Do These Green Cleaners Really Work?

I have been noticing quite a few postings on Pinterest of recipes to make your own "Green" cleaners.  So, I thought I would share what I have experienced from using them personally.  After all, reviews are an excellent way to make a decision about a purchase or a recipe.  I know I always check out reviews...and to be honest, they are pretty legit.  I have yet to be steered wrong from them.  I make sure I read a lot of reviews.  I read the best and I read the worst and make my decision based on how bad is the worst and why it's so bad.  

So with all that being said, let's return to the cleaners.  I found a Pinterest recipe for a Citrus Vinegar Cleaner.  It's pretty basic and super easy, which automatically is a pro for this cleaner.
   

Get your lemon/orange peels and place them in a jar.  I used quite a few lemons, but oranges are great too.

Grab your vinegar, the white stuff, at pennies an ounce, is perfect for this recipe.

Pour and...

That's it.  Now you just let it steep until the vinegar turns yellow or orange or a mix of the two since I put both lemon and orange peels in together.  It may take a few weeks, but I get one started and keep one going so I don't run out.  Then you strain through a simple strainer and put in a spray bottle to use.  You can dilute this recipe too if you want.  I did on the second batch, and it's up to you how much you dilute it.  I didn't too much as I wanted it to be pretty potent. 

I used this cleaner in the bathroom to disinfect the sink and the toilet area.  It cleaned it as well.  It was hard to tell if it worked as I mainly was using it to kill germs which vinegar does do. Check out some more info here about how vinegar at 5% strength (undiluted) is a great germ killer.  Here's another site that gives you ten ways to use vinegar around your house.

The Results: Vinegar works!  It really does.  I've used it for years as a floor cleaner too.  Be aware that it's acidic and will rust the metal parts in a mop.  But, it works.  It's a great window cleaner and best of all, it has kept the bottom of my toothbrush holder clean from mildew.  That's worth every penny there.  You couldn't use a regular chemical cleaner for that!

The Drawbacks: It has that lovely vinegar aroma, but the smell will go away and at least you know the aroma won't kill you.  It didn't clean the mildew as well as I would have liked in the shower.  You do have to spray it a lot and make sure you start out with a clean surface to begin with.  It's also not as quick to clean as a heavy duty chemical cleaner...but I'm willing to wait.  I also don't know if you really need the citrus.  It may help with degreasing, but for general cleaning, straight vinegar is good enough for me.

Overall, it's worth using for sure and I find I am cleaning more because I don't have issues with the highly toxic odors from the chemical cleaners.  In other words, I'm stocking up on vinegar!  (Oh, and I do use it for laundry too!)  The lemon/orange peels are optional, but their essential oils probably add a little to the cleaner.  I just don't think they are super necessary.

Baking soda is in a class all of it's own and I've only begun to scratch the surface all of its cleaning uses.  Not bad considering you use this vital ingredient in quick breads and cookies.  My one use that I love is simply this...it's great at scouring the tub.  Yep, no more Comet cleaner for me.  It works well and yes, I do have to use some elbow grease but that's the way it goes with certain types of cleaning. 

But this cleanser is a win-win.  You can cook with it, you can clean with it...you've got to love that.  My mother used to use it as an antacid.  Good to know, but I think I would have to be desperate for that one!  She also used it as toothpaste.  I've used it for that too.  It's abrasive but gentle on your teeth.  Here's a great link for 51 uses for baking soda.

So, my final verdict is that these two pantry staples not only stay in my kitchen, but I'm going out to buy more.  Hopefully in the largest sizes I can find!  

So add my review to others you may find.  It's worth a read and maybe will help you decide about using these two wonders as cleaners.  The best thing about vinegar and baking soda is there is NO recipe to try to remember.  Just use them the way they are...perfect.

What are some of your favorite uses for vinegar and/or baking soda?  Blessings!


Linked to these blog parties, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways  
Homestead Barn Hop , Take It From Me Wednesdays

There's Nothin' like a Blueberry Lemon Muffin...

Summer means berries and lemon to me...so I decided to bake up these beauties as a tribute to the best of summer.  

It all started because I was going to meet a friend for a picnic lunch in the park.  She always is gifting us with some kind of goodies and I couldn't go and meet her empty-handed!  These were the treats I decided to bake and take along for a great visit together.  This was a new recipe for me but it turned out great tasting!

I used a mix of some fresh berries I had along with a few frozen ones.  This recipe is pretty simple and what makes it even better is that it is a bit lighter/less calories than traditional ones without you being able to tell the difference. I also added 1 tsp of lemon extract to the batter because I LOVE lemon!

I switched to using all butter years and years ago because it's the only way to bake. It's better for you, still fat, but no chemicals as in margarine.  Because this uses 1/4 cup of butter for the whole recipe, it has still has great flavor without using two sticks of butter as in many traditional recipes.
  Using real ingredients and making your own baked goods is a super easy process for anyone.  It's much more rewarding AND better than anything out of a box or from the store.

I also used my own ground whole wheat flour to substitute for some of the total amount of flour.  It was a mix of oat, rice and whole wheat, so some extra fiber AND nutrition!  

Batter is ready to bake and on to making the lemon glaze!

I try to always have fresh lemons and limes on hand for cooking, baking AND drinking.  A half of  a lemon in a glass topped off with fresh water and ice (add sugar/Stevia to taste) and you have a glass of lemonade that is country fair worthy.

They turned out fabulous and of course I had to taste test one before I gifted them...delicious!
My friend was excited, she loves lemon and this was perfect.  

I don't bake as often as my family would like, but these muffins are definitely scheduled to be made again...summer OR anytime of the year!  

If you would like to try to make these, click here, for the recipe...it's a keeper!  Blessings!

For more recipes and crafty ideas, check out this link!

Just a Few of My Favorite (Garden) Things

It's time for another garden update for July!  So I've included some photos of what's growing and coming along so far in my zone 5 garden.  This first photo was taken during a severe dry spell, but the last garden photo was taken after a couple of great soaking rains came along.  So thankful for the rain.   I am also extremely happy owning two rain barrels which I'll show and talk about in a coming blog.  They are a lifesaver to a garden, not to mention to a water bill.  After all, one of the benefits to gardening is to save $$$ and the rain barrels certainly do that.  They are also eco-friendly, but I am getting ahead of myself.  

Enjoy the garden pics!

Before the rain...

You always have to watch peas. As soon as you see a bloom, the fruit's not far behind!  I snacked on some today.  

It's crazy to have these in July, but our garden got put in late and I really wanted some for snacking.  Besides, I got to use these nifty bamboo hoops which are perfect for the peas...

I planted this once years ago and it comes up faithfully every year.  I weed it actually.  It tastes good, not exactly like spinach, but very close. It's reliable, doesn't mind hot weather AND the bugs leave it alone.  A huge plus when gardening organically.

I have two beautiful eggplants (Click to see them!) ready to be picked in a few more days...!

Praying for a great crop this year to can for my own sauce...

Thanks for taking the tour.  I'll be showing harvested vegetables soon...blessings!