Green Cleaning with White Vinegar

Everyone with a mother probably knows that club soda lifts out stains. But that’s where many people’s knowledge of green house cleaning methods ends. Truth is, there’s a bevy of all-natural, non-toxic ways to clean most everything in your home (and yard and garden, for that matter). Here we’ll examine just one other of those safe and inexpensive alternatives to expensive and hazardous (to the environment and your health) chemical cleaners – white vinegar.

White vinegar might is one of the best all-purpose, all-natural household cleaners you can find. Just look at all it cleans:

• Linoleum floors – mop with a mixture of 1/2 cup white vinegar in a bucket of warm water; the best part – no rinsing needed and the smell goes away as it dries
• Furniture – polish with a mixture of 1 part white vinegar and 1 part olive oil
• Drains – to clear and prevent future clogs, first pour down 1/2 cup baking soda, then a 1/2 cup white vinegar; let it fizzle a bit, then pour down a tea-kettle full of boiling water; repeat as necessary
• Brass – just add 1 cup white vinegar to 1 cup flour (all-purpose or white) and 1 teaspoon salt and make into a paste
• Copper – just mix equal parts white vinegar and salt and dab on with a rag; rinse after thoroughly with water (to prevent corrosion); do not use on lacquered finishes

And getting back to mama’s old club soda trick – to deal with stains on carpets, rugs, clothing, tablecloths, drapes, and other fabrics, pour a little club soda over the stain (if on fabric supporting the back side with a pad of paper towels), and blot gently. DO NOT RUB – that only makes it worse. If that doesn’t work after a few tries, sprinkle some Borax over the stain.

Tagged as: Going Green, green cleaning