CLEANING “GREEN”
with
DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR
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I find it amazing that all these products showing up in the stores stating that they are green and I am sure you have noticed their high prices. I want to share with you something that my grandmother taught me back in the early 60’s and that is simply that white distilled Vinegar is possibly the Most Useful and underused Versatile Natural Cleaning Product in existence. Not only is it both edible and biodegradable but it is a powerful disinfectant and to top it off it is inexpensive too. Talk about “GREEN”!
You can use distilled white vinegar to disinfect surfaces killing bacteria, freshen the air, unclog drains, scrub floors and walls and appliances, degrease, annihilate soap scum, soften clothes, clean up pet accidents removing odor, remove rust deposits, dissolve calcium build up, clean tarnished copper, brass, pewter, and the list goes on and on.
As you will see in the following list of uses it can be used to tackle just about any cleaning job you may have in your house, camper, boat, etc... All are completely safe of environmentally harmful chemicals. To intensify the cleaning powers of white vinegar many of the cleaning solutions may include baking soda, salt, hydrogen peroxide and sometimes water, all natural biodegradable, non toxic materials. Could there be anything safer for you and your family or “greener”?
How can this be you may ask? Because it is made from the fermentation of alcohol into acetic acid it is not only non-toxic making it safe to breathe the fumes but it is highly effective at killing not only most molds but bacteria and germs. It is also amazing at dissolving soap scup, dirt, rust and hard water stains making it a great kitchen and bathroom cleaner. It also acts as a natural deodorizer removing odors from both surfaces and the air.
Although white vinegar itself has a strong odor it will actually absorb odors rather than cover them up and the vinegar odor goes away when it dries, leaving only freshness. I promise. The Following list gives you uses and recipes for cleaning solutions.
Two WARNINGS about using VINEGAR:
Never mix VINEGAR with BLEACH as the combination will give off a toxic gas!
Never use VINEGAR on MARBLE, or other natural material surfaces, it is an acid
And it can damage the surface.
White Distilled Vinegar in your KITCHEN
Slow Drains
You can unclog partially blocked drains in the kitchen or bathroom using:
½ cup (125 ml) Baking Soda
½ cup (125 ml) Table Salt
½ cup (125 ml) White Vinegar
Mix the baking soda and salt in a small bowl and pour the powder mixture into the drain. Next pour in the vinegar. A bubbling foam will be produced as the vinegar reacts with the baking soda (just like those volcanoes we all made for school) It gives off harmless carbon dioxide gas.
Wait at least 2 or 3 hours and then flush the drain with water. A good time to do this is before you go to bed so that it can have all night to work.
To keep the drain clean and deodorized once a month
Pour in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar (you can warm the vinegar in the microwave, benefit it will loosen any hardened splatter in your microwave which you can then easily wipe off). Let this sit for at least 5 minutes and then run hot water down the drain.
Deodorize the garbage disposal
Pour into disposal mixture of 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. (I always heat my vinegar in a microwave safe cup in the microwave and it helps keep my microwave clean by softening any food splatter so it is easy to wipe up with a paper towel) it’s a two for one!
Clean the microwave
Mix 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl (I prefer glass). Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.
Deodorize and sharpen blades in the garbage disposal with white distilled vinegar ice cubes. Make them by freezing full-strength white distilled vinegar in an ice cube tray. Run several cubes down the disposal while flushing with cold water.
Clean the refrigerator
Mix 1 part white vinegar to 1 part water to make a cleaning solution. Using a kitchen rag dip the rag in the solution and wipe the walls and the shelves of the refrigerator. I use the white vinegar on the drawers and all the parts I remove to the sink to clean and then rinse with fresh water. The straight white vinegar cuts right through that grime that somehow is all over the drawers and glass shelves. To clean the outside of refrigerator just pour some full strength white vinegar on a clean paper towel and wipe down the refrigerator surface. Pay special attention to the handles. Not only are you cleaning it but you are disinfecting too. Its Great for all that dusty grime that settles on the top of your refrigerator, with the white vinegar all that grime will wipe right off leaving a fresh and shiny surface. Let it dry naturally.
To keep the refrigerator smelling fresh skip the baking soda and put activated charcoal (the kind that goes in a fish tank filter) in a container that has holes punched in it (I use a small plastic food container Like Rubbermaid or Tupperware, that I have put holes in) and put that in the back of the fridge. It absorbs those smells like you won’t believe.
Keep dishwasher running smoothly and smelling fresh
Each monthpour 1 cup of white vinegar inside the empty dishwasher and run it through its entire cycle except dry. Not only will this process freshen up your dishwasher but it will cut through any calcium deposits building up in your water pump and cut through any left over food grime.
