How to Spring Clean and Go Green

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By jujudy
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (6 Ratings)

Save Money. Go Green.

Go Green. Get back to basics to save money and detoxify your home. Vinegar is an environmentally safe, natural solution to your cleaning needs. Instead of spreading harmful chemicals throughout your home in your effort to clean and sanitize, use vinegar instead. The results will be amazing. Vinegar is a natural odor absorber, neutralizer, and germicide. Use vinegar alone, or in combination with other natural ingredients to clean everything from floors, sinks, bathrooms, kitchens and more. The following are a few ideas for ways vinegar can safely clean and deodorize your home.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

vinegar
salt
baking soda
old toothbrush
spray bottle

Step 1

Grungy Refrigerator Shelf

Begin your Spring Cleaning with the kitchen. Clean, sanitize, deordorize, cut scrum and grease with vinegar. Wipe inside of refrigerator with a cloth dipped in 1/2 gallon of water to which 1 cup vinegar has been added.
Step 2

Vinegar Clean Refrigerator

Food and grunge will be easily removed with vinegar and your refrigerator will be naturally deodorized and sanitized.
Step 3

Wipe inside and outside of microwave oven with vinegar water solution: 1 gallon water to 1 cup vinegar. For grease build up in crevices, mix table salt with enough vinegar to form a paste. Dip a toothbrush into the paste and scrub. Grease is easily removed. If you have a greasy buildup on the inside of the microwave door, dip a cloth or strong paper towel in the vinegar water solution and then pour an extra amount of pure vinegar onto the cloth. Squeeze lightly and rub door with strong vinegar solution. Grease is easily dissolved. Dry with a clean, dry cloth.
Step 4

Wipe the outside of kitchen appliances and countertops with vinegar water solution. Dry with a clean cloth.
Step 5

Remove mineral deposits from chrome fixtures by spraying vinegar directly onto the fixture. Allow to soak for an hour. If drying is a problem, wrap a vinegar soaked cloth or paper towel around the fixture in the area of the mineral deposits. Let stand for an hour. Pour a tablespoon or two of salt into a small dish and mix with enough vinegar to make a paste. Dip a toothbrush into the paste and clean hard to reach crevices. Rinse with vinegar water solution. Dry with a soft clean cloth. Your chrome fixtures will shine like new.
Step 6

Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the kitchen sink drain. Next pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup of hot vinegar down the drain. Allow to stand for one hour before flushing with hot water. This bubbly solution will loosen grunge and grime while it sanitizes and deodorizes your drain.
Step 7

Next clean the bathroom. Spray vinegar onto shower walls, shower curtains, bathtubs, and sinks. Clean chrome fixtures as described in Step 5 above. Pour 1 cup vinegar into toilet bowl. Brush to disperse vinegar solution to the inside surface of the bowl. Allow to stand for one hour to cleanse and sanitize. Vinegar is not only a powerful cleanser, but it is also a germicide.
Step 8

Wipe surfaces with a cloth rinsed out in vinegar water solution. Dry if desired with a clean dry cloth. Clean and sanitize drains as described in Step 6 above.
Step 9

Clean floors with a solution of one gallon of water and 1 cup of vinegar.
Step 10

Use 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the rinse load of each load of laundry to soften and sanitize clothing and reduce static cling.