Last Thursday, I was featured in The Green Grandma‘s guest blog post called Supermoms! How I Birthed My Baby — Part 8. I told the tale of REDs birth at Pittsburghs own The Midwife Center for Birth and Woman’s Health. It was great to connect with a local green blogger whom I’ve been reading for almost 2 years.
The Green Grandma’s claim to fame is, without question, her Vinegar Fridays book and posts. I was dabbling with cleaning with vinegar, but after I found her blog, I jumped in with both feet!
It’s become a running joke between my brother and I. Yesterday, he was over and I was telling him about how I have a few splotches of poison ivy on my arms and legs. Growing up together, and being kids who love the outdoors, we are quite familiar with the trials of that three-leafed menace. I told him I’ve been putting vinegar on my ivy spots and he laughed. Just a few weeks ago he saw me pouring vinegar on weeds outside to kill them. “You’re like the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding” he said, “The guy who thinks Windex cures everything”. I can’t lie, it’s true. But it does really work!
Seeing that it is still Spring, and if you’re like me that Spring Cleaning project has taken the back burner to other things (like getting out and enjoying the weather!), I’ve put together a few of my favorite vinegar cleaning recipes. (DWV = Distilled White Vinegar)
· Clean windows by mixing 3 Tbsp DWV, ½ tsp liquid soap, and 2 ½ cups water in a spray bottle. Spray on windows and wipe clean with a towel.
· Run your coffee pot once with the water reservoir filled halfway with DWV, and then run it again with just water, your coffee pot will be spotless and your coffee will taste better!
· Freshen the air around the house by combining 1 tsp baking soda, 1 Tbsp DWV, and 2 ½ cups of water. Once the mixture stops foaming, mix well and use in a spray bottle.
· Give your cutting boards a nice scrub by putting 1 Tbsp of table salt on the board, then scrubbing it with half of a lemon.
· Kitchen or bathroom drains running a little slow? Pour 2 oz of baking soda down the drain, followed by 5 fl oz of DWV, then stuff a rag in the drain to plug it and prevent the mixture from foaming up. Wait 20 minutes, then take the rag out and pour 1 gallon of boiling water down the drain.
· Hot DWV can be used to clean dried paint off of glass. Just apply to a cloth, and wipe the paint away.
· Easily clean off splatters in your microwave by heating 2 Tbsp DWV and 1 cup water in a microwave safe bowl for 45 seconds. Carefully remove the bowl, and wipe the microwave out.
· Clean and deodorize your toilet by pouring 2 ½ cups DWV around the bowl. Brush vigorously and allow to remain in bowl for 30 minutes.
· Make a furniture polish by mixing equal parts DWV and vegetable oil. Wipe on, then buff with a soft cloth (Try on an inconspicuous part of the furniture first).
· Soak your paint brushes in hot DWV, then wash with warm soapy water to soften them up for your next project.
· Remove winter salt stains from some shoes by wiping with a solution of 1 Tbsp DWV and 1 cup water.
Vinegar is a simple and cheap product that has so many more uses than just salad dressing! And if you buy in bulk, you decrease the amount of packaging and get more product for your money! You’ll be surprised at how versatile some of the products in your kitchen cabinets are! Happy Cleaning!
Ventures In Green 