CLEANING - VINEGAR
I've got a ripper of a headache so I'll do my best to keep it short. Mind you last time I said that it was one of the longest posts I had written. So maybe I should just forget the headache and do my best. Like usual.
Sustainable September Day Eighteen: Use Vinegar for cleaning.
There are many magical properties of the humble white vinegar when it comes to cleaning. I've been using vinegar in my cleaning routine for a long time now. I dilute vinegar with water and wash my floors with it, I use it full strength for grubby marks on the counters or baked on on the stove, I use it as a fabric softener in my washing. It's amazing stuff.
I learnt a lot about Vinegar and all its uses with the help of the Slow Home Podcast. It is one to a handful of podcasts that I listen to regularly. A while ago they had a whole series of episodes about cleaning simply and also easily. And they had a whole episode specifically on Vinegar.
You can check it out on your phone or tablets podcast app. I use the Apple Podcasts app because I have an iPhone that goes with me everywhere. Which means I can listen to podcasts as I drive around town or whilst I catch public transport. I often listen as I'm doing the laundry or cooking dinner.
Anyway, back to Vinegar. It is a simple and environmentally sustainable cleaner that is safe for family, friends, neighbors, pets AND the environment. So that's a winner. I used to own a lot of cleaners, one super strong cleaner for every different surface in my house. Needless to say it was quite a lot of plastic and also a lot of chemicals that gave me headaches. So I had to find a better option.
My brother in law started washing the floors with vinegar years ago and it sort of became a really normal thing for us all to do. We have an Enjo mop we use and we just wet it with equal parts water and vinegar and wipe down the floor (after it's been swept of course). And it's super easy and fast. The smell of vinegar disappears pretty quickly after it dries too so your house doesn't smell like pickles all the time.
I really like the podcast because it shows you all the benefits of using vinegar and reducing all the other stuff in your house. The benefits include, saving money, using fewer toxic chemicals in your home, simplifying your cleaning routine, minimising waste and keeping the same level of cleanliness as commercial cleaners!
I love that I can also refill my white vinegar bottle at the Wasteless Pantry too. Which means I'm saving on Waste coming into the home. I'm saving money because I'm not buying fancy cleaners that are specifically for one reason only. I love that it's earth friendly, because it's not going to accidentally poison my family if I wipe down my bathroom with it and then wash a glass with the same thing. If I did that with some other chemical based cleaners I don't know what my life expectancy would be. Heheheh.
ACTIVITY: make some fancy Citrus Vinegar for your household.
Don't love the smell of vinegar but like the smell of citrus? Well I have an idea for you. I put my old citrus peels in a jar. I make sure it's full of peel and then pour over vinegar. I seal the jar and let it steep for 2 weeks. Then I use this citrus smelling vinegar like I would use my plain white vinegar. And the smell is a lot more pleasing. You can check it out in the video below.
I don't recommend spraying Citrus Vinegar in your mouth... watch the video for an example of why this is a terrible idea! hehehe.
I hope this finds you all well. I'm off to bed with an icepack for my head and a big bottle of water.
Love Daena
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