Vinegar is a cheap and easy cleaning solution. Vinegar is naturally antibacterial. In my kitchen, I use one part vinegar to one part water to clean the counters and sink, and to disinfect. I use the same solution to clean my bathroom, except I use full strength vinegar on the toilet seat and bowl. I let it stand for a few minutes before I scrub the bowl and flush. On my floors, I use the same 1-1 solution, with a few drops of dish soap; I use this to clean both my laminate kitchen floor, my wooden living room floor, and my tile bathroom floor.
If you want a "clean" smell, add a few drops of lemon juice or a fragrance extract. Not only is it cheap, but it is safe for kids and pets. I began using this when I had my son, knowing that he would soon be crawling all over the floor.
As a warning, do not mix with bleach or ammonia; this can create dangerous fumes.
Just leave a window cracked to help filter out the vinegar smell.
Source: my depression-era grandmother
By MamaSarah from Lansing, MI
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
Tips for cleaning with vinegar as well as some other uses. To clean your coffee drip machine or iron, run a 1/2 cup of vinegar through it. Then run 1 cup of water through it 2 times.
A few drops of vinegar in a pot of water, will help poached eggs hold their shape.
