Green Options » vinegar

Spring Cleaning: Tackling the Fridge

Becky Striepe — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:00:07 +0000

[Creative Commons photo by sarae]

Your dishwasher is spic and span, and it’s starting to make your cluttered refrigerator look a little bit…well…gross. Don’t despair! We’ve got you covered with some Earth-friendly fridge-cleaning tips. Not only does cleaning out the fridge keep things sanitary, you can do your part to make it more energy efficient!

Can Vinegar Clean Up Coal’s Act?

Tina Casey — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:27:01 +0000

Vinegar can clean windows, kill weeds, and even cure the common cold. Now a team of scientists at the University of Leeds is studying how vinegar could clean up sites contaminated by chromium compounds discharged from old textile factories, smelters, and tanneries. As a source of chromium contamination, coal mining could also benefit from a dose of vinegar - or would that really make a difference?

Spring Cleaning: Eco Friendly Dishwasher Maintenance

Becky Striepe — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 06:00:17 +0000

We know to only run the dishwasher when we have a full load. We also know that there are lots of great options for Earth-friendly dishwashing detergents. What we don’t always think about though, is good old maintenance. Nothing wastes water like unloading your dishwasher to find you have to wash half or all of the load over by hand. Giving your dishwasher a good Spring cleaning will help your dishes come out free of debris by removing gunk and buildup from all the innards.

Weekly DIY: All Purpose Cleaner

Elizabeth Redmond — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:00:14 +0000

Clean as Clean Should Be: Yes, this is the household bottleIt is difficult to find an all-purpose cleaner these days that doesn’t fill your kitchen with the fresh scent of artificial toxins. Whether the cleaning agents are safe or not, oftentimes the most harmful chemicals in cleaning products are the fragrances.

Currently, there are no regulations on the fragrance industry resulting in a lot of unnecessary airborne pollution, or VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Chemicals such as toluene are abundant in the fragrance aisle; they’re also abundant in auto parts stores. Toluene has been proven to cause cancer and nervous system damage, and is designated as hazardous waste in large amounts. Now, that doesn’t sound very refreshing or romantic does it?

Oftentimes these harmful chemicals in our everyday environment, from cleaning products to air fresheners, contain hormone disruptors, which are toxins that fool our body by imitating our natural hormones. Hormone disruptors bind to the sites in our body where our natural hormones usually bind, and block those sites from our natural hormones. This often results in low sperm count, high breast cancer rates, prostate and testicular cancer, thyroid problems, and behavioral abnormalities in children.

Now I’m not saying that one cleaning product a day is going to steal your health away. But, exposure to many products through out the day containing toxic chemicals can lead to an unhealthy state. So, I am encouraging you and helping you to use cleaner, safer, homemade products that perform just the same!

Following is my All-Purpose Cleaner Contents 101 just for you!

Rule of thumb # 1: if it burns your nostril, it shouldn’t be topical.
Rule of thumb # 2: if you can’t pronounce it, denounce it!
Rule of thumb # 3: If the scent is strong and synthetic, keep in mind that it is probably present to mask the scent of another equally harmful chemical in the product.

Below is a recipe for an All Purpose Cleaner, and although you certainly could clean your body with it I am recommending it for windows, countertops, mirrors, sinks, tubs, even use it as a weed killer, or in a bowl to remove unwanted odors from a room!

The active ingredients are:

Vinegar: originally a French word meaning “sour wine”. It is simply made from the fermentation of ethanol (the alcohol commonly found in alcoholic beverages) in wine, cider, beer, fermented fruit juice…basically anything that has an alcohol content. The active ingredient is acetic acid, which is usually between 4-8% of the liquid volume. At a PH of about 2.4 the rather acidic liquid helps to kill bacteria, prevent bacteria from growing in the first place, and cuts through grease.

Visit these pages to find millions of opportunities to substitute vinegar in everyday cleaning and even weight loss.

The Vinegar Institute: Uses and Tips
Hints and Things: Vinegar

Borax: an umbrella word for a few closely related natural mineral compounds that differ in content and structure. Commercial borax is usually sodium borate decahydrate. It is very water-soluble and uses that property to convert water molecules into hydrogen peroxide, thereby becoming a great natural, yet mild, bleach and cleaning agent. At a PH of 9.5 the alkaline, the basic compound uses it’s salt, and/or oxygen content to disinfect and kill unwanted pests/organisms. Borax is used in many detergents, fungicides, preservatives, and disinfectants.

Now that you have the facts, here is how you make it!

Ingredient list:

4 T Vinegar
2 tsp. Borax
10-20 drops of the essential oil of your choice (optional)
32 oz hot water

Step 1: Find a spray bottle that will hold about 32 oz or more. If you want to use an old spray bottle, which is a great idea, first disinfect and clean it. How? Put in 4 T Vinegar, 2 tsp Borax, and fill it about 1/3 with boiling hot water (if your bottle is plastic, reduce the heat of the water a bit). Shake it real well, let it sit for a day or two and rinse it well.

There you have it!Step 2: Add the 4 T Vinegar right into the bottle

Step 3: Add the 2 tsp of Borax right into the bottle

Step 4: Add 32 oz of hot! Water

Step 5: Add 10-20 drops of your chosen essential oil if you please

Step 6: Put on the top/lid and shake it up.

Step 7: Clean away to your hearts fancy and be breath deep. It won’t hurt you!

Isn’t it refreshing to know that having a cleaner home requires less: less ingredients meaning less harmful disguises?

Source articles:

No Perfume Means Healthier Air
About.com: How Does Borax Clean?

Tip o’ the Day: Make Your Own Natural Window Cleaner

Jennifer Lance — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:02:37 +0000

There are many natural window cleaners available at coops and natural food stores; however, these products can be expensive, and in my experience, their performance leaves much to be desired. It is very simple to make your own window cleaning solution with vinegar and water. This homemade window solution is very effective and inexpensive.

To make homemade window cleaner, combine 3 teaspoons of vinegar to one quart of warm water. Pour the solution into a reusable spray bottle, and you have the safest, best window cleaner for your home. To prevent streaking, do not clean your windows while the sun is on them and use crumpled newspaper to wipe them dry. The newspaper can still be recycled after cleaning your windows. It is hard to break the paper towel habit when it comes to cleaning windows, but once you do, you will be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Vinegar is very inexpensive. A gallon of organic vinegar costs about $12.00 (non-organic vinegar costs about $3.00 a gallon) and will last you for many years of window cleaning. You will find many other uses for vinegar beyond cooking , such as killing weeds and rinsing laundry, as you explore this amazing liquid. It is also relatively easy to make your own vinegar from juice, then you would have a truly homemade window cleaner!