An easy, green housecleaning tip for you:

1. Take a spray bottle.
2. Dump in some white vinegar (the really cheap, store-brand kind). Maybe 1/4 full, maybe 1/3. I don’t really care, and neither does the vinegar.
3. Fill the rest with tap water.
4. Use it on everything.

Ta-da! When water alone or with a little dish soap isn’t enough for you, or when you’re in the mood for a “real cleaning,” get out your handy-dandy spray bottle and a rag and go to town.

Now, vinegar might not cut it if you’ve let rust or hard soap scum build up in your tub or elsewhere (ahem…guilty), but it makes a perfect go-to cleaner for most everyday grime, including toilets, counters, ovens, showers, sinks, floors, and more. It’s not safe to use on granite countertops due to the acidity levels, and I wouldn’t use it on wood, but it’s safe for most other hard surfaces.

It won’t bleach or stain fabric if you get carried away with your spraying.

It’s frugal and environmentally friendly.

Vinegar’s a great ingredient to have around, anyway, because it has uses for the kitchen, for laundering, and for hair. (Trust me!)

You can add other natural cleaning products into your vinegar routine, such as baking soda for scrubbing, and not worry about unsafe interactions. (Actually, you’ll get a really cool reaction if you mix the two in a sink, which your kids might enjoy witnessing!)

Since it’s a food product, you’ll feel confident using it around little children and pets. A bonus is you can give kids their own vinegar spray bottle and get them in on the act! It’s never too early to make kids excited about cleaning, I say.

The vinegar smell quickly dissipates as it dries, so I just imagine I’m in a fabulous deli while I’m waiting!

What are your favorite green cleaners?

Photo credit: Seth Sawyers