Green Cleaning: Vinegar

After my recent research on phthalates and phosphates and all that good stuff, I've decided to give it a go with green cleaning. Due to its acidity, vinegar kills most mold, bacteria, and germs (scientific studies show it does a great job, however not quite as good as the commercial cleaners). So, armed with a gallon of distilled white vinegar and a spray bottle, here is a simple list of recipes and cleaning tips for the budget & eco minded housewife in us all (go here for a much longer list):

Disinfect & Remove Mold, Grime, etc: Spray with or wipe with a cloth soaked in undiluted white vinegar, then wipe clean with water-dampened cloth. I think the vinegar kills something like 98% of germs, whereas commercial cleaners are about 99.9%? So, I plan to use the good old clorex wipes to clean up after preparing raw chicken or if it's flue season

Clean the Microwave: Mix half a cup of white vinegar and half a cup of water in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it til boiling. Apparently it will loosen caked in messes and deodorize it. Wipe clean.

Clean the Fridge: half water half white distilled vinegar

Clean Grout: spray with undiluted white vinegar, let sit, then scrub with toothbrush

Clean Floors: 3 drops dish washing liquid, 1/3 part white vinegar, 1/3 part alcohol, and 1/3 part water. WARNING: do not use white vinegar on marble!

Disinfect Baby Toys: add white vinegar to soapy water and wash, or wipe down with undiluted white vinegar and wipe clean with damp cloth (if it's something they'll be teething on, you'd be sure to wash off the vinegar well, or else little one might be quite offended by the taste).

Clean Produce: use 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water. For smooth produce (ex. apples) spray with the solution and wash clean. For un-smooth produce (ex. lettuce or broccoli), let it soak in a bowl of the solution for at least 2 minutes, then wash clean. You should clean produce even if you won't be eating the rind (ex. melon), since cutting it would introduce any bacteria from the rind into the part you'll eat. *TIP* Soaking produce for 5 minutes in a half vinegar half water solution will help remove the wax and underlying pesticides.

Do NOT use vinegar in you dish washer or washing machine, as it eats away at your rubber hoses and seals.

After picking up the vinegar from my super market and the spray bottle from the dollar shop, I came home and got to work! Soaked some brussel sprouts, strawberries, and nectarines in the 1-to-3 part solution. *WARNING* If you have any cuts on your hands, it will BURN! Yowza!!

Vinegar is great beyond cleaning. Here is a list of home remedies for whatever might ail you! You can even use it to wash your hair! But I'm not quite there yet...