Naturally Clean: The Power of Vinegar

I've written about this before on my previous collaboration blog but I'm going to do it again. I'd like to do a mini series about green cleaning/chemical-free living and I'm going to start with the most basic thing to use: white distilled vinegar. We've all seen the millions of posts about making your own cleaners on Pinterest, and that is awesome. I'm here to tell you that if you haven't already tried them, you are missing out! I use a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water in a large spray bottle to clean EVERYTHING in my house. Every surface in the bathroom and kitchen, windows, mirrors, floors. The only thing I wouldn't recommend using it on is finished wood.

Cleaning with natural cleaners is something that is very important to me and I take it very seriously. A lot of the chemicals used in everyday household cleaning can cause a plethora of ailments including cancer. Women who work in the home were found to have a 54% increased risk for cancer than women who work outside of the home. Coming from a direct line of stay-at-home moms who are also breast cancer survivors, I want to lessen my odds in any way I can.

Vinegar is antibacterial, antifungal, kills mold, and absorbs odors. It really is the most perfect cleaner out there. You also have no worries about children or pets getting under the sink or being poisoned.

Now to get real with you. It cleans extremely well and I am very particular when it comes to dealing with germs and dirty surfaces. My stuff gets clean. Clean enough that I feel comfortable letting my child eat off his high chair tray after being wiped down with vinegar. (hey, I'd rather that than some toxic chemical...vinegar is food!) It does require some extra elbow grease but that's no big deal in my book. I will admit that a few weeks ago I ended up cleaning some glass in the house with some leftover Windex and holy heck. My eyes burned, my throat got sore, my lungs hurt. That was enough to really give me the final push over the edge to say no to cleaning chemicals forever.

Some of the benefits of natural cleaning are better health for you and your family, better health for the environment, and more money in your pocket, which everyone can appreciate.

Stay tuned for more natural cleaning tips in the following weeks.