Vinegar is a safe, environmentally friendly product that can be used in so many ways around your home. It will reduce the number of chemicals that you purchase (and release into the air), the amount of packaging (choose large glass or plastic bottles that can be recycled, and it will even reduce the amount of money you spend.
Here is a guide to the many uses for vinegar and what it can replace around your home.
Produce washes
While plain water used to be fine for rinsing produce, studies have shown that using water alone, even with a scrub brush, will not remove all pesticides from produce. Plus, we have had a few scares with dangerous bacteria and produce. Hence the birth of commercial produce washes. A vinegar and water rinse will work just as well and the produce washes. In fact, the vinegar will probably kill more bacteria.
Since you will use less vinegar (mix it with water) than you will produce wash, you will reduce the number of containers produced, as well the energy in producing and shipping the produce wash.
Bathroom cleaners
Bathroom cleaners are loaded with all sort of toxic chemicals and packaged with plenty of extra plastic. Again, use a vinegar and water mix to clean. It will work on shower doors, tiles, sinks and even toilets (remember that vinegar sanitizes). For stubborn toilet bowl stains you can add in some baking soda (just a little) for a foaming cleanser, or use the baking soda alone. Vinegar mixed with salt makes a good abrasive cleanser.
Glass cleaner
Forget the ammonia. You can get a streak-free shine by using a vinegar water mix sprayed on your windows. Again, you’ll cut down on fumes (the vinegar smell dissipates and isn’t toxic), plastic and production costs. To be even more eco-friendly. Use newspaper instead of paper towel. The paper won’t leave newsprint on your windows. It is vegetable dye!
You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here!
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