Vinegar Fridays

TGIVF!!

While I may say Thank God it's Vinegar Friday, I'm not quite sure I mean it. This week flew by and I'm not at all ready for it to be over. It was a busy week and I didn't accomplish nearly what I set out to do. Which means Saturday will be spent in my office working. So you all can celebrate Friday, while I pretend it's Thursday. Fair enough?

The last couple of weeks I wrote about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar. There are lots more, and I'll be sharing them in the next month or so, but for today I want to go back to our old friend, distilled white vinegar.

My daughter, Jess, and her friend, Erin, have launched a green cleaning business and are introducing DWV to homes in the Pittsburgh area, as they demonstrate the extraordinary cleaning and disinfecting properties of vinegar, baking soda, lemons and more. See where a simple thing like Vinegar Fridays can lead?!


Someone was recently sharing the story of a birthday celebration that included a bit too much alcohol. The result? A bit of carsickness by one of the passengers. Yuck. So guess what rides to the rescue? Distilled white vinegar, of course! A bowl of it left on the floor of the car overnight will eliminate the odor. This will work well for pet accidents, too. Of course, you have to clean up the mess first, which is where the vinegar comes in handy once again.

If you have vinyl upholstery, you're in luck! Just mix up a 50/50 solution and wipe away.

What about the car's carpet? Well, the same mixture will clean that as well. While you're down there, if you find any gum stuck in the carpet, or on the seat for that matter, simply soak the gum in the vinegar for easier removal.

My car has leather seats. They shine up nicely with undiluted hot WDV, followed by a soapy water rinse.

Since we're concentrating on the car, why not polish up the chrome with a soft cloth dipped in some of that undiluted vinegar after its cooled down.

Is that political bumper sticker outdated...or maybe you've changed your mind about who you supported...take the same cloth and drench it in the vinegar and cover the sticker for a couple hours. It should peel right off.

Now it's time to move to the front of your vehicle and clean your grimy windshield wipers. Again, a soft cloth soaked in the undiluted distilled white vinegar will do the trick.

Finally, let's talk windows. You know that film that eventually covers the inside of your car's windows? Spray some vinegar on them and use a soft cloth or squeegee to rid them of the haze. If you must use paper towels, at least stick to recycled ones (like those from Seventh Generation, Treecycle, or Marcal Small Steps).

And mix up a earth-friendly window cleaner for the outside of your windows by adding a few ounces of distilled white vinegar to a quart of water in a spray bottle.

Now step back and admire your handiwork. Isn't it pretty? Oh wait, I never addressed the issue of actually washing your car, did I? Vinegar, right? No, not this time. While taking your vehicle to a commercial car wash is generally a greener choice, if you do choose to wash your car in your driveway, at least go with an eco-friendly, biodegradable detergent, like Simple Green Car Wash. Of course, you want to wash the car before polishing the chrome or shining up the windows.

Now...step back and admire your handiwork. Isn't it pretty? And green?!

Until next week,

Hana