DIY Green Cleaning with Vinegar
A safe and natural way to clean your home.
Did you know that there are ways to clean your home without using toxic cleaning products that not only hurt the environment but can damage your lungs, cause breathing problems and Asthma in adults and children?
One DIY Green Cleaning item that is probably in your kitchen cabinet right now that can replace almost all of the toxic cleaning products you are using is Vinegar.
Vinegar is one of the safest mold, bacteria and germ killers around. Vinegar can replace many of the toxic items you use to clean your kitchen, bathroom and floors. Vinegar can be used at full strength or diluted in water depending on the job.
Scroll to the bottom for your free 9 Tips to Cleaning with Vinegar printable.
DIY Green Cleaning for the Home
- Window Cleaner ~~ Fill a spray bottle three thirds full of vinegar and top off with water. Spray windows, mirrors or any glass item you would like a clean streak free surface. Wipe with crumpled up newspaper or a paper towel.
- Floor Cleaner ~~ Add 1 cup of vinegar to a bucket of water along with your usual floor cleaner and mop your linoleum and tile floors.
- Counter Disinfectant ~~ Spray down all your countertops and let air dry to kill germs and bacteria buildup.
- Refrigerator ~~ Use Vinegar to clean the inside and outside of your refrigerator safely.
- Bathroom Cleaner ~~ Clean your bathroom vanity and toilet bowl with vinegar to disinfect and deodorize the bathroom.
- Tub & Tile Cleaner ~~ Spray down your tub or shower stall with vinegar to disinfect and prevent hard water deposits and to kill mold.
- Coffee Pot Cleaner ~~ Run a full pot of white vinegar through your automatic coffee maker or K-Cup machine then follow with two full pots of plain water to rinse. This will remove hard water deposits.
- Sponge Deodorizer ~~ Pour full strength vinegar over the offensive sponge in the sink. Let it set for a few minutes and rinse. Your sponge will smell new again.
- Stainless Steel Appliances ~~ Get that high glossy look again by filling a spray bottle halfway with vinegar and topping of with water. Wipe down all stainless steel appliance when needed.
DIY Green Cleaning for Outdoor Living and Garden
I live in Florida so the next tip is area specific for the part of the country with high humidity and heavy rain fall but these tips will work anywhere.
- Lanai & Porch Cleaner ~~ To remove the buildup of mold and fungus during the rainy season I pour full strength vinegar on the cement floor of my porch (lanai) . Then using an old broom I scrub the slippery mold build up off and spray clean with a hose or pressure cleaner. This method is safe around animals and plants.
- Lawn & Deck Furniture Cleaner ~~ Mold build up on lawn furniture as it is exposed to the elements can be removed by spraying with full strength vinegar and leaving it set for about 10-15 minutes. Before the vinegar dries scrub with a scrub brush and rinse off. Repeat as needed.
- Sidewalk Crack weed killer ~~ On a hot and sunny day pour full strength vinegar directly on the weeds that grow between cracks in a sidewalk or bricks. Caution! Do not use near a garden or flower bed! If vinegar splashes onto the leaves of any plants you do not want to kill immediately flush with large amounts of water.
DIY Green Cleaning Kids and Baby Tips
- Repurposed Large Hard Plastic Kids toys ~~ I am a big thrift store and yard sale shopper and will pick up toys for my grandchildren whenever I see them. Many different types of bacteria and germies can live for weeks on hard surfaces. Yes we are a bit germaphobic in this family. The grand kids are always sick so we do what we can to prevent any other bugs that may get them sick. For large toys that will not fit in the sick or tub fill a large plastic spray bottle full of full strength vinegar. Out in the yard spray the toy down covering all surfaces until the vinegar is dripping off. Be sure to spray underneath…..any where little hands might touch. Allow the vinegar to sit for an hour. Rinse off completely and repeat if you are also a germaphobic grammy!
- Small Toys ~~ Small toys that will fit in the sink or a small bucket can be soaked. Fill the sink or bucket with hot soapy water. Add 1-2 cups of full strength vinegar. Allow to soak for an hour or two or even overnight. Pour the water out when you are ready and rinse well. Allow to air dry.
- Baby Bottles, Nipples and Sippy Cups ~~ I know most people have a dishwasher these days but not everyone does. So in the sink or a small container add 1/2 cup of vinegar to hot soapy water. Let soak for 1/2 hour to an hour. Wash as usual and rinse well. Air dry.
- Baby Blankets, Clothing and Cloth Diapers ~~ Mold removal with vinegar: Sometimes these baby items may get a spot or two of mold on them. If caught soon enough you may soak the items in a bucket of hot soapy water with 1-2 cups of vinegar. After an hour add a drop or two of laundry soap to the area and hand scrub. Repeat if needed. If the mold is bad continue to use this method until you decide you have had enough and throw the item away. Sometimes you just can’t get mold out no matter how hard you try.
- Baby Blankets, Clothing and Cloth Diapers: Deodorizing with vinegar: Add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle to deodorize.
Medial Items such as booger bulbs and nebulizer masks ~~ Soak items in hot soapy water with 1 cup of vinegar. Wash as usual and rinse well. Air dry.
Free 9 Tips To Clean with Vinegar Printable
Download and print the FREE 9 Tips to Cleaning with Vinegar printable. The printable will print without the green board.
