In the last year I have saved so much money by buying Distilled Vinegar, instead of several of my usual toxic household cleaning products. Vinegar is absolutely amazing! Its economical, natural, environmentally friendly, and non-toxic. How many other cleaning products can you clean and cook with? I’m willing to bet that most of the cleaning products in your house come with a few warnings in BOLD print that notify you to call the Poison Control Center if ingested.
Vinegar can be traced back to 2000 B.C., and is even mentioned in the Bible several times (Prov. 25:20; Ruth 2:14; Matthew 27:48; Mark 15:36). Hippocrates prescribed vinegar as a remedy for a variety of ailments, and Caesar’s armies used vinegar as a beverage. Throughout the years there have been thousands of claims made about its medicinal, culinary, agricultural, and cleaning uses. Some have been backed by studies and some not.
How is it made? Vinegar is made from the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. The ethanol may be derived from many different sources including wine, cider, beer or fermented fruit juice, or it may be made synthetically from natural gas and petroleum derivatives.
White distilled vinegar is a popular household cleanser, effective for killing most mold, bacteria, and germs, due to its level of acidity. Please keep in mind that for most uses dilution with water is recommended for safety and to avoid damaging the surfaces being cleaned.
Here are the ways that I have successfully used vinegar:
Cleaning out the dishwasher- Pour distilled vinegar in the detergent compartments of your dishwasher and let it run a full (empty) cycle. Repeat monthly.
Cleaning out the coffee pot- Pour distilled vinegar to the fill line into the water compartment of a coffee maker, and let it run a full (empty) cycle. Repeat every 6 months.
Cleaning Toilets- Pour distilled vinegar into toilet and let sit for 30 minutes. Then sprinkle baking soda on a toilet bowl brush and scrub, then flush.
Cleaning Carpet Stains- Spray the stain with a mixture of 1 part water and 1 part distilled vinegar. Let it set for 5-10 minutes. Then scrub the stain with a hot soapy water and a carpet brush. Blot dry. *Test a small area before use.
Cleaning Countertops and Tile- Spray countertops with a mixture of 1 part water and 1 part distilled vinegar. Let it set for 5 minutes. Then wipe down with a cotton cloth. *Test a small area before use.
Cleaning Stovetop- Spray stovetop with a mixture of 1 part water and 1 part distilled vinegar. Let it set for 5 minutes. Then wipe down with a cotton cloth.
Removing Pesticides from Produce- Spray a mixture of 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar on the produce and then rinse with water. This is said to remove 98% of bacteria on produce.
For more ways to use vinegar, check out these websites (Please note: take what you read with a grain of salt and research it further before trying.):