I came across some other blogs talking about homemade cleaning products. In this day and age almost everyone is making things homemade. From laundry soaps, fabric softeners, baby wipes and cleaning products. When I read that vinegar was a natural disinfectant I was intrigued. My first thought was how I almost always have a gallon of this stuff under my kitchen sink. Which is strange considering I almost never used vinegar, until I started making homemade fabric softener. Which by the way is totally awesome! I haven't bought a bottle of Downy for months! Other than getting free samples in the mail, I use my homemade stuff with every wash. That will be blog another time.
I'll admit when it comes to household cleaners I'm a total hoarder! I have them all (we close to it). If you open my cabinet above my stove you'll find easily 20 different types of cleaners. I honestly don't know why I have so many. Usually my reasons for buying a new kind is because the last didn't impress me. Or someone is complaining that the house smells like a forest, and we're not bears haha! So it's time for me to kick the cleaning products obsession and start using this all natural cleaner. Which is simply equal parts water and vinegar. I actually have a bottle of this made up that I used while cleaning my walls to prep for paint. I had to wrestle the vinegar off Christian, that boy loves vinegar and will drink it given the chance.....did you mouth just fill with saliva?
I picked the bathroom to try this out on. Mainly the floor. Not that it's utterly filthy, but it's been a week since I've given the floor a good wash. I also would like to mention that I've kicked the paper towel habit. I started chopping up old holey t-shirts as cleaning rags. Paper towels aren't that horribly expensive, but I always run out when I need them most and it's a pretty big waste of money. Just throwing it away, to sit in a land fill for God knows how long. Are they biodegradable? I doubt it! I cleaned out Christian's pajama drawer a month or so ago. Getting rid of anything too small or stained so much, thus why it landed in the pajama drawer. I chopped them up into about 30 rags. Tossed them into an empty wipes container and voila, pop up clean wipes at my reach! After I use them they [used] to soak in the sink in some hot bleachy water, and then washed. Now they'll disinfect in some vinegar water! Saving money and the earth by recycling....I feel so proud of myself :)
I wish I would have taken before and after pictures, because I was so totally impressed! Even if I craved salad, fries and German potato salad the whole time I wiped down the bathroom floor. It really sparkled! I'm very impressed! Tomorrow I'll do my kitchen floors, counter and mirrors. Cleaning mirrors with vinegar and wiping with news paper for a streak free shine, is something I've always known about. But have done maybe once!
I've also read that cleaning with tea-tree oil is also great! It is a natural disinfectant as well. However I know it's a bit pricy. I price checked a bottle at Target and it wad $6 for 2ozs. So that's something I may or may not try.
