Vinegar, Lemon and Baking Soda...Ahhhh clean with no synthetic chemicals

Look where you keep your cleaning supplies and count how many different chemical cleaners you currently have.  You probably have Windex for your mirrors and windows, Pledge for your furniture, an all purpose for your horizontal surfaces, a bathroom cleaner and probably bleach.  What are these cleaners made from?  Most likely the ingredient lists contains ten or more chemicals that you cannot even pronounce.

I hated cleaning products because for one thing they are expensive.  Secondly, they often gave me headaches when I would use them.  While on my "get chemicals out of my house and life" kick, I started looking for alternatives to all those bottles of chemical cleaners.  My research led me to three simple ingredients:  vinegar, lemons, and baking soda.

I currently have three bottles under my sink for cleaning.  A bottle with half vinegar and half water, for windows, mirrors and my hardwood floors.  A second bottle of vinegar infused with lemon peels that I use as an all purpose cleaner.  I will often mix this all purpose with baking soda to clean sinks, toilets and tubs.  Finally, I have a bottle of vinegar, lemon juice and a tiny bit of olive oil for furniture polish. 

I love these cleaners and will include recipes for them down below.  They work so wonderfully well and my house just smells clean and fresh not like chemicals.  My husband would argue that the house smells like vinegar when I am cleaning, but I cannot smell it and it dissipates quickly :)

Another wonderful benefit is the cost.  A gallon of vinegar goes a long way and costs a little over $2.00.  We use the lemon peels from our fresh squeezed lemons that we use for homemade lemonade (I will post another blog on this soon!)  A large bag of baking soda is less than $7 and lasts for nearly a year.  So with a few simple, inexpensive ingredients you can rid your home of unnecessary, expensive chemical cleaners.

Maybe this all sounds too simple but I really have been cleaning this way for the last five years and I love it!

Recipes:
Windows, Mirros and Floors
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
Pour into spray bottle and shake.  That's it and that's all!

All Purpose
Take squeezed lemons and place peels in a large glass containers.  Fill container with distilled white vinegar and cover.  Allow the mixture to set for at least 24 hours.  Finally, strain the lemon infused vinegar into a spray bottle and it is ready to go.

Furniture Polish
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon EVO
Combine ingredients into a spray bottle and shake well before each use.  Also be sure to test this one in an inconspicuous area to make sure it is compatible with your furniture finish before spraying in a visible area. I have never had any problems, but wouldn't want to be the source of ruined furniture!

Happy Cleaning!