Eco Friendly Ingredient That Will Help You and Your Home Shine

I was stumped. Puzzled. Plagued. I had been in search of an answer for 3 years. I thought maybe I’d never cure it. But there was the answer right in front of me. Well…right on the top shelf of my pantry. I may be the last one to know that there is a bottle of cure - all lurking in all of our homes. So I’m finally coming clean thanks one of the world’s oldest ingredients, Vinegar.

The bane of my existence? A frosted shower door. Oh no, not the kind that is skillfully crafted, the kind that is frosted due to hard water stains. Uhh..Yuck. I had tried everything and nearly passed out doing it from all of the fumes and I never had any long term success. Until now.

That bottle of vinegar that has been hanging out in your pantry is a healthy ingredient in so many ways.   Vinegar is a staple in the kitchen for everything from salad dressing, tenderizing meat to sprinkling on your fries. However, it is also an effective household cleaner which kills most mold, bacteria and germs. As it’s all natural and non- toxic it is healthy for the environment and safe to use around kids. It’s also easier on the budget.

The magic ingredient in vinegar is acetic acid. It neutralizes alkaline substances such as scale from hard water. You can avoid harsh chemicals with this green solution that has many household applications such as eliminating odors, freshening laundry and even killing weeds. To treat hard water stains and build up, use full strength vinegar and let sit for about 5 minutes. You can mix equal parts vinegar and water and keep in a spray bottle to clean and disinfect surfaces like countertops and refrigerator shelves.

When you combine vinegar with another household ingredient you can take cleaning one step further. Baking soda and vinegar makes a good scouring cleanser. Uses can include cleaning and freshening drains, garbage disposals and lime deposits around faucets. The chemical reactions that you get when the two are combined are non-hazardous and safe for household use.

There are even beauty tricks with vinegar. Giving your hair a vinegar rinse once a month adds shine by eliminating the alkali left by shampoos. When mixed with water it is a great facial toner and it has even been known to help remove corns and calluses.