Money Well Spent

When I find something I like, that really works for me, I try to see what other areas of my life I can get it to work in too. I mean, if I can make something do the job of a lot of other products, then I am one happy camper.

I found something that is a virtual workhorse for you and your household.

Wanna know what it is?

It's a humble, simple, cheap product.

Interested yet?

What if I told you that it could replace a whole host of dangerous chemical cleaning supplies in your home?

Sounds good right?

You can find all of this and more in a bottle of plain white vinegar. No joke!

Let me tell you all the ways that I use vinegar and maybe you can try some out too:

• Use vinegar instead of fabric softener. Not only does vinegar keep your clothes bright, it also softens them. For example, laundry hung out to dry that has had vinegar added to the wash cycle won't have stiff and rough towels. Alternately, vinegar added to the wash for clothes that are going to be dried in the dryer will help them leave their lint in the dryer and not on everything else.
• Use vinegar as a rinse aid in your dishwasher. You dishes will come out streak, spot and film free.
• Freshen your kitchen drain by filling it with about a 1/2 box of baking soda and pouring a cup or so of vinegar onto it. As it bubbles and foams, it cleans and deodorizes your drain.
• Use vinegar to replace bleach or bleach alternative cleaners for your kitchen counter tops. Keep a spray bottle of 1/2 vinegar 1/2 water and spritz away to clean and disinfect your counter.
• Wipe a wooden cutting board with full strength vinegar and rinse off with water to clean, deodorize and disinfect it.
• Use full strength vinegar to wipe you tub, tile and shower to prevent mold, mildew and other ickies from forming. Simply rinse clean with water.
• Use as an astringent. Gently wipe your face with a cloth soaked in vinegar being especially careful around the eyes.
• Use as an after sun balm. Wipe vinegar on a sunburn to help sooth the pain and burning. You may need to re-apply, but this works wonders!
• A vinegar soaked cotton ball applied to a bug bite or bee sting will disinfect the area as well as take away the pain.
• Use a solution of 50:50 vinegar and water to wash your windows. Go one step farther and wipe the solution off with newspaper and you will have the shiniest, streak free windows anywhere.
• Fill a mop bucket with 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water to use as a floor cleaner. It will clean your floors to sparkling in no time. You can also squeeze a lemon in there for scent.
• Deodorize your room or furniture using equal parts of vinegar, rubbing alcohol and water in a squirt bottle. A few drops of essential oil or perfume my be added for scent.
• Wipe down the walls in any room with vinegar and not only clean them, but absorb any smells they may have as well (really good for kitchens, vinegar cuts right through grease).
• Wash your fridge out with a cloth soaked in vinegar to get rid of ANY smell that may be lingering. Leave a small bowl of vinegar in there for good measure and it will absorb any new smells that may form.

That is only a small portion of what plain, humble vinegar can do for you. It makes me feel good to replace so many commercial chemical cleaners with one simple tool. And the best part? If your kids get into it and drink it, you won't have to be on the phone to poison control. Heck, it's even pretty good for your health!