Friday, June 13, 2008

Organic Floor Cleaning Recipe And Other Vinegar Uses To Have Handy

History shows that Vinegar has been used for many centuries for a variety of uses, not just as a past of a salad dressing which we commonly use today. As I try to be more aware of where my products come from, being more 'green' and organic in my life, I want the simplest methods to help clean my house and by chance it is one of the cheapest products one should always have in your cupboards. White Vinegar.

I started to learn more and more about this simple liquid we always had in my cupboards when I was a kid - and thought you only use it when you boil eggs for Easter. Having since grown up, I have learned the many medical uses of vinegar, but until recently I wasn't aware how many fantastic uses this simple affordable liquid had.

I like clean floors and who doesn't? This is excellent to use for those sensitive to cleaning products or those with horrible allergies. Having two pets in the house doesn't help, but since I have been washing the floors with this solution, the house
is left super clean and you are not hurting your nose, pets or the environment with this one.

Ingredients:

  • White Vinegar (I usually buy a gallon for less than $3-)
  • Hot water
  • One Pail
  • One mop
  • One or two messy floors

Directions:
  1. Not only does this remove any grime, even on wood floors, it removes any trace of pet stains and related scents.
  2. My dog has not made a mistake in the house since I have been doing this, and my house is all wood floors. This also helps prevents those little ants from finding anything sweet on your floors to tell all their pals to come on over in a line to check it out.
  3. I learned this trick a month ago from a pal of mine who works managing a very wealthy family's estate and they use this to clean their antique wood floors, so I thought, heck, if its good enough for them, then I just 'has' to try it.
  4. I was super amazed at how clean the house smelled afterwards, loved that I wasn't hurting the environment, blah blah blah... you get the idea.
  5. Use 50/50 ratio of hot water and the vinegar.
  6. Mop away to your hearts content. Allow floors to dry. No need to rinse.
Here are a few more finds I found with this amazing ingredient:

First Aid
  • Relieve the itch from poison ivy and reduce swelling by applying directly to the affected area.
  • A cotton ball soaked in cider vinegar held to an insect sting brings relief.
  • Soothe a jellyfish sting by dousing the area with vinegar.
  • A quick dose of vinegar on a burn will prevent blistering.
  • Apply directly to the skin as an antiseptic for cuts and abrasions; reduces swelling and promotes healing. Vinegar is a natural antiseptic.Use a washcloth soaked in vinegar and place all over your sunburns, takes out the sting asap - I personally have done this back in the days when I used to sun - it totally works. - Might sting just a bit but only for the first few seconds, but instantly cools down and sting is gone.
  • Mix equal parts honey and apple cider vinegar together to soothe a sore throat.
Cooking:
  • A tablespoon of vinegar added to eggs before scrambling adds zest.
  • A few drops of vinegar in pasta as it boils makes the pasta less sticky.
  • Soak your favorite dried beans in apple cider vinegar overnight and rinse completely to lessen the gas they create.
  • A little vinegar in the water will keep egg whites from running out if it cracks when boiling.
Cleaning and Deodorizing Gear:
  • Use a half and half solution of vinegar and water to clean up tough stains on plastic or on metal kitchen utensils.
  • Clean and deodorize plastic coolers with vinegar and water. Follow with washing in soap and water.
  • Remove stubborn stains in pots by soaking in vinegar for thirty minutes. Ditto with cleaning your coffee pots. Wash using hot soapy water. Another method; fill the pot with a solution of 3 tablespoons of vinegar to a pint of water. Boil until stain loosens and can be washed away with soap and water.
  • Wash your hands with vinegar after cutting onions, garlic, peppers or cabbage to remove the smell.
  • A cup of vinegar added in the rinse cycle will deodorize clothing smelling of campfire smoke or other odors.
  • Have any seriously burnt pots and pans? Soak pan with enough vinegar to cover the bottom completely. Let soak for at least 6 hours, burnt crusty food particles remove with little effort. I personally saved a 60 year old pan the other day that had belonged to my mother and I thought the pan was a goner, I was super relieved when I remembered and used this trick she taught me

Gardening
  • You can put vinegar in a spray bottle, and squirt at your hearts delight on weeds to destroy them naturally without ruining underground water. Simply spray into the crevices and cracks on the cement and your on your driveway cracks to rid of weeds naturally.
  • You can spray vinegar on your sand box to help keep your kitty from doing their business where your children play.
  • Add a couple of tablespoons to flopping cut flowers with fresh water in a vase will help perk up the cut flowers.
  • Cleaning your hummingbird feeder with vinegar is way healthier than leaving any soap deposits which is actually very harmful to hummingbirds.
  • Speaking of birds, you can also use a 50/50 ratio of vinegar and water to clean out a bird bath and bird feeder to keep everyone happy and chirping strong.
Laundry:
  • Using 1/4 to1/2 cup in your wash not only brightens whites, it attacks harmful mold and mildew.
  • Vinegar is a natural fabric softener - don't use toxic laundry sheets anymore! Pour 1/4 cup into your final rinse to leaves clothes soft and free of soap compounds.
  • Remove winter's melting snow salts on your boots, by wiping them down with a solution 50/50 of vinegar and water.
  • Need to clean those antique white linen napkins especially if they have ketchup or red wine spilled on them? But them in a large pot of water, and add 1 cup of vinegar. Slow boil for one hour, then rinse and put them out in the sun to dry. My mother did this all the time and those linens were always crisp white!
There are so many more uses for vinegar is almost ridiculous and impossible to mention all of them here. One thing to note is that vinegar is a safe alternative to clean virtually anything with around you, your family and home safely without harming you, your family, your pets and the environment.

I have a squirt bottle now that is at the ready at any time I may need it. It is filled with 50 percent water and 50 percent vinegar and I use it almost daily as I go about my business in keeping my home clean and our environment healthy.

This is a great solution too for those who are super sensitive to cleaning products and who have allergies. Using white vinegar is a huge win-win solution in my book, try it today! You will be glad and healthier when you do!

1 comment:

Adriana said...

Many consumers believe that using vinegar or lemmon juice it more effective than tap water....have you seen any test studies? CNN ran a story on the effectiveness of washing produce with tap water and the only thing that worked was bleach? but even that only removed 60% of bacteria.

Using ozone in water is actually an FDA and USDA approved process for removing pesticides and germs. There are quite a few distributors that already use this process and the biggest benefit is that it DOES NOT alter your produce in any way except for getting rid of all the bad stuff. Just take the Lotus Sanitizing System and try it, you will see for yourself that your produce will last up to 4 times longer without that stuff that you can't see on it. Just think on average a household waste is over $350 in produce. The Lotus Sanitizing System will pay for itself in just a few months.