janetsgreenplanet

You already know that vinegar is a food product, but did you know that it also serves as a safe, natural cleaner.  Vinegar is non-toxic and eco-friendly. Vinegar does not have chemicals or bleach which is found in almost all household cleaners. There are no cautions on the bottle, alerting you to use only in a ventilated area, or that it can cause eye and skin irritation, and good heavens if someone accidentally swallows it, no need to induce vomiting immediately!!

Vinegar is environmentally friendly, effective at killing bacteria, and can be used as a multipurpose cleaner. Not to mention how economical it is. I have used vinegar regularly in my home for years. It is so versatile a cleaner, that you may want to buy it at your big box stores, where it comes in a box of two large containers. 

You can also pair vinegar with baking soda with wonderful results. You may even decide to add a bit of lavender, lemon, or an essential oil. I suggest using distilled white vinegar for all the solutions listed here.

Here are five ideas of how and what I regularly use vinegar for in my home:

• My #1 Vinegar Solution. A clean Coffee Maker is essential to making a great-tasting cup of coffee. When my Coffee Maker light reminds me to descale it I use white vinegar. Usually, once a month I go through the brew cycle of my Coffee Maker, to eliminate lime deposits, which ruin the taste of my coffee. The instructions are here but your manual is the best point of reference. https://www.thespruce.com/clean-coffee-maker-with-vinegar-1907384
• My #2 Vinegar Solution for using Vinegar in place of harsh cleaners is your shower head. Shower heads get a build-up of mineral deposits, and need to be cleaned regularly. Vinegar easily removes these deposits, allowing your shower head to flow freely again. For how to, click the link here: https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/clean-and-organize/how-to-clean-a-showerhead
• My #3 Vinegar Solution is the kitchen sink drain. To keep the drains in our house clog-free and smelling fresh, I add a small box of baking soda to the mouth of the drain, pour vinegar over that, and flush with boiling water. It bubbles like a science experiment and does the trick. Click the link for directions from Martha Stewart with specific measurements. https://www.marthastewart.com/how-to-unclog-drain-with-baking-soda-7560801
• My #4 Vinegar Solution is for foods left too long in the cupboard. I leave a cup of vinegar in the cabinet, and in a few hours, the odor is eliminated. This works in the refrigerator too! You can also use this trick when cooking something with a strong offensive odor, like fish. As much as I love my salmon, hubby doesn’t, and he dislikes smelling it. I understand, and for this reason, I leave a cup of vinegar on our kitchen counter to help absorb the odor. An open window also helps. You may want to try this in the baby’s room too, after you have just changed the little darling’s diaper.
• My #5 Vinegar Solution may surprise you. Ordinarily, an onion may burn your eyes when you are slicing it. So when your recipe calls for a sliced or chopped onion, rub some vinegar on your fingertips before slicing. This may help eliminate the tears from flowing.

These are just a few of the ways you may want to use Vinegar in your home. I will be posting 5 more Vinegar Solutions in my next post.

Let me know if you have tried any of these ideas using chemical-free vinegar for your cleaning chores. If you have any other surprising ideas for using Vinegar, please share them in the comments.