5 Items to Clean with Vinegar
Vinegar is an excellent example of one of Mother Nature’s eco-friendly cleaning products.
Brand-name commercial cleaning products sure can get various surfaces in your home squeaky clean. Unfortunately, they can also get your indoor air really dirty!
Many cleaners contain VOCs, or Volatile Organic Chemicals, which are a group of gases that have been linked to a diverse array of adverse health effects such as headache, eye nose & throat irritation, fatigue, nausea, allergic skin reactions, and even respiratory difficulties such as asthma.
Why expose yourself or your family to VOCs in common commercial cleaners when you can have the experts at Kimberly’s Kleaning take care of all your cleaning needs using eco-friendly, low-VOC products?
Vinegar is a perfect example of an eco-friendly, non-toxic, natural cleaner. Vinegar:
- Deodorizes
- Kills bacteria
- Leaves no residue behind
- Will not harm kids or pets
Here are 5 household items we could clean with vinegar.
- Microwave. Hot vinegar is great for getting cooked-on gunk out of the microwave during a spring cleaning. All you have to do is mix ¼ cup vinegar and 1 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high until it boils. Let it rest for 5 minutes so the steam can cover the walls of the microwave, and then wipe them clean.
- Tubs & Showers. A mix of vinegar and ordinary mild dish soap is great for scrubbing out tubs and showers. You can make up a little dish of the solution to dip your sponge into, or else pour it into one of those convenient reservoir-handled dish sponges.
- Floors. A diluted solution of about 1 tablespoon vinegar per gallon of warm water can remove dirt and grime from many different types of flooring, including finished wood flooring. Go over the floor with a damp (not sopping wet) mop and then blot dry with a towel to prevent water spots. Never use vinegar on natural stone floors because its acid content will damage them.
- Tile Grout. Fortunately larger tiles are coming into fashion now, but if you have an older home with lots of tiny floor or wall tiles, this means you’re stuck with tons of grout lines to clean. Applying a paste of vinegar and baking soda to the grout with a stiff-bristled brush and rubbing in gentle circles may not make the job go any faster, but at least you won’t have to breathe in toxic chemicals while you work.
- Kitchen Appliances. Does the idea of eating food prepared with a mixer or other appliance that has recently been scoured with harsh chemicals sound unappetizing to you? Swap out those chemicals for a spray bottle of vinegar and water for an edible, non-toxic alternative.
