While on a little “green” streak awhile back, I tried to make my own household cleaners. I still haven’t kicked the commercial cleaner habit, but I did learn something interesting when I was trying to go green: Vinegar is awesome. You can use it to clean just about anything in the house, and it’s cheap. (That’s my favorite part.)

The Vinegar Institute has a great list of ways to use vinegar. Here are a few I’ve tried:

Garbage disposal cleaner. Garbage disposals may be kept clean and odor free with vinegar cubes. Vinegar cubes are made by filling an ice tray with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar and enough water to fill the ice tray and then freezing it. Run the mixture through the disposal, and then flush it with cold water for a minute or so.

Coffee maker cleaner (automatic). White distilled vinegar can help to dissolve mineral deposits that collect in automatic drip coffee makers from hard water. Fill the reservoir with white distilled vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly with water when the cycle is finished. (Be sure to check the owner’s manual for specific instructions.)

Clean the microwave. Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.

Rockford hates the smell of vinegar, so I was a little hesitant to use it so freely. The smell dissipates pretty quickly, though, so I can use it in the morning while he’s at work and the smell is gone by the time he gets home.

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