Greening Your Cleaning with Vinegar and Baking Soda

Simple products that are probably already in your cupboard can help you save money, lower the toxicity of your home and help the environment while getting your home squeaky clean. Far too many of us spend hundreds of dollars each year on cleaning products that are expensive, full of chemicals and bad for the environment and our family.

It is easier than you think to limit the amount of packaging you send to landfills, the number of chemicals the people and animals in your home come in contact with and the amount of money you spend on cleaning products.

The ideas below are ones that I personally use, but many more are available on sites such as www.vinegartips.com and www.frugalfun.com.

When considering other ways to use natural products in your home, keep in mind that, among other things, distilled white vinegar can be used to replace all purpose cleaners and as a disinfectant, and baking soda is a great replacement for abrasive cleaners, or to use as a deodorant.

And remember, the packaging for the vinegar and baking soda is recyclable.

To start greening your cleaning, all you need is:

A spray bottle

A bowl or bucket

White Distilled Vinegar

Baking Soda

Cleaning rags/cloths

Here are just a few of the ways that I use distilled white vinegar and baking soda in my home:

Washing Windows

For cleaning the windows in my home and car, I use a solution of one part distilled white vinegar to two parts water in a spray bottle.

If you have previously used big-name window cleaning solutions, the first time you clean your windows with vinegar, add a small amount of liquid dish soap to the vinegar/water solution. This will help to remove residue left behind from non-natural cleaners (if you don't do this, you will likely get streaks from the waxy residue)

This works great for getting the film off of the inside of your windshield as well.

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