When you journey down the rabbit hole into the “real food” world you inevitably come across blogs and books that are also proponents of the “get rid of all the chemicals in your home” craze. I actually started off just trying to be a better recycler and one thing led to another and before I knew it I was buying milk in glass jars, shunning Kraft Foods, and buying very expensive mineral based sunscreen. Sometimes being “green” can be overwhelming and expensive and we all have to choose our priorities and make the best decisions we can for our families and our communities. But once in awhile I learn about an idea that it easy and cheap and those are the ideas that help balance out the extra time spent preparing food and the extra dollars spent in the grocery store. I make this cleaner with 3 ingredients (one of which is water) and by my math (which isn’t always reliable, according to my husband!) it costs me about 57 cents to make. The same amount of a store bought kitchen cleaner would cost $2.49 (I used a 22 oz container of Lysol Complete Clean Kitchen Cleaner for comparison). Now I realize that $2.49 is not a large amount of cash, but it makes me happy to know that my child or my dog could drink the whole container of my vinegar and water cleaner and suffer no ill effects. And I never worry about using it around food. I actually use this cleaner all around my home for almost everything. Keep in mind that when you are cleaning up after handling raw meat, it’s best to clean the surfaces with hot water and soap, but for general wiping down of counters and tables, this water and vinegar cleaner will be all that you need. You can customize it with whatever essential oils that you like. My favorites are a combination of lemon and lime or cinnamon and clove.
VINEGAR/WATER CLEANER:
~1 cup distilled white vinegar
~1 cup water
~about 20 drops of essential oil of your choice
Combine the vinegar, water and essential oil in a large 2 cup measuring cup. Pour into a spray bottle using a funnel if needed.