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.
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 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!
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