after doing the cleaning you actually feel it’s ok to use stuff straight away (including your hands if you find you have a hole in your glove (as i seem to every time…)) no more nasty tastes after cleaning the oven and no more cloying cleaner smells. just a bit vinagery which disappears in no time!

came here via the ‘green parent’ forums and thought i’d check out green cleaning as I’m about to embark on a borax trial on account of living on farmland and having outdoor issues with rodents… and indoor issues with beetles!

Brown vinegar is ok, it just smells a little stronger and, over time, it might stain light surfaces. Windows and glass should be ok but if, for example, you used it on white cupboard doors, some discolouration over time might occur.

I haven’t figured out the smell thing yet – lots to do with advertising (we believe that washing powder and bleach smell = clean rather than the truth which is ‘toxic chemicals’ polluting our lungs and the planet!) and, if you think about it, smell is really our most primary sense. It goes very deep – you might remember an old memory, say, of your Grandmother, just by the smell of something that passes you like a rose or a woman wearing talc or a certain perfume. We pick up those smells out of thousands of others in the air. How many times can you say ‘Ahhh, that smell reminds me of……….’ it’s totally amazing when you stop to think about it!

I don’t know about any research on killing bacteria using vinegar, I guess my searches would be on acetic acid, which is the main acid found in vinegar. According to this site (http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0008.html) vinegar will kill the foot and mouth virus, but not other bacterias.

Interesting stuff, do report back if you find anything!

Mrs G x

I have been trying to find out the scoop on vinegar? I have even asked the manufacturer for claims that vinegar works on killing bacteria…still waiting! Does anyone know of any studies on vinegar and claims that when used on cutting boards especially (e.coli) it actually does kill it and decontaminate the surfaces? Humm..salad dressing anyone?

Thank you for dropping by and for your lovely comment. There are so many good blogs out there sharing lots of information and experience. It’s one of the great things about modern life I guess
Keep up the great work with your blog as well; you have some interesting information on GM over there and I’m looking forward to spending some time reading your DIY blog too.

Namaste
Mrs G