It’s very hard to talk about topics that are going to be shocking and potentially upset people. It’s even harder when it involves admitting you are wrong. This post is one of those posts.
Admitting that you’ve changed your path is difficult, just like when I talked about how We don’t eat coconut oil, some of you were very upset with me…. I want to state up front, I never lied to you. I never intentionally lead you wrongly when it comes to coconut oil or vinegar. It’s natural for us to all evolve in our thinking and I hope you can appreciate my honesty.
For many people the idea of jumping onto the healthy/natural/crunchy bandwagon is intimidating, for me upsetting my crunchy-partners-in-crime is even worse.
I have been using White Distilled Vinegar to clean my home for nearly 10 years. It was one of the first natural-living transitions I made …. and over the past 3 years I’ve shared my recipes and tips with all of you for using vinegar in your household cleaning as well.
My reasons for abandoning Vinegar as a cleaning solution have NOTHING to do with it’s effectiveness. Because I’m the first to admit that Vinegar is an AWESOME cleaner and it works great — and that’s why I used it for so long and also why it’s taken so long for me to come clean with all of you that I’ve stopped using it in my home.
2 reasons Why I don’t use Vinegar to Clean:
1. I say NO to GMOs.
You know those $2 gallon jugs of Distilled White Vinegar you’re buying? That vinegar is mostly made from GMO corn. Most of you will agree that you stay away from cheap food because it’s processed garbage, cheap Distilled White Vinegar is the same thing.
Every time you buy a $2 jug of Distilled White Vinegar you are supporting GMOs, conventional farming and Monsanto.
More importantly you are voting against natural products and organic farmers. Avoiding GMOs isn’t something that ends at my fork. My protest against GMOs is made with my WALLET. We get to voice our opinions and cast our votes of support with every single dollar we spend.
I’m not paying for GMOs to clean my house with. Of course you can avoid GMOs in your distilled white vinegar by choosing organic — however……more on that in reason #2
2. I’m not rich.
One of the most appealing aspect of cleaning with Distilled White Vinegar is that it’s really inexpensive. You can spend just pennies for cleaning supplies when you are paying $2 a gallon. However when you are voting with your wallet, and choosing GMO-Free, organic distilled white vinegar the cost rises significantly.
A gallon jug of Organic Distilled White Vinegar will cost you $28.
I don’t know about you but using 1 to 2 gallons of vinegar a month at $28 each is a little more than my budget can handle.
So much for vinegar being an natural & affordable cleaning option, right?
I know each and every one of us is at a different point in our health and natural living journey, all of you are not ready, willing or able to completely ditch $2 a gallon Distilled White Vinegar right this very minute… However, I do encourage you to learn from the mistakes I’ve made and embrace my passion for looking at the big picture.
We are the change.
Our money-votes are the single most effective way to advocate change.
Change is happening! Keep up the good work friends!
What do I use instead of Vinegar?
Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Liquid Cleaner is not a soap but instead is a concentrated hard-surface all-purpose cleaner. It is made with plant-based surfactants and natural fir needle and spruce essential oils (no cheap, harsh pine stump oil), without any synthetic dyes, fragrances or preservatives.
Perfect for general household cleaning (dishes, floors, laundry, etc.), it cleans and rinses with exceptional power, yet it is mild and gentle on the skin. Sal Suds Liquid Cleaner is equally effective in hard or soft water, rinsing freely, hot or cold. It is 100% cruelty-free, as certified by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, and it will biodegrade rapidly after doing its job.
We also rely on Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds when we go camping for doing dishes and as a spray cleaner, since we are positive it won’t contaminate the soil or surrounding waterways.
And a little goes a long way! Since it’s a cleaning concentrate, you just need to add a few drops to clean your entire house.
Laundry: 2-3 Tbsp. for a large load in a top loading washer. Optional: ½ c. baking soda in wash cycle, 1 c. vinegar in rinse cycle. Use half these amounts for HE washes
All Purpose Spray: 1 tablespoon Sal Suds in a quart of water. Put the water in the bottle first. Use on most of the aforementioned surfaces.
All Purpose Spray is also used for the following:
- Stainless Steel Sink: Spray and sprinkle with baking soda from a shaker. Then scrub.
- Microsuede: Spray and scrub with a gentle circular motion.
- Wood: Painted or Sealed (not waxed) – Spray and wipe with a microfiber cloth
- Toilets: Empty toilet, spray bowl thoroughly, sprinkle baking soda on the brush, scrub bowl, let sit 10 minutes, turn water on, flush.
Carpets: 1 drop of Sal Suds in a carpet cleaner with hot water; All Purpose Spray for spots (use sparingly)
Veggie Wash: 1 drop of Sal Suds in a bowl of water. Dunk and swish the produce. Rinse
Window Wash: (aka Sal Suds Lite) ½ tsp. in a quart of water. Put the water in the bottle first. Spray and squeegee. Follow up with a spray of pure club soda and squeegee.
Dish washing by hand:
Pre-diluted: (my preference) ½ c. Sal Suds in a quart of water in a squirt bottle. Fill with water nearly to the top before adding Sal Suds.
Undiluted: ½ tsp. Sal Suds in a large sink of water. 1 drop Sal Suds for one pot.
Mopping: ½ Tbsp. Sal Suds in approximately 3 gallons of hot water. 20 drops tea tree oil optional. Put the water in the bucket first. Dunk mop (microfiber, preferably) and wring thoroughly.
Cars: ½ Tbsp. in a 3 gallon bucket of water. Put the water in the bucket first. Wet car down with hose. Wash with large sponge, or soft microfiber cloth. Rinse with hose before Suds dry.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON HEALTHY CLEANING SUPPLIES AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
I can’t help but mention that the BEST place to purchase Dr Bronner’s Sal Suds is through Grove Collaborative. You can purchase a 32 ounce bottle for just $13.99! (compared to Amazon where the cheapest I’ve found it is $19.99).
It’s is also where I purchase my beautiful glass spray bottles that I use for my DIY spray cleaners