Tips for Sustainable Living - Vinegar

Lately, it seems like "green" is all the rage. The words "organic," "eco," and "natural" are popping up on products everywhere. Little do most consumers know, there are no standards or guidelines for content in a product to be able to be labeled with one of these deceivingly attractive words. Be a smart consumer and read the ingredients in these products, then decide for yourself if the product is really "natural," or if it is just being labeled as such because it has a few natural ingredients mixed in with the artificial. Some of the worst offenders in this new, misleading trend are cleaning products. We only use cleaning products which are derived from 100% plant based materials and are biodegradable, but I've quickly learned that household white vinegar can be used for the exact same tasks and is much more budget friendly. Vinegar is a totally natural, ecologically friendly and sustainable substance. It can be diluted with water to different concentrations for different uses. The pungent smell dissipates quickly, so don't let that keep you away from tapping this 99% antifungal, 95% antibacterial product.

Some ideas for using vinegar around your house in place of harsh chemicals:

•  Equal parts vinegar and water mixed in a spray bottle make a great all-purpose cleaner. I use this in my bathroom on all surfaces, in the kitchen on the counters, to clean my linoleum floors, and even to sanitize Baby Bear's toys (which I rinse the crap out of afterwards to remove any remnants so she doesn't taste it).
•  Hard water? Remove limescale with vinegar. Either soak the item in pure vinegar or pour some pure vinegar on the area, then scrub and rinse thoroughly with water. I did this on our shower doors and track to get the mildew and build up from the previous tenants off. I also use pure vinegar to descale my coffee maker, tea pot, and Baby Bear's bottle warmer. 
• A dilution of 1 part vinegar, 2 parts water can also be used to wash dirty walls, baseboards, windows, and blinds. This worked great to clean our rental house (I have before and after pictures if anyone wants to see them), and it was a thrifty and safer alternative to chemical products like Mr. Clean.
• Soaking paint brushes in vinegar will also remove any paint or sticky residue. I tend to forget to rinse them out after projects, so I refresh my brushes with an overnight vinegar soak.

The possibilities for vinegar are endless. The best part - it's safe to put into our sewer systems. Next time you're in the cleaning product aisle picking up a new bottle of 409 or Scrubbing Bubbles, think about if you could use white vinegar to do the same task instead. Priced at about $3 per gallon, you'll save yourself money while minimizing your ecological footprint on the earth.