Vinegar is For More Than Salad Dressing

I've always thought I was green, as in trying to implement all those environmentally friendly, good-for-you things to keep my family safe and healthy. But trying and doing are two different things. Take for example, cleaning projects. While I know most cleaning products are filled with a hodge-podge of chemicals that aren't good for anything, I still find myself buying them. I know there are alternatives, but I'm cheap and if a "green" product cost more than I'm already paying, well... it's ain't gonna happen.

Image: Sanja Gjenero @ sxc.hu

I know there are lots of natural products that are not only better and safer to use then those chemical filled ones -- and cheaper, too. That point was brought home to me while reading a piece by Susan over at Finding a Healthier More Vibrant & Beautiful You. She's trying to rid toxins from her life, too, and one way is using vinegar as a cleaner!

Vinegar, of course! I do use it to clean by coffee pot and to removed minerals from a few things around here (hard water). But there's so much more you can do with it, so I thought I'd put together a list of ways vinegar can be used for cleaning as a reminder for myself (and you, too). Now when I'm taking vinegar, for cleaning that usually means white vinegar.

Use vinegar to clean, remove, deodorize, disinfect...

1. Coffee pots
2. Microwave
3. Carpet
4. Bathroom fixtures
5. Floors
6. Windows
7. Laundry as a fabric softener
8. Dishwasher
9. Trashcans, too.
10. Stove top
11. Hard water spots for glasses
12. Sticky lablel and decals
13. Mineral deposits on faucets
14. Grout
15. Toys
16. Concrete
17. Pennies (really shines them up nice)
18. Pet accidents the carpet
19. Mini blinds
20. Plastic food containers

There's probably hundreds of more ways to use vinegar to clean. What about you? Do you use vinegar in you home for cleaning?

I've always thought I was green, as in trying to implement all those environmentally friendly, good-for-you things to keep my family safe and healthy. But trying and doing are two different things. Take for example, cleaning projects. While I know most cleaning products are filled with a hodge-podge of chemicals that aren't good for anything, I still find myself buying them. I know there are alternatives, but I'm cheap and if a "green" product cost more than I'm already paying, well... it's ain't gonna happen.

Image: Sanja Gjenero @ sxc.hu

I know there are lots of natural products that are not only better and safer to use then those chemical filled ones -- and cheaper, too. That point was brought home to me while reading a piece by Susan over at Finding a Healthier More Vibrant & Beautiful You. She's trying to rid toxins from her life, too, and one way is using vinegar as a cleaner!

Vinegar, of course! I do use it to clean by coffee pot and to removed minerals from a few things around here (hard water). But there's so much more you can do with it, so I thought I'd put together a list of ways vinegar can be used for cleaning as a reminder for myself (and you, too). Now when I'm taking vinegar, for cleaning that usually means white vinegar.

Use vinegar to clean, remove, deodorize, disinfect...

1. Coffee pots
2. Microwave
3. Carpet
4. Bathroom fixtures
5. Floors
6. Windows
7. Laundry as a fabric softener
8. Dishwasher
9. Trashcans, too.
10. Stove top
11. Hard water spots for glasses
12. Sticky lablel and decals
13. Mineral deposits on faucets
14. Grout
15. Toys
16. Concrete
17. Pennies (really shines them up nice)
18. Pet accidents the carpet
19. Mini blinds
20. Plastic food containers

There's probably hundreds of more ways to use vinegar to clean. What about you? Do you use vinegar in you home for cleaning?

Pumpkin Patch

Elaine over at Sunny Simple Life is getting a yearning for Autumn. I don't know if I'm quite with her yet. I've been enjoying the mild summer we've had so far, so unlike many other folks around the country. Of course, here in Southern California the worst of summer doesn't happen until well into Autumn. Ugh!

However, Elaine will be happy to know.... the pumpkins are coming, the pumpkins are coming!

The pumpkins are turning orange... yeah!!

Our little pumpkins are turning orange. I didn't expect it yet, so maybe Autumn is closer than we know. At least pumpkin pies... pumpkin cookies... pumpkin bread... pumpkin muffins... pumpkin seeds... pumpkin cheesecake... baked pumpkin.... ahh, all delish!

In the meantime, Elaine is busy over at Sunny Simple Life with an end of summer giveaway. Stop over and take a look. The trays she found at Goodwill are sooooo cool.

Enjoy the rest of summer while you can!

Elaine over at Sunny Simple Life is getting a yearning for Autumn. I don't know if I'm quite with her yet. I've been enjoying the mild summer we've had so far, so unlike many other folks around the country. Of course, here in Southern California the worst of summer doesn't happen until well into Autumn. Ugh!

However, Elaine will be happy to know.... the pumpkins are coming, the pumpkins are coming!

The pumpkins are turning orange... yeah!!

Our little pumpkins are turning orange. I didn't expect it yet, so maybe Autumn is closer than we know. At least pumpkin pies... pumpkin cookies... pumpkin bread... pumpkin muffins... pumpkin seeds... pumpkin cheesecake... baked pumpkin.... ahh, all delish!

In the meantime, Elaine is busy over at Sunny Simple Life with an end of summer giveaway. Stop over and take a look. The trays she found at Goodwill are sooooo cool.

Enjoy the rest of summer while you can!