Cleaning With Vinegar

*I want to quickly address something: I was informed by a fellow blogger that my settings were set to "no-reply". I wasn't aware of this and apologize if you have ever tried to reply to one of my comments and were not able to. I am in no way anti-social, I promise! I've changed my settings by reverting back to my blogger profile instead of using my Google + profile so I should be good to go! And thank you Deborah @ Green Willow Pond for letting me know!

On to the post:

Hi Everyone! Today's post has something to do with another of my weird obsessions: Cleaning. There, it's out there. I like, enjoy, get a kick out of anything that has to do with cleaning! I look forward to my cleaning days throughout the week and I find dusting, vacuuming, mopping, sweeping, scrubbing, and all things cleaning very therapeutic. No relaxing spa needed here, just hand me a rag and furniture polish (for aromatherapy) and I will be one happy girl!

I still remember when my husband finally grasped this concept. He had dropped something on our carpet (can't remember exactly what) and it had to be vacuumed. So of course being the good man that he is, he gets out the vacuum and starts vacuuming away. As I'm sitting there watching, I actually began feeling left out of the "fun". Yeah, I know...I need help. So I get up and offer to take over, to which of course he responds with the typical, "No, it's okay honey. Go relax, I've got it." At this point I figured I should break it to him; he married a weirdo who not only is okay with doing all the cleaning but actually gets a thrill out of it. He finally realized that my wanting to take over was not my way of telling him he was vacuuming wrong. He was concerned with my obsession and slowly backed away from the vacuum.

Okay, on to the subject of today's post. More than a few months back I saw a pin on Pinterest about ways to clean with vinegar. Since then I've seen many bloggers share their vinegar cleaning tips. I was instantly intrigued since I don't like cleaning with chemicals. I normally clean with Mrs. Meyers products but thought I'd give vinegar a shot, just to spice things up a little. I've been using vinegar now for about 4 months and decided to share with you how I've incorporated vinegar into my cleaning routine.

A few things to know about vinegar: 

Its an acidic, which means it will kill most germs and bacteria.

It does not contain any chemicals.

It's environmentally friendly.

It's very economical (the big jug above was under $3).

It definitely has a smell to it, and some may find it offensive. But this can quickly be fixed by adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil (lavender, mint, eucalyptus, etc..)

Without any essential oils added, the smell goes away after about 10 minutes or so.

In most of my cleaning I use a 1 part vinegar to 1 part water ratio (unless otherwise stated)

Here are all of the things I've cleaned with good ol' vinegar:

1. My washer and dryer's exterior: easily removes the gunk that is left from dripped laundry detergent. Also cleans off lint and debris and leaves my washer and dryer looking nice and sparkly!

2. My washer's interior: I spray my solution on a rag and then wipe down the inside of my washer after every use to prevent soil buildup. 

3. My microwave's exterior: it makes the stainless steel shine more than with any other cleaner I've used! Also, there are no streaks left behind!

4. Microwave's interior: I simply add 1/2 cup water to 1/2 cup vinegar in a measuring cup and set my microwave to 3-5 minutes (until it starts to boil), then I leave the cup inside for another 5-10 minutes. All the gunk that would have required some serious elbow grease can now be easily wiped away with a sponge or paper towel.

Not very dirty at this point, but there was some gunk on the top I forgot to photograph.

All clean!

 5. To Disinfect Toys: I just fill 1/2 of the sink with water, the other 1/2 with vinegar and add a squirt of dish soap. I let it soak for about 20 minutes, rinse, dry and toys area all clean and sanitized. I do this about once a month.

*For toys that should not be submerged in water I just spray with a bottle and wipe down with cloth.

 6. Bath walls: I spray the entire area, let it sit a few minutes and wipe away to reveal sparkly clean walls!

Other ways (not pictured):

- Toilet seats

-Toilet bowl cleaner (1/2 vinegar and 1/2 Dawn Blue dish soap makes a gel like consistency)

- Bathroom sinks (the same formula as above)

-Bathroom and Kitchen counters

And if you want to know more awesome ways to use vinegar, go here!

Overall, I've been very satisfied with including vinegar in my home cleaning! I do, however need to get an essential oil to mask the vinegar smell. I don't mind it (it goes away after a while), but my daughter always makes it known that she is not pleased with the smell. I think the essential oil will make my cleaning routine even more enjoyable!

Thank you so much for reading and have a great fun filled weekend!

I'm linking this post to these awesome linky parties:

MONDAY: I Should Be Mopping The Floor, TUESDAY: CoastalCharm, Not Just A Housewife, Blooming Homestead, Reasons To Skip The Housework, Clean and Scentsible. WEDNESDAY: 

DIY Crafty Projects, My Girlish Whims. THURSDAY: House of Hepworths, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Somewhat Simple. FRIDAY: Dear Creatives, The Best Blog Recipes, Diana Rambles, Chic On A Shoestring. SATURDAY: The Gingerbread Blog, Or So She Says (One She Two She), While He Was Napping, Sassy Little Lady. SUNDAY:  Life On Lakeshore Drive

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