Vinegar is Amazing! 16 Green Uses for Vinegar around the House

Keep your home free of dirty cleansers. Use vinegar instead.


By Josh PetersonLos Angeles, CA, USA Tue Apr 07 09:30:00 EDT 2009

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READ MORE ABOUT:Detox Your Home Green Cleaning Green Home Household Toxins Vinegar
What can I say that hasn't already been said about vinegar? Nothing. It's great. It's green, and it can clean the heck out of your house. Check out these tips.
Vinegar makes a wonderful cleanser. Plain distilled vinegar added to a cloth can clean the following things.
Faucets
Cutting Boards
Bathtub Ring
Shower Doors
Stainless Steel
Countertops
Soap Dish
Soap Residue Anywhere
Fridge
Once a month, add vinegar to your dishwasher to clean the inner workings of the appliance.
Clean food jars with vinegar to make them into cups.
Polish kitchen supplies with vinegar.
Make a scouring scrub.
Use vinegar as an ingredient in multiple green cleaners.
Neutralize pet odor.
Clean your kitchen appliances with vinegar.
Remove clogs from showerheads.From How Stuff Works:Showerheads can get clogged with mineral deposits from your water. Remove the deposits by mixing ½ cup vinegar and 1 quart water in a large bowl or bucket. Remove the showerhead and soak it in vinegar solution for 15 minutes. For plastic showerheads, soak for 1 hour in a mixture of 1 pint vinegar and 1 pint hot water.Equal parts vinegar and water will clean most carpets. Vinegar can also be implemented to remove exotic stains.
Unclog Drains by mixing equal parts baking soda and vinegar.
Vinegar and baking soda can also unstink your garbage disposal if you pour it in there.
Remove price tags.
Clean linoleum with baking soda and vinegar. Pour vinegar on stain. Let it soak for ten minutes. Add baking soda. Scrub. This also works to remove urine stains and smells from a mattress.
Remove paint from windows.
Apply vinegar to concrete. The paint will take better.
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Everything you need to make this all-natural, mildly abrasive scouring scrub is most likely already in your kitchen.
Made with baking soda, vinegar and 10-12 drops of your favorite essential oil blend (to offset the vinegar smell), this 'recipe' comes from green living expert Laura Klein of OrganicAuthority.com.
This miracle mix is a powerhouse cleaning agent for sinks, bath tubs, toilets and anything else on which you would typically use an abrasive 'conventional' cleaner. According to the EPA, indoor pollution levels are typically higher then those outside your home, and traditional, chemical-filled cleaning products are contributors to this indoor pollution problem.
Plus, making your own cleaning products is not only better for your indoor environment (and outdoor, since nothing toxic is going down the drain), it’s less expensive.
According to Laura, vinegar is an all-natural anti-bacterial that kills 99% of all bacteria, 82% of mold and 80% of germs and viruses. So put it to work!
Here's what you need to make enough to last you a couple of months:
Large-mouthed glass jar with screw top lid that holds at least 2 cups
2 cups of baking soda
½ cup of white distilled vinegar
10-12 drops of essential oil (found at your favorite local natural food store or at MountainRoseHerbs.com)
This post was inspired by Planet Green's show, G-Word.
What's not to love about mixing your own cleaning products from tried-and-tested formulas? Not only will a non-toxic cleaning kit save you oodles of cash over the years, but it's also unlikely to leave you gasping for an emergency-room doctor. Cleaning green is also gentler on the environment, to boot. To transform your home into a safe, nontoxic haven, says Annie B. Bond, author of Clean & Green (1990, Ceres Press), you can complement your kit with an edited selection of commercial eco-friendly cleaning products you trust.
We've excerpted some of Bond's favorite clean and green basics. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oils for a spot of aromatic grime fighting. Bonus: Lavender and tea-tree oils are also natural antiseptics.
All-Purpose Cleaner
1/2 tsp washing sodaA dab of liquid soap2 cups hot tap waterCombine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.
Tip: If you're out of washing soda, use 2 1/2 tsp of borax, instead.
Window Cleaner
1/4-1/2 tsp liquid detergent3 tbs vinegar2 cups waterspray bottle
Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.
Creamy Soft Scrubber
Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn't leave grit.
Tip: Add 1 tsp of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise, just make as much as you need at a time.
Oven Cleaner
1 cup or more baking sodawaterA squirt or two of liquid detergent
Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface it totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top, then let the mixture set overnight.
You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven. If this recipe doesn't work for you it is probably because you didn't use enough baking soda and/or water.
Mold Killer
2 teaspoons tea tree oil2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse.
Furniture Polish
1/2 tsp oil, such as olive (or jojoba, a liquid wax)1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.
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Difficulty level: Easy