The Natural No-Toxic Way To Clean Your Home That Smells Great
Use Vinegar!
We have discovered the amazing power of vinegar and are anxious to share its benefits to help you clean tile and grout, countertops, bathrooms, kitchens and many other things in your house.
What's Vinegar's Secret?
Its highly acidic nature helps to counteract the build-up of soap scum, dissolve the residue of hard water, and give a sparkling shine to windows and glass. (A word of caution: avoid using vinegar on marble countertops and hardwood floors since the acidity could damage them.) You can use undiluted vinegar for tough jobs. But for lighter tasks, you may want to dilute the strength by using 50% vinegar/ 50% water.
“Harness the power of this amazingly versatile and green product”
Infused Vinegar
What is infused vinegar?
It’s just the process of steeping natural ingredients into vinegar in order to extract its essential oils. Trust us, you can do this!
Have you ever placed lemon in water for the taste and health benefits? Have you ever steeped fruit in wine for delicious sangria? (Par-tay!) Well, this process is very similar. Did you know that you could use this method to make amazing cleaning products? As a matter of fact, the Barefoot Organic Carpet Care team uses professional organic cleaning solutions that benefit from fruit and plant extracts. On a smaller scale, you can make your own non-toxic, naturally infused vinegar at home? Here’s how:
The process is actually pretty simple and can be customized to your favorite scents and ingredients.
Ingredients and supplies:
- Natural ingredients
- White vinegar
- 2 glass bottles or jars (this is a great time to repurpose jars instead of just throwing them away!)
- A strainer
Preparation of Scented Vinegar (source: The Spruce )
- 1. Sterilize the two glass bottles or jars by boiling them for a few minutes and allowing them to cool.
- 2. Once the bottles are clean and cooled, place your chosen organic herbs, fruit, spice or flowers into one of the bottles. The more you put in, the stronger the natural scent will be.
- 3. Fill the bottle with organic vinegar.
- 4. Cap the bottle and allow it to steep for 10 days.
- 5. Open the bottle, and strain out all of the organic flowers and/or herbs.
- 6. Pour the organic vinegar into the second bottle. Cap it and store in a cool, dark place.
- 7. If the organic vinegar becomes cloudy or has visible mold, discard it.
Barefoot Organic Carpet Care's Natural Chemical Free Ingredient Picks:
- Lavender
- Lemon Verbena
- Citrus Peels
These are our favorites, but just about any natural organic aromatic ingredients can be used.
Look around your landscaping or pantry and see what you already have on hand. Play with a combination of scents for your own custom blend!
Look to your favorite naturally scented chemical free products such as candles and body products for inspiration. (One caution.. Avoid dark color ingredients as these may tint the vinegar and alter the color of surfaces they are used on.)
”Some ingredients are even thought to have amazing antibacterial properties and health benefits”
Your New Best Friend: Essential Oils!
Now if you’re thinking, “I’m not sure if I have time for all of that!” not to worry! We have an even faster and easier solution for you: ESSENTIAL OILS! Essential oils are the way to borrow from the principles of infusion, but bypass some of the work… and who doesn’t want that?
The process for scenting vinegar with essential oils is pretty simple. Simply add two or three drops of your favorite essential oils into a spray bottle of organic vinegar, give it a good shake, and Voila! You just made a custom scented all natural and environmentally friendly cleaning product . Essential oils can be a bit more pricey than the infusion method, but the oils are highly concentrated so a little goes a long way! As with the infusion method, you can play with essential oils to get the blend that you prefer.
Did you know that the addition of these natural ingredients not only scent the organic vinegar but can also add naturally powerful cleaning traits? For instance, the solutions we use in our hot steam carpet and upholstery extraction methods use powerful enzymes extracted from grapefruit seed extract, citrus peel extract, aloe, and coconut. Some ingredients are even thought to have amazing antibacterial properties and health benefits! Check out this article at Goodness Me for a wonderful resource of information about essential oils, their uses and benefits.
Our Three Best Non-Toxic Cleaning Favorites And Their Benefits:
Clean Organic Lavender
- calming
- benefits mood
- alleviates anxiety and depression
- anti-bacterial
- Anti-fungal
Eco Friendly Lemon Verbena
- stimulates immunity
- nourishes creativity
- uplifting and invigorating
- encourages imagination
- promotes a happy mood
- relieves anxiety and depression
Grout Cleaning Citrus
- invigorating
- energizing
- anti-inflammatory
- Antiseptic
One more idea… you can blend the power of infusion with the ease of essential oils. We found these amazing scented vinegar recipe ideas in this article from Good Housekeeping
- A Balanced Blend: Two or three pieces of lemon rind, a few drops of grapefruit seed essential oil, and a few springs of rosemary blend together to create a clean, fresh scent. Plus, the fruit’s acid adds extra cleaning properties — perfect for stubborn stains.
- A Hint of Citrus: A little bit of essential oil goes a long way, and 2-3 drops of peppermint are just enough to lend an energizing burst to the summery scent of orange rinds.
- A Cool Burst: A few sprigs of eucalyptus and 2-3 drops of tea tree oil create a stench-absorbing powerhouse — and some people believe tea tree fights bacteria, too. Whether that’s true or not, this combination is incredibly invigorating.
The power of nature is amazing! Every day, when the team at Barefoot Organic Carpet Care is providing organic steam cleaning for your carpet and upholstery, we are able to see first-hand the power of natural enzymes in our non-toxic chemical-free cleaning solutions. Our green cleaning solutions harness the power of grapefruit seed extract, citrus, aloe, and coconut. It is gentle enough to steam clean your valuable oriental rug but powerful enough to steam clean even the dirtiest of tile and grout. It’s our privilege to help keep your home and family safe, clean, and healthy. It doesn’t take a lot of time or money to have a green home. It just takes a heart for trying new and healthier options. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked!
Wishing you health and happiness, from our family to yours!
One Response
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