Snug Organics Blog

Simplify and Detoxify with Vinegar

Tuesday May 18, 2010

Vinegar is a versatile liquid that results from the fermentation of ethanol. The key ingredient of vinegar is acetic acid.  Distilled white vinegar sold in grocery stores contain 5% acidity.  Outside of cooking, vinegar has medicinal, household cleaning, and agricultural applications.  When it comes to cleaning the house these days, I don’t use much more than vinegar.  This wonder wine seems to do it all.  Forget purchasing a different cleaner for what seems like every household duty and refill your old bottles with much cheaper, safer, and more effective ingredients.  Vinegar is the base ingredient because of its disinfecting antibacterial strength.  Here are my 10 favorite uses for VINEGAR:

1.)  Laundry- Vinegar removes stains, works as a fabric softener, provides extra rinsing of uric acid and the alkalies in soaps, and removes odors (especially from cloth diapers).  Add a cup to your load of laundry or sponge directly onto a stain.

2.)  Fever Reducer- Someone told my husband about a fever remedy he got from an old Polish woman.  Soak a washcloth with vinegar and place it on the center of the chest.  Another option is to soak a pair of socks in vinegar and put them on the feet.  As the mother of a son who suffers from febrile seizures, I was willing to try anything.  This works.

3.)  Odor Remover- Put one cup of vinegar in the refrigerator and let it sit, pour a cup down the drain, microwave 1/4 cup in the microwave, pour 3 cups in your toilet, pour over pet accidents, better yet, pour 1 cup of vinegar per 2 gallons of water over your pet- don’t rinse, simmer a small pot on the stove to get rid of cooking smells, and ditch the Febreze and Lysol asap.

4.)  All-Purpose Cleaner- Mix 1 cup vinegar with 1 cup water and a few drops of essential oil for cleaning countertops, floors, bathrooms (add baking soda for scrubbing), carpet stains, wood, the garbage disposal, coffee maker, microwave, clogged drains, refrigerator, stainless steel, lunch boxes, dishwasher, and especially windows and glass.

5.)  Air Freshener-  Phthalates involved with air fresheners and all things with a fake fragrance, like Glade Plug-Ins, have been linked to endocrine, reproductive, and developmental problems, plus they actually smell like crap.  Air Freshener Recipe:  1 cup water, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, a few drops of the essential oil of your choice, and a spray bottle.

6.)  Antibacterial- Vinegar kills bacteria, mold and germs.  A straight solution of vinegar kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses).  So throw out the Clorox now.  Hand Sanitizer Recipe:  4 oz. aloe vera, 1/4 c. witch hazel, 2T apple cider vinegar, essential oil of your choice.

8.)  Pest/Weed Repellent- Spraying vinegar on any place you’ve seen ants, fruit flies, or gnats will get rid of them.  If your pet has fleas or ticks, put a teaspoon of vinegar in the water bowl (1 tsp to 1 quart).  Even use it as bug spray on the whole family.  Pour or spray on weeds anywhere.

9.)  Adhesive Remover- Wipe bumper stickers, price tags, labels, and decals with vinegar to remove.

10.)  Skin Soother- Add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to a bath to help with dryness, itching, and sunburns.  Rub directly on fungus, warts, bug bites, and burns.

Keep a spray bottle filled with straight (5% acidity) vinegar in your home at all times.  My husband always complains that vinegar stinks, but that goes away as soon as it dries and it actually removes odors in the process.  You can always add essential oils to create a “clean” smell that is safe and many of them have special properties to boot.  The best oils for cleaning are lavender, tea tree, grapefruit, and clove.  Most importantly, you can stop worrying about your kids getting a hold of toxic cleaning products stored throughout the house.  If they are a poison hazard in the bottle, then why would you spray them all over your home?