Did you know that vinegar is a powerful cleaning tool? You can make an everyday herbal vinegar spray that is non-toxic and environmentally friendly. We found some great recipes to use at home from Reader's Digest The Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs. Here is the recipe from the book:
All-purpose vinegar spray
Ingredients
fresh or dried herbs (you can also use herbal tea bags)
distilled vinegar
1. Roughly chop 1 to 2 large handfuls of fresh or dried herbs (such as lemon verbena, peppermint, rosemary, lemon balm or lavender), or place 5 to 10 tea bags in the bottom of a wide-mouth glass jar.
2. Add vinegar to fill the jar. Replace the lid, leave for a few days to infuse, then strain out the herbs. (If you are using tea bags you can gently warm the vinegar before pouring to ensure maximum diffusion.)
3. Pour into a plastic spray. This spray is safe to use at full strength, but you can dilute it with half-and-half of water for lighter application.
This spray can be used for wiping, cleaning, and deodorizing almost any surface (except marble).
Some uses for your herbal vinegar spray:
- Keep diswasher clean by adding 1/2 cup to the rinse cycle
- Cut grease and make glasses sparkle by adding 3 tablespoons to sink with dish washing detergent
- Dissolve mineral build up on shower heads: Soak overnight with diluted herbal vinegar
- Clean soap scum from a glass shower screen. Mix 2 parts salt with 1 part herbal vinegar. Apply to screen with a cloth or fine steel wool. Rinse and dry.
- Stop mold: Mix two teaspoons borax and 1 cup herbal vinegar. Apply with cloth and leave for 30 minutes then wipe off.
- Keep kitchen cloths fresh. Soak overnight in a solution of boiling water with a good dash of herbal vinegar and a few drops of eucalyptus oil. Rinse well.
