10 Fabulous Uses for Vinegar

I LOVE vinegar.  It has so many incredible uses, it's natural, it disinfects and it's inexpensive.  What is not to love?  One bottle of vinegar can truly replace a number of household cleaning products.  Here is a list of my favorite vinegar uses...

1.  Disinfect household surfaces. Countertops, door jams and knobs, light switches, and other highly used surfaces should be wiped down regularly to eliminate germs.  You can use a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water or a lemon infused vinegar solution. See my All Purpose Vinegar-Lemon Cleaner recipe below.

2.  Make mirrors and windows sparkle.  50/50 solution of vinegar and water.  Traditional glass cleaners do not even compare to the streakless, sparkling shine that vinegar produces.  I just put my solution in a spray bottle, spray on window or mirror and wipe with a an old t-shirt rag. 

3.  Polish chrome and stainless fixtures.  I spray pure vinegar on all of our faucets and fixtures and wipe with a soft cloth.  The result is fabulous.  No streaks, just shine. 

4.  Shine up hardwood floors.  50/50 solution of vinegar and water sprayed on floor and wiped up for gleaming, clean floors.

5.  Sanitize sinks, tubs and toilets.  This works especially well if you sprinkle a little baking soda in first and then spray vinegar onto the surface.  Scrub, rinse, and enjoy the results.

6.  Clean the oven.  Again sprinkle baking soda, spray vinegar, scrub, wipe clean with a warm wet washcloth.  

7.  Refresh your coffee pot.  You know when your coffee gets a strange bitter taste?  It's because your coffee pot needs a good cleaning.  Fill the pot with full strength vinegar, run it through, and then follow twice with hot water.  You will be amazed how much better your coffee tastes after doing this!

8.  Wash your produce.  Produce is covered with dirt, pesticides, and waxes.  Before consuming fill your clean sink with cold water, add a cup of vinegar and soak produce for 5-10 minutes.  Rinse produce and dry.  You can eat it immediately or store it.  For some reason this vinegar rinse also helps prolong the freshness of produce.

9.  Extend the life of cut flowers.  Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar mixed with 3 tablespoons of sugar to the vase water to keep flowers looking beautiful. 

10.  Kill grass and weeds in sidewalk cracks.  Simply spray full strength vinegar onto grass and weeds in the sidewalk and they will wither and die.  (Don't spray weeds in your lawn or garden because it will kill grass and other plants around them!)

Vinegar has many, many more uses, but this is a good start for everyday use around your home!
If you have other uses for vinegar I would love to hear them.  Share in the comments section below :)


~All Purpose Vinegar-Lemon Cleaner~
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.

Essential Oil Hand Sanitizing Spray

Essential Oil Hand Sanitizing Spray

I will admit I am some what of a germaphobe.  I can only imagine where other people's hands have been and it makes me want to douse myself with hand sanitizer, especially in a place like Wal-mart or at the playground with my kids.  I know that the alcohol and other ingredients like triclosan in hand sanitizer are drying at best and toxic at worst.  The skin on my hands was painfully cracked around my nails, but I didn't want to give up my hand sanitizer because I was just so concerned about all the germs floating around. Even worse was that I was using it on my kids hands all of the time too.  I decided it was time to search for a natural alternative.  

I found a recipe for a spray hand sanitizer on mymerrymessylife.com.  I liked the idea of using Witch Hazel as my base because it is an astringent. The brand I chose is Thayers.  Their Witch Hazel has Aloe Vera, which is a great moisturizer too. The original recipe only called for Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, and Bergamot Essential Oils, but I added two more, Sweet Orange and Lavender.  I removed the Eucalyptus because it can be dangerous for young children.  Below in the recipe I have included the properties of each oil.  All combined they make a great hand sanitizer.  It smells nice too, which is always a bonus!

 

Ingredients

• 2 oz. (1/4 cup) Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera - astringent
• 6 drops of Tea Tree Oil - antibacterial, antiviral, astringent, disinfectant
• 6 drops of Wild Orange Oil - antibacterial, antiseptic
• 6 drops of Lavender Oil - antiseptic, disinfectant
• 3 drops of Bergamot Oil - antiseptic, anti-parasitic, astringent

(Tea Tree Oil contains all of the necessary properties so it would be possible to use 24 drops of only this oil.  It would have a very strong smell though).

Instructions

1. Combine the ingredients in a glass spray bottle and give it a good shake. The oils can break down a plastic bottle. I bought this 2 oz amber glass bottle at the local natural store for under $1.

Remember to shake well before each use.  Spray on hands and rub it in.  There you have a simple hand sanitizing spray.  

As a side note, after using for several weeks, I noticed that all of the cracks around my fingernails had healed and that my hands were soft!  That is when I decided sharing this recipe was a must!  I hope it works well for you too!  

Enjoy being Natural, Healthy and Germ Free!

Homemade Deoderant

I started using homemade deodorant a couple of years ago after reading about and researching the dangers of traditional store-bought deodorant and antiperspirants.  Some toxic ingredients in most antiperspirants are aluminum, which is used to plug sweat glands, and several parabens.  Both are estrogenic compounds and can mimic or disrupt the body's natural hormone estrogen.  I will leave you to research these ingredients and make an informed decision.  For me, the risks did not out weigh the semi-wetness protection I was receiving.  

The hunt began for a natural deodorant.  I tried Tom's, Alba and some other natural deodorants but by the end of the day I was left feeling pretty sticky and stinky.  Nobody wants that!  I decided to make my own and even though the first few batches didn't turn out to well, I adapted the recipe until I had a consistency that I liked.  My first attempt was clumpy, because I didn't soften the coconut oil.  My second batch was to gritty because I used too much baking powder (this batch also irritated my underarm.)  Finally, my third batch was smooth, not gritty, and did not burn my underarm.  And, it worked!!!  To understand why it works so well here is a breakdown of what each of the ingredients do.

Baking Soda, Corn Starch and Arrowroot Powder:  absorb sweat and keep underarm dry.
Coconut Oil: holds all the ingredients together and soothes underarm and razor burn. 
Tea Tree Oil:  is a natural anti-bacterial (bacteria is what causes body odor)
Essential Oil:  scent

Homemade Deoderant:

5 tablespoons coconut oil -- softened in a hot
water bath (not melted)

1/8 cup arrowroot powder - available at any natural foods store.

1/8 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup baking soda

Sift the 3 powders together

Several drops of tea tree oil [optional]

Several drops of essential oil of your choice.
(I love lavender myself) 

Instructions:  soften your coconut oil in a warm water bath.  Don't melt it or it won't mix well.  Sift together the 3 powders and then dump them into the coconut oil.  It will take some mixing to get it smooth.

 

Keep mixing!  It will smooth out wonderfully if you just keep at it.  When it is nice and smooth, I then add my essential oils.  I usually do 20 drops of tea tree oil and 10-20 of lavender oil.  You can use more or less to your preference.  Finally, transfer it to it's storage container.

 

 

 

I like to store mine in a half pint jam jar.  It will harden on its own over 24 hours or you can speed the process along and put it in the refrigerator.  To use, I just put a tiny amount, less than dime size, on the tip of my finger and rub it in.  If you notice some irritation, lessen the amount of baking soda that you use in your recipe.  I let it absorb for about 5 minutes before I put my clothes on and I have never had a problem with staining.

 

Now you have a recipe for natural homemade deodorant.  I encourage you to give it a try!!  Natural, Healthy and Nice Smelling Too!!