I was skeptical at first, but I've been completely convinced to give up my myriad of nasty chemical cleaners in place of one cheap and natural one: vinegar. I used to buy the all-purpose bleach cleaner, windex, tile cleaner, floor cleaner, etc. Now, I just buy a large jug of white vinegar for around $2.00 and keep some essential oils on hand to make this all-in-one cleaner that's easy and works just as well as all of those nasty chemical ones did. You can use it on glass, mirrors, sinks, toilets, showers- you name it! Instead of lugging around a bunch of cleaners, you just have to grab one bottle (and it takes about half the time).
It's even anti-bacterial. Although it's not as effective at killing germs as bleach is, I figure that unless you live with someone who has a compromised immune system or you smear raw meat over every surface in your house, vinegar is effective enough in killing everyday bacteria. I've found that it's very effective in getting rid of odor-causing bacteria in everything from bathrooms to piles of althetic gear, which is usually my main concern anyhow.
It helps to keep away crawling insects, too, as it erases the trail of scent they leave for others to follow. I like to use essential oils that insects, spiders, and mice don't like such as peppermint, cedar, and lemon. Click here to download the labels. For the blank version with no scent listed, go here.
50% vinegar
50% water
essential oils (I used 10 drops lemon, 5 drops basil, and 5 drops peppermint for mine)
2-3 drops natural dish soap
(Replace the 50% water with hydrogen peroxide or cheap vodka if you're wanting a more intense antibacterial cleaner)
Pour these ingredients into a spray bottle, screw the lid on, give it a good shake, then clean away! It's as easy as that! Also, there's no need to be exact with your measurements and the essential oil is optional.
Here's what everything does:
Water: acts as a solvent, attaching to dirt and grime and making it easier to wipe away.
Vinegar: mildly anti-bacterial and helps to break things down so you can wipe them away.
Essential oils: make it smell nice, mild insect and pest repellant, aromatherapy
Dish Soap: surfactant- it helps the water be "wetter" and penetrate into grimy spots better.
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