In recent years householders are switching to greener cleaning practices. Vinegar is a house-friendly product that can be used for a multitude of cleaning tasks. Cleaning with vinegar is inexpensive and it's surprisingly effective.
Why Use Vinegar for Cleaning?
Vinegar is made from corn alcohol, nutrients and water. During fermentation, the corn alcohol is changed into vinegar. The resultant product contains no preservatives, additives or chemicals that pose concern in relation to health.
Householders who clean with vinegar can have peace of mind, knowing that no chemical fumes are inhaled and no residues remain on household surfaces.
How Effective?
Because of its acidity, vinegar is an effective agent for killing most mold and bacteria and even germs. As reported by author Vicki Lanski in her Nov. 25, 2003 Book, Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile and Very Good Uses You've Probably Never thought Of for Vinegar (Book Peddlers), "its acetic quality enables it to kill bacteria, mold and germs while being safe enough not to harm the body or the environment."
Lanski relates that according to the Heinz Company, studies have demonstrated that their straight 5% acetic solution, obtainable in supermarkets, "kills 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold and 80% of germs."
Using Vinegar for Cleaning
Vinegar has multiple uses in home. It can be used to tackle everyday household cleaning projects.
- A tea kettle covered on the inside with lime deposits can be treated with an application of vinegar. Undiluted vinegar can be poured into the kettle and left to sit overnight. For stubborn deposits, the kettle can be boiled using vinegar in place of water.
- Vinegar mixed into a pail of hot water is still one of the best window cleaners around. Windows wiped with newspapers afterward will turn out lint and streak-free.
- Vinegar makes a good grease cutter. A cloth dampened with vinegar can be wiped over household areas where grease accumulates, such as ceiling fan blades, exhaust fan grids or glass oven doors.
- Mattress stains caused by small children or pets can be treated with vinegar and water.
- No-wax floors can be mopped with a solution of warm water and vinegar.
- A natural air freshener can be made from 1/2 cup of vinegar, 2 cloves, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. These ingredients should be mixed in a jar and microwaved for 1 minute. This mixture absorbs odors instead of masking them.
- A solution of equal amounts of vinegar and hot water is effective for cleaning venetian blinds.
- Mildew can be removed with a full-strength solution of vinegar.
- Doorknobs are breeding grounds for germs. Knobs and surrounding areas can be sprayed with undiluted vinegar.
- Bathroom areas can be sprayed with fill-strength vinegar to kill germs.
Using vinegar for cleaning in the home reduces indoor air pollution levels, while cutting risk of exposure to potentially dangerous chemical cleaning agents.
References
- Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile, and Very Good Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of, Vicki Lanski, the Book Peddlers, November, 2003
- Vim & Vinegar: Hundreds of Ingenious Household Uses, Melodie Moore, Harper Perennial, April 25, 1997
Melody Rhodes - M. Rhodes is author of the Bedbug Books. She's been published in Canada, U.S. U.K. & NZ and has won awards for her poetry/prose.
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