Thursday, February 25, 2010

Another reason I love vinegar.


A month ago I ran out of Jet Dry and the dishes were starting to come out filmy... you know. I missed the shiny glasses and went online to see if I could find a coupon. Then it came to me, there must be a homemade/natural alternative. I googled it and found some great news; You can use Vinegar as a rinse agent in your dishwasher! So much cheaper!



I already use vinegar as a sort of all-purpose cleaner(windows, counters, walls, spots on the carpet, etc). In a spray bottle mix 1 part water, 1 part vinegar. You can use it in your steam cleaner and it is better on the carpet because it doesn't leave a film behind like many of the soaps. You can soak your shower head to remove build up. You can mix it with baking soda to clean or deodorize drains, get stains out of your carpet, and more. Plus, if you shop at Costco you get two gallon bottles for a little over $2. While you are there grab the $5.99 monster bag of Baking Soda.  I use baking soda for laundry (booster and stain removal), drains, cleaning the shower, etc. Many recipes for natural cleaning involves one or both of these. Ammonia is another option for cleaning, but I don't buy it very often. I am a cheapskate, or maybe just trying to be frugal. Like the old saying goes,
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

There are so many ideas for less expensive and better for the environment cleaning supplies out there. You can make your own wood polish out of  olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar and essential oils. My mom (in-law) even made her own laundry soap. I need to ask her how she is liking it. Anyone else have homemade/natural cleaners that they like?

3 comments:

Lindsay said...

I am all about vinegar. I go through a gallon really quickly because I use it for pretty much everything! I use washing soda as well as baking
soda.

Valerie said...

Thanks for the tip! I'm pretty frugal and don't buy any rinse agents at all, but I'll give this a try!

Connie said...

Have you tried it in your rinse water for clothes? Just put it in the water instead of fabric softener. Tell me what you think. Make sure it's white vinegar.