat some more.

The Benefits of Lemons

Using lemons to clean your house is another way to make your home environmentally- friendly and save money at the same time. Lemons smell good, are readily available and have a multitude of uses. They are also effective against most household bacteria. You can buy big bags of lemons at most warehouse stores to stretch your dollar even further.

Some ways you can use lemons to clean your home:

• Disinfect a wood chopping block or cutting board by rubbing a lemon slice across it – pour lemon juice straight on stubborn stains, let sit 10 minutes and wipe clean with water
• Make a home made air freshener spritzer by dissolving 2 – 3 tablespoons baking soda in 2 cups hot water, add ¼ cup lemon juice, pour into spray bottle and spray into air
• Make an air freshener by placing cut lemon slices in a bowl on your counter for a natural fresh smell; or place a few leftover lemon rinds in a pot of simmering water on the stove for a few hours to remove odors
• Make a glass cleaner by mixing ½ cup lemon juice and 2 cups water in a spray bottle; you can also add ¼ tsp Murphy’s oil Soap
• Remove hard water or rust stains - pour straight lemon juice on the stain, let it sit until the stain dissolves, rinse and repeat if necessary
• Put a whole lemon peel down the garbage disposal to clean the disposal and freshen the whole kitchen
• Mix 1 cup olive oil with ½ cup lemon juice and you have a natural furniture polish for wood – apply a thin coat with a soft cloth, let sit 5 minutes and buff with clean soft cloth (make a fresh batch each time you use it)
• Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle with baking soda to clean surfaces, dishes and stains
• Use lemon juice to clean and polish brass and copper
• Dried lemon peels in a cheesecloth deter moths

Any citrus rinds can be used as a ‘green’ way of cleaning your disposal. Just cut the rind into 1/4″ strips and place in an airtight jar, which you’ll keep in your fridge. Once or twice a month, run your disposal and drop some of these strips down. The rinds will clean the blades of all the gunk and will release any remaining citrus oils to keep the disposal fresh smelling!


Use fresh lemon and bottle lemon juice at night on face to close and tighten pores (just put in on your face at night before going to bed and rinse it off in the morning with juice water).

Put it in hair to highlighten it ( i sprinkle it where i want highlights and sit in sun or most of the time I do my yard work or jog) then i come back wash my hair and I have instant hightlights without the high cost of store brought items.

Spruce Up Copper Pots

Looking to make dull copper pots gleam without splurging on tarnish remover? Simply coat the pot's surface with a thin layer of ketchup and let sit for about 30 minutes. Then rinse and dry immediately. The citric acid in the tomato-based condiment will strip off the dark oxide coating, leaving the cookware sparkling.

Money Saved: $9 for tarnish remover

Source: First Magazine

Never Buy Household Wipes Again

Sure, you love the convenience of use-and-toss cleaning cloths. But purchasing box after box can add up to a small fortune. To save time and money, layer coffee filters in a sealable container and pour in enough window or multi-surface cleaner to coat the filters. Made out of longer fibers than regular paper, the coffee filters are super durable and won't tear when wet. Simply seal the container and you'll have ready-to-use wipes on hand at all times.

Money saved: $7 per box of wipes

Source: April 20, 2009 First Magazine


*SideNote: To save more money, make your own window cleaner out of vinegar and water.