Cleaning Crusade: Vol. 1

This past weekend I experimented with my own all purpose cleaner. The results? See below!

The first recipe I followed called for distilled white vinegar, water and baking soda. However, I noted that the comments on the recipe (this recipe actually appeared on several websites in various forms) expressed concern that the vinegar and baking soda would react, causing it to turn into just water. I went ahead anyway, but noted that after several hours my cleaner smelled and tasted like water. Not sure I'd go with that concoction again, but it did serve as a nice reminder that plain 'ol water can be an effective cleaning "solution." Unless I'm cooking with raw meat, I probably don't need to sanitize my counters every time.

I next tried just a simple solution of water and vinegar. Because it seemed as though every website I referenced called for a different vinegar to water ratio, I went with what seemed like the average ratio (I guesstimated, but I would say my mixture was slightly less than 25% vinegar). Result: I found that it cleaned my counters and stovetop very well. Not surprisingly, it does have a vinegary odor, but this fades once it dries. I also used it this solution to clean my wooden dining room table and bedroom furniture, with less pleasing results. I found that it left a filmy residue on the wood, though it looks like the residue will wipe off easily with regular water. To be fair, I'm not sure this solution is really meant to be used as a cleaner for treated or stained wood and I'll likely stick to regular water or a microfiber dust cloth for cleaning those surfaces. I have yet to try out a homemade furniture polish and am looking forward to doing so.

All in all, I'm excited to keep trying out these alternatives to toxic household cleaners. I started with the most basic recipe and there are so so many promising recipes out there. Furniture polish, toilet cleaners, etc. It's amazing how many uses there are for basic vinegar. Olive oil and lemon are also popular ingredients, and many tout the scouring capabilities of baking soda and table salt. So much to discover!

I'm including some of the websites I found helpful below:

Utah State University Cooperative Extension
Simple Mom
Eartheasy
Organized Home
National Geographic