Cleaning sinks
I keep full strength white vinegar in a spray bottle and a Tupperware container of baking powder (which I buy in the economical big bag instead of the small boxes) To clean my sinks I just sprinkle the baking soda in the sink and then I spray with the vinegar. I then put a little dish washing liquid on my sponge and scrub the sink until it sparkles. It is so easy and it will not damage porcelain, fiberglass, or stainless steel.
You can clean grout by placing a rag soaked in a solution of 3 parts water to 1 part distilled white vinegar let it sit on it for a few minutes and then lightly scrub it with a soft brush. (an old soft toothbrush works great). Be gentle and don’t let it sit on the grout too long just like vinegar dissolves mineral deposits using it full strength or leaving it too long can dissolve the grout.
Clean counter tops
Just like the refrigerator wipe down the counter tops with a cloth or paper towel soaked with undiluted white vinegar and your counters will be spotless and smelling fresh.
If you need to disinfect counter tops or cutting boards
The best way is with a combination of white vinegar and 3% hydrogen peroxide (found in any drugstore and in the grocery store where they have the Band-Aids) I transfer the hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle just like the one I have with the straight vinegar.
You can purchase these spray bottles in any garden department of most stores and they can be reused over and over. Just be sure to only put the same ingredient in them each time and label them with a magic marker that you then cover with clear packing tape so it won’t wear off.
Spray counter or cutting board with the undiluted white vinegar. Immediately spray with the 3%
hydrogen peroxide. Wait 10 minutes and then wipe clean with fresh water.
According to Susan Sumner, a food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, it does not matter whether you spray the vinegar before or after the hydrogen peroxide, the effectiveness is the same, it kills virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. Coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food preparation surfaces. She also found that using both sprays was 10 times more effective than using either spray by itself and more effective than chlorine bleach and all other commercially available kitchen cleaners.
The vinegar / hydrogen peroxide sprays also work well to clean meats, fruits and vegetables of disease-causing germs.
Reference:
Science News Online – Food for Thought – 9/28/96
Clean and shine chrome faucets
You can cut right thru thatlime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white vinegar.
Clean Stove top and oven
The oven is one of the few things that is hard to clean without a commercially prepared oven cleaner. I try to use one that is environmentally safe and as free of fumes as possible. To avoid that chemical smell the first time you use it after you have finished cleaning the oven wipe it down as your final rinse with a sponge soaked in a 1 part white vinegar to 1 part water solution.
Clean a grease splattered oven door window
Saturate a cloth or paper towels and place them on the splattered window. Leave the door down and let the towels sit on the glass at least 10 to 15 minutes and then wipe with a clean sponge. If the door is really dirty it may take doing it again.
Exhaust vent filter and fan grids are hard to clean
I put just enough white vinegar in a container a little bigger than the fan filter to just cover it and let it soak while I am cleaning the kitchen. To get that grease off the fan and the grids I just wipe it with a sponge soaked in white vinegar, it cuts right through that greasy build up. I also hit the cabinets above the vent anywhere I know grease settles.
To make cleaning the grill easier
Spray a solution of half water and half white distilled vinegar on the cooking surface. Then cook as usual. You’ll be surprised how easy clean up will be.
What about Insects?
Bothered by fruit flies? Set out a small dish or jar of undiluted white vinegar and they disappear. You’ll never have to buy one of those expensive traps.
Discourage ants by spraying undiluted white distilled vinegar outside doorway thresholds and windowsills, around appliances and wherever you have seen the ants. It won’t completely get rid of them but it will help.
Taking care of your pots, pans, glassware and such is easy, just:
Remove those stains from your aluminum pot by putting a mixture of 1 cup distilled white vinegar and 1 cup of water in the pot and bring the mixture to a boil cool, and then wash as usual.
Are your copper bottom pots and pans all black and discolored? Clean them up real quick with a mixture of equal amounts of distilled white vinegar and table salt. No awful fumes just sparkling copper. Works on pewter and brass too.. To polish mix 2 tablespoons of ketchup (contains vinegar and salt) and 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar and rub it on with a clean dry cloth until item is dry and shiny. Need a general metal polish just mix up distilled white vinegar to cream of tartar to make a paste and use it just like those store bought expensive metal cleaners. Rub it on and let it dry. Wash it off and then dry with a clean soft cloth.
DO NOT USE ON SILVER
Glassware is notorious for becoming cloudy, to clear them up just soak some paper towel or a soft cloth in full-strength distilled white vinegar and place the towels against the inside of the glass. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes and then just rinse them clean. If the glass item you are cleaning has a small neck then you can just fill it with the distilled white vinegar full strength let it sit for a couple hours and then rinse. You may have to repeat if the mineral deposits have really built up and if you have to add some rice or even sand before you empty out the vinegar and shake it around to help loosen up the deposits before you empty and rinse.
