Vinegar is Your Friend

One of the most economical and the healthiest cleaning solutions is simple, cheap white vinegar.  I buy mine by the gallon from the discount grocery stores.  If you want to rid your home of many chemicals and toxins, replace some of your cleaning supplies with these vinegar concoctions:

• Drain Cleaner:  Pour several tablespoons of baking soda and about 1/3 of a cup of vinegar down a slow moving drain and watch it fizz.  Wait about 5 minutes and pour boiling hot water down the drain.  Then flush the drain by running hot water from the faucet for several more minutes.  If you drain is already seriously clogged you may need to do this several times.  Or it may be wise to use a standard industrial drain cleaner to solve the immediate problem.  Then use the vinegar and baking soda as a gentle, effective, green maintenance solution to avoid future drains.
• Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant:  Replace your surface cleaning solution with normal vinegar equal parts white vinegar and warm water.  Put in a spray bottle and use this for normal, daily counter cleaning. 
• Window Cleaner:  Just combine 2 tbsp white vinegar in a gallon of water, put it in a simple spray bottle available at any discount store.  Then spray this solution on your windows and wipe with a crumpled up piece of newspaper.  Now recycle the newspaper and you are saving the environment outside of your home as well.  
• Hardwood Floor Cleaner:  Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar in a gallon of water.  Vaccuum or dry mop the floor to remove all surface dirt.  Then mop it with this solution, moving int he direction of the boards.

These simple steps will save you a boatload of money, rid your home of some chemicals, and reduce the toxins you are adding to the water system and the environment.  Plus it will dramatically reduce the amount of plastic you are sending to the local landfill.  Try them and them pat yourself on the back for taking these green living steps,