Friday 6 July 2012

Vinegar As Cleaner: Is Distilled Vinegar White Vinegar?

The big question these days in green cleaning circles seems to be, "Is distilled vinegar white vinegar?" Yes, distilled vinegar and white vinegar are the same. The fact is, any type of vinegar can be distilled and is useful for medicinal, laboratory, cooking and cleaning purposes. Whether it is labeled distilled, white or distilled white - vinegar is comprised of water and about 5 to 8 percent acetic acid. Some folks seem to be confused because these terms appear on lists for making cleaning solutions and recipes.

There is a renewed interest in using vinegar as cleaner. This is due in part to the growing concern over the amount of toxic chemicals dumped into the environment every day. These dangerous chemicals are found in many commercially manufactured cleaning products. One out of every 10 reported toxic exposures at home are caused by these cleaning products. It's no wonder so many folks are looking for a safer, greener alternative to cleaning.

What is "Distilled"or "White" Vinegar

Vinegar is essentially a liquid produced when ethanol and acetic acid bacteria are fermented using various processes. Vinegar as cleaner is 100 percent natural, environmentally friendly and cheap. Currently, it is widely available from the local market and costs just a few dollars (USD). Vinegar has the power to cut through grease, dissolve minerals (like hard water stains) and eliminate soap scum. Due to the acetic acid in vinegar, it is also a great disinfectant that is able to deodorize as well as kill mold, bacteria and germs. Compared to most expensive retail cleaning products, vinegar costs just a few pennies per use.

The Many Uses of Vinegar as a Natural Cleaner

Distilled or white vinegar has so many uses that all of them could not be listed here. I remember that my granny used vinegar in many areas around her house including the laundry, in the kitchen and cleaning jewelry. In the bathroom, almost nothing works at getting rid of soap scum and hard water deposits like vinegar. Some folks would never think of pouring vinegar into their washing machine.

The fact is, about one-half to one cup of vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser or during the final rinse cycle will give you fresher smelling clothes. Vinegar also makes colors brighter and whites whiter. Vinegar also keeps the inner workings and hoses of the washing machine clean and clear. One word of caution - do not mix cleaners like vinegar and ammonia which can produce harmful fumes or vapors. Also, never use vinegar on marble surfaces as the acetic acid may damage the surface. Really, if making the change to clean greener, make sure to get the absolute best information on formulas, mixtures and recipes for green cleaning.

Making the Green Cleaning Transition Starts With Vinegar

Granny would say that vinegar as cleaner was probably the best way to get her household sparkling clean and fresh smelling.

Before you use one of those chemical cleaners for your housework, why not give vinegar a try? Make the decision to use green cleaning methods in your home. Start with small changes and that could have a significant, positive impact on our world and future generations for years to come. Making your own natural, environmentally friendly cleaning solutions makes sense in today's world and it is very economical.

There are many other recipes and formulas for green cleaning. These natural cleaning methods can be made from a few cheap, common items like salt, lemons, borax and baking soda.


Carpet Cleaning Watford, Carpet Cleaning Harrow, Carpet Cleaning Hampstead, Office Cleaning London, Cleaning Services London, source

No comments:

Post a Comment