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Not Your Norma(l) Cleaner

Mismatched bowls, each filled with a Paas tablet of dye - that's what reminds me of vinegar. Besides that, I never cook with it, clean with it, or really ever think about it...until I read this tip.

I live with three other women in a five-bedroom flat and every day thank my lucky stars and stripes that I never have to clean the bathroom. We have a cleaning service and her name is Norma. Sweet, wonderful, thank-you-for-not-making-me-feel-guilty-for-having-a-cleaning-lady Norma. I do buy Seventh Generation products for her, but once in a while (see Mama Don't Preach) a bleach-y substance gets into her hands. So today I tried the ol' natural vinegar solution to wipe down our kitchen counter and - voila! - the room smells more like an Easter egg coloring fest than a just-rinsed public restroom toilet.

-Senior Editor Theresa...off to drop a bottle of vinegar into Norma's bucket...

Posted by: ddiprima on 08/28/2008
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W. David Stephenson  on August 28, 2008 at 06:30 AM 1
Many, many years ago, before I did any cleaning (except under duress) my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Brewer, enthralled me by talking about she and her siblings helped their father the school superintendent clean the school windows w/ vinegar & newsprint. When I did have to clean for myself I remembered what she said, and have never felt the need for any of the chemical substitutes.
Donna Glass  on August 28, 2008 at 09:41 AM 2
My favorite contribution to the white vinegar solutions is to have you kids help you make volcanos- it is actually all natural "drain"- I don't know exact measurements but use baking soda and pour white vinegar on it. It bubbles like a volcano, cleans your drains, you can do as often as you want AND you don't have the horrible smell of draino.
Lynn  on August 28, 2008 at 10:09 AM 3
Before I started spending the extra money for Seventh Generation or Method cleaners to appease my "maids"--grown daughters in need of extra money--I cleaned everything in the house with either vinegar or baking soda or both, sometimes with the addition of essential oils.
Laura Wallach  on August 28, 2008 at 10:12 AM 4
I'd like to try making up some of the counter and window cleaning solutions but have a question that hopefully someone can help with with - can I store any leftover solution I have under the sink in spray bottles, or do they need to be used immediately? Thanks and happy cleaning!
Katie  on August 28, 2008 at 12:30 PM 5
You can store. The building I work in has a whole shelf full of spray bottles sitting around. Do know that the smell doesn't TOTALLY go away once dried. I've cleaned my shower this way and the next couple of showers stink like vinegar. I can deal, but I would rinse the guest shower REALLY well as I think it's a little offensive for guests.
Leigh Bangs  on August 28, 2008 at 03:52 PM 6
Please beware: tile grout gets "eaten" by anything acidic. We found this out the hard way (please clean up right away if coffee or tea spills on your grout). So you actually want a neutral or slightly alkaline solution for cleaning anything with grout, particularly if you want your grout sealant to last longer. (Yes, the harsh grout cleaners you can buy are acidic, they clean by eating away at the grout.) I use Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds (has pine oil), just a 1/2 teaspoon in a spray bottle of water. I still use vinegar for the wood floors, laundry deodorizing, etc.
Julia  on August 28, 2008 at 05:01 PM 7
Does anyone happen to know if vinegar is EPA approved for cleaning schools? I don't know how I can even find this out...
Fairings  on August 28, 2008 at 10:20 PM 8
Yeah, your right Katie, the smell doesn't totally go away once dried. fairings
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Linda  on August 30, 2008 at 07:19 AM 10
Good tips about vinegar! But vinegar as an herbicide?!?! Hmmmm, I don't know about that, but I suppose it's worth a try. I always keep white vinegar in the house for cleaning purposes. My favorite chrome/glass cleaner is my own homemade concoction of 50% white vinegar and 50% rubbing alcohol mixed up in a spray bottle. (Forget Windex, and it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying the ready-made eco-friendly cleaners like the expensive Seventh Generation products. You greenies with the greenbacks, however, can feel free to go right ahead, though.)
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