Our modern lives are permeated with advanced chemicals. Compounds that would be unrecognizable just 100 years ago abound in everything from foods to fabrics to manufacturing processes. Although each of these compounds has been tested for safety, I sometimes wonder about the cumulative exposure.
In laboratory settings, research scientists expend due diligence to create a test environment where most things stay the same so they can study variability of the factors under study. The real world isn’t like that. The mercury in my dental fillings is probably safe on its own but what if my toxic exposure is increased by my personal care products, living next to a factory and drinking from the heavily industrialized great lakes?
It makes sense to reduce your chemical exposure wherever possible. Cleaning vinegar is a relatively recent discovery in our household but has quickly become popular as it eliminates so many other cleaning and household products… all of which have complicated chemical backgrounds.
By contrast, vinegar is really just watered acetic acid which is produced by the fermentation of ethanol or sugars by acetic acid bacteria. It has been around for millennia. Cleaning vinegar is a stronger solution than that we use for cooking, usually 10 per cent or more. It costs about $4 for 2.5 litres at your local grocery or hardware store making it a very economical choice.
And what can you do with cleaning vinegar? There are probably so many more uses but here are a couple occurring in our house regularly:
• Clean the bathroom. Use full strength on a micro-fibre cloth to clear soap scum, disinfect and polish. Rinse with clear water. To sanitize, leave on the surface for 10 – 30 minutes before rinsing.
• Clean your floors. Use 1/4 cup vinegar to 1 gallon hot water and dissolve grease, stains and sticky gunk. I don’t rinse but if you have a shiny finish, your floor might need one.
• Polish mirrors and glass. Prepare a spray bottle with 1/2 cleaning vinegar and 1/2 water. Use like Windex.
• Dissolve hard water calcification in the washing machine or coffee maker. The vinegar is acidic and can be corrosive if used too frequently. I just add about 1/4 - 1/2 cup full strength to the machine (in the fresh water container of the coffee maker or the drum of the washer) and run the machine through a normal cycle. Run two or more clear water cycles afterward to rinse thoroughly.
• Add as a laundry rinse to brighten. Dullness in clothing can be due to soap residue. Adding 1/4 vinegar through the fabric softener dispenser can dissolve that scum and brighten fabrics. Test any precious pieces first in a discreet area because vinegar can fade.
• Kill weeds! Use full strength in a spray bottle directly on weeds. It will kill all plant life so take care when using in the lawn. Use a very directed spray, right into the base of the plant. It’s not as long lasting as herbicides and deep rooted plants like dandelions can recover, but it’s much safer for pets and kids.
