Cheap Cleanup: Washing the Stove & Tiles With Vinegar

You don't have to spend a lot for eco-friendly household and personal care products. I use vinegar and water to sanitize my home without the expense or waste of harsher chemicals. Beyond toss salads, I use white vinegar for the following cleaning duties:


•Kitchen surfaces: With two capfuls of vinegar and a half cup of water, I have cleaned and polished a white enamel stovetop. The homemade solution cut through a mixture of cooking oil and splattered tomato sauce. The same solution works on kitchen countertops and stainless steel sinks. White vinegar also effectively cleans cookware, coffeemakers and carpet stains, according to How to Clean Practically Anything, a reference guide published by Consumer Reports.

•Tile floors and walls: My husband cleaned our white tile floors with a bucket of vinegar and water. He mixed one cup of vinegar per half-gallon of hot water, with a few drops of essential lemon oil. That mixture cleaned the floor and left a fresh lemon scent. I have applied a similar mixture to the bathroom tiles and countertops.

•All-purpose cleaning spray: Earth911.com recommends filling a spray bottle with equal parts of water and white vinegar. Use this solution to clean appliances, countertops and other surfaces. Some restaurants and daycare centers use vinegar and water to clean tables and chairs.

•Hair conditioner: Organic apple cider vinegar (ACV) provides a great hair tonic. Mixed with water, ACV conditions the hair and combats dandruff. As a hair rinse, ACV has left my hair cleaner and softer. The acid in the vinegar removes the buildup left from commercial hair care products and kills bacteria, according to Ehow.com, which recommends mixing one-third cup of apple cider vinegar with a quart of distilled water

Frugal Cleanup Tips from a Kitchen Pro

Even with the best intentions, many consumers waste time and money by failing to follow directions that are packaged with cleaning products. Most of us quickly wipe down our countertops with liquids and sprays. But most cleaning and sanitizing products need time to operate. Soaking time ranges from 10 seconds to 5 minutes. Read the package for detailed instructions

That's the word from Chris Wagner, director of operations at Johnson & Wales University in Miami.

''Most food-borne illnesses actually happen in the home kitchen and not in the professional kitchen,'' Wagner said.

Wagner says you don't need to buy expensive cleaners. Many commercial kitchens rely on vinegar and salt solutions for heavy-duty cleanups. He recommends a two-step cleanup process for wooden butcher blocks or cutting boards.

At Johnson & Wales, wooden cutting boards are soaked in vinegar for five minutes before washing. After using, the students coat the cutting blocks with kosher salt to draw out moisture, which prevents mold and bacteria, Wagner said.

Lemon juice also deters the growth of bacteria and mold on wood and kitchen equipment.
A mixture of lemon juice and kosher salt is effective in cleaning copper pans and pots, Wagner said.

Improper methods for storing and preparing food contribute to illnesses.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends these safe food handling procedures:
• Wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after food preparation. Clean all surfaces.
• Avoid cross-contamination. Juices from raw meat, fish and poultry should be kept away from other food. Cutting boards, utensils and surfaces should be washed with hot soapy water when raw meat is prepared.
• Defrost meat in the refrigerator. Do not let defrosting meat drip on other food in the refrigerator.
A ''Safe Food Handling'' fact sheet is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

This is from my latest column in the home & design section of the Miami Herald.

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Digg!