Household Hints and Helpers Using Vinegar

There was a time when the majority of the cleansers that people used in and around their homes were made from the supplies they had. They could not have afforded to purchase commercial cleansers even if these items had been available. So they learned to use the things they had to clean the dirt and grime away.

Vinegar was one of the items that were easily purchased at the stores that were available to shop in, or the ingenious people could allow apples to ferment and create their own apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar was used to treat ailments of the body, to doctor the livestock, to cook with, and to clean the house.

Vinegar is fantastic at cutting grease and grime out of clothing. So the substance was mixed in with the wash water on wash day to help get the clothing cleaner with less scrubbing. The pungent liquid also helped to remove odors from the clothing. During the Wild West days people wore their clothing for several days at a time before they were washed. The clothing took on odors that were hard to get out on wash day, so the aspiring housewives would put vinegar into the rinse water and this would eliminate some of those odors.

The floors inside the home were often scrubbed with sand because the sand could remove the grime. Sand is abrasive so the women would pour the sand on the floor and rub it into the wood grain using a broom. Then they swept the sand out of the house and used a vinegar rinse on the floors to make them smell better.

Pretty girls have always liked pretty clean hair. One of the ways that the girls made their hair smell nice for long periods of time was to use this magic odor killing liquid when they rinsed. If they wanted their hair to feel soft they would use rain water they gathered in barrels to rinse their hair with. The rain water had a conditioning effect and left the hair soft and supple.

This magic liquid was used as an antiseptic to wash wounds before they were bandaged. It effectively killed bacteria and helped to prevent infections from setting in.

People drank small doses of this liquid every day to help improve their digestion. It helps individuals that have a history of indigestion and stomach disorders.

Because the vinegar is so good at removing odors women frequently mixed it with water to create a feminine hygiene product.

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Granny's Best Carpet Cleaning Secrets: Removing Stains With Vinegar

One of the best uses for vinegar is removing tough stains from carpets.

Removing stains with vinegar is perhaps one of the most effective and environmentally friendly ways to get even the toughest set-in grimy spots from a carpet. As a young pup growing up in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, I can remember my Granny using some of her time-tested, old-school methods for keeping a spotless and almost sterile-clean house. Many of those old-time recipes included using vinegar cleaners for just about any room in her house. One of her favorites was using vinegar to clean stains from her carpets. She was a loving soul but one of the things that Granny hated most was stains in her carpets. With so many grandkids running through her house every day, there were a lot of spots, stains and dirt.

How to Remove Stains with Vinegar

While it may not lift out every type of stain from your carpet, using white distilled vinegar as cleaner will take out just about any stain. Here's how you do it: First, dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt in about 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar. Rub the solution into the carpet stain, let the area dry and then simply vacuum. If you have a larger stained area, try mixing 2 tablespoons of borax into the vinegar-salt mixture and treat in the same way.

Spot Treatment with Vinegar as Cleaner

You can also make a spray-on spot treatment by mixing 1 part vinegar with 5 parts water. Get a second spray bottle and fill it with a solution of 5 parts water and 1 part non-sudsy ammonia. To treat spot stains in your carpet, soak a cloth with the vinegar solution and saturate the spot or stain. Let it sit for a few minutes and blot dry with a clean cloth. Now spray the ammonia solution on the spot or stain and blot dry. Repeat this alternating treatment until the spot is gone.

What Granny Knew About Removing Stains with Vinegar

Some folks tried to encourage Granny to start using some of the commercial cleaning products available from the local grocery store. They claimed these new-fangled cleaners would save her time and help Granny to get the job done quicker. Granny simply smiled and went on doing as she had done for so many years. Perhaps she knew more than she was telling about these natural cleaning methods, or maybe she was just stubborn. Either way, those old-fashioned ways of cleaning are making a big comeback in this era of environmental awareness.

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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.

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