To help to keep you fine crystal clear and shiny and protect them from mineral deposits, wipe them with a soft cloth saturated with distilled white vinegar then rinse with hot water and dry as usual.
Talking about mineral deposits let’s look at Tea kettles and your Coffee Maker.
Stove top Tea Kettle can be kept like new by adding ½ cup distilled white vinegar to the water and letting it sit over night. If you have had your tea kettle for a while and it already has buildup of mineral deposits in the inside bottom (and it is that white looking powdery stuff on the inside of your kettle) then fill it with full strength distilled white vinegar and bring it to a boil, let it boil a few minutes, let it cool and then rinse it well with fresh plain water.
Over time calcium deposits build up in the tea kettle from the mineral deposits in the water. Unless you clean with vinegar your pot could look like this.
Coffee Makers eventually do not heat up the water as well as they did when they were new because of mineral deposits building up on the heating element and in the delivery tubes so rather than buy a new coffee maker try this. Fill the water reservoir to the 10 cup line with undilluted distilled white vinegar and run it through the whole cycle. Discard. Then run it once or twice more with fresh clean water through the entire cycle to rinse out all of the vinegar. By cleaning your coffee maker regularly say once a month you will not only get rid of clogging mineral deposits but you will also get rid of any coffee oils that can accumulate inside your coffee maker and become rancid ruining the flavor of your coffee. (check the owners manual just to make sure this is ok for your machine)
Another coffee making tip is to use water that has been filtered and you will be amazed at how delicious the coffee tastes.
STINKY, STINKY, STINKY! NOT REALLY!
Don't be put off by the smell of vinegar. Remember even though distilled white vinegar smells, the amazing thing is that the smell does not linger. It goes away when it dries. It takes odors out of things including the air leaving them smelling fresh.
Troubled by a smelly lunch box. Place a paper towel soaked in distilled white vinegar in lunch box overnight. It will be fresh in the morning. Works for thermos bottles too.
Or for those smelly, stained plastic food containers, after washing, just wipe them with a cloth or paper towel soaked with distilled white vinegar and let them air dry.
If you really just hate the smell try adding lavender essential oil for a lovely fresh scent. But remember when vinegar dries that vinegar smell is GONE leaving only freshness.
White Distilled Vinegar in your BATHROOM
Follow the same counter cleaning tips from the kitchen. Spray all the surfaces in your bathroom with a combination of distilled white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to disinfect and deodorize. I usually do this after I have scrubbed everything and am finished I spray the two and then leave and let it dry naturally.
White Distilled Vinegar in your LAUNDRY
Fabric softener is very expensive but did you know that distilled white vinegar added to your rinse will soften your clothes and leave them soft a fresh smelling. Add ½ cup to the rinse and if you have a dispenser just add and top off with tap water. Your towels will be much more absorbent because they won’t have any chemical or soap buildup. Not only will this soften your clothes but you will notice reduced lint in your lint filter. Also your dryer will operate much better because unlike fabric softener distilled white vinegar does not leave that waxy film on the lint filter which could over time cause your dryer to overheat by restricting the air flow. To check your filter for this waxy build up just remove the lint from the filter and run tap water over the filter. if the water doesn’t flow easily through the filter then it needs to be cleaned. You can clean it with a small soft brush and of course some full strength distilled white vinegar and make it good as new.
Is your Iron spitting steam and are the vents in the bottom showing signs of a white powdery substance. If it is then you have mineral deposits in your iron. To eliminate them pour out any water in your iron and pour in distilled white vinegar full strength. Turn iron on steam and place face down on a cookie rack over a heat resistant surface (I put mine on the top of my stove because the steam cuts all the grease and grime and then I just wipe off my stove top another two for one) and let the iron run until the reservoir is empty. The steam vents should now be clean. Just refill the iron with water and you are ready to go. A good way to prevent mineral deposits in your iron is to use distilled water.
My son plays lacrosse and his pads, gloves and shoes smell awful if I don’t take care of them. By using 1 ½ cup of vinegar in the wash water his stuff comes out smelling much fresher. Another trick I use is to put a clean sock filled with activated charcoal in his sports bag to absorb any unpleasant odors.
Another problem my son has is getting his clothes greasy and smelly, I just add distilled white vinegar to the washing machine water to cut down the greasy residue and remove the odors.
Deodorant stains can be a big problem making clothes un-wearable. To get rid of them rub the stain lightly with distilled white vinegar and then launder as usual.
If you need to remove ink stains from clothes try soaking them in milk for 1 hour. Remove from milk and cover the stain with a paste made of equal parts of vinegar and cornstarch. When the paste dries, wash the garment as usual.
White Distilled Vinegar in your HOUSE CLEANING
Window Cleaning is always a job looming in my house. To keep my windows sparkling clean combine 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar, and up to 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap or detergent in a spray bottle. The liquid soap helps remove the waxy residue.
Cleaning hardwood floors is easy and safe for both regular, laminate, and polyurethane coated flooring with the following solution:
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 gallon warm water
Fill bucket with 1 gallon of warm water and add the 1 cup distilled white vinegar. With a rag or sponge mop damp-mop floor using as little of the solution as possible and then immediately follow-up with a clean dry towel. Avoid using too much solution or leaving solution in pools on floor which would seep into the small cracks and crevices and cause floor to warp.
Another way to do it would be to use a spray bottle of the solution, spray the floor, scrub with mop and then dry with terry cloth mop or towel.
Same solution works on vinyl, ceramic, and linoleum floors
White Distilled Vinegar in your YARD and GARDEN
White Distilled Vinegar in your MEDICINE CHEST
To get relief from a bee sting or other insect bite make a paste of vinegar and baking soda and pat onto affected area.
Bothered by a bad bruise, while sitting doing something else like watching TV put a cloth saturated in distilled white vinegar over the bruised discolored area for at least an hour, this will really aid healing.
White Distilled Vinegar in your Closet
Remove water stains from leather shoes by rubbing with a cloth dipped in an equal part distilled white vinegar and water solution
Vinegar in your COOKING
Going on a picnic and want to make potato salad, try this great and easy dressing. 1 cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon celery seed ( I sometimes replace the distilled white vinegar with dill pickle juice and the celery seed with dill weed)
To make a very basic salad dressing just mix up 1 part your favorite vinegar and 4 parts oil, then add your favorite seasonings like garlic powder, dehydrated onions, basil whatever suits your tastes. Experiment.
To make your vinaigrette creamy just replace one part of the oil with some plain heavy cream.
If you need to tenderize an inexpensive cut of meat there is nothing better than vinegar. A little vinegar, a little olive oil, garlic, onions, maybe some pepper and you have the perfect tenderizing marinade.
Vinegar helps when you are boiling foods.
- Just adding a little distilled white vinegar to your poaching eggs will help keep the whites better formed.
- To prevent cracking of eggs when you are boiling them for hard boiled eggs just add about a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to the cold water. Remember to add your eggs to the water when it is still cold then put on the burner and bring to a boil. Boil 1-2 minutes and then turn off burner but leave pan on the burner for about 15 minutes. Eggs will be perfect every time.
- Adding distilled white vinegar to the water you are steaming or boiling cauliflower, beets or broccoli not only helps the veggies keep their color but it also helps make them less gas producing for the eater.
- Adding distilled white vinegar to the water you are cooking pasta in will reduce the release of starch making it much less sticky.
- You’ll get perfect rice every time if you just add a teaspoon of distilled white vinegar to the water.
- When you boil ribs or stew meat just add a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to the water and they’ll be extra tender.
When making white sauce, make it extra zesty by adding a half a teaspoon of distilled white vinegar. Yummy.
Clean your fresh fruit with distilled white vinegar and rinse with fresh water.
If your salad greens have wilted you can crisp them up by soaking them in cold water with a couple spoonfuls of distilled white vinegar. It only takes about 5-15minutes then just rinse them and spin them as usual.
A trick to eliminating that greasy taste in food cooked in your deep fryer is to just add a dash of distilled white vinegar before frying.
To get that picture perfect fluffy white meringue just add one teaspoon of distilled white vinegar for every 3-4 egg whites and Whip as usual.
If you have ever had white frosting get grainy and sugary just add a drop of distilled white vinegar while mixing and it will stay white and shiny.
Wonder how you can make a chocolate cake moist and have that intense chocolate taste, just add a teaspoon of distilled white vinegar to the batter when you are mixing. This works for chocolate boxed or from scratch cakes.
Hate that odor of garlic or onion on your hands. Make that odor disappear by rubbing your hands with vinegar and salt.
Need buttermilk for the recipe for dinner? Just put in 1 tablespoon of vinegar into your measuring cup and then add enough milk to make one cup. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes and you have the substitute for buttermilk.
If you want to know more about cleaning green and would like more recipes for making green cleansers just click on the link below.
 To help you with your cleaning green there are some recipes for you for diffent cleaning solutions for around your home.
Cleaning Green Recipes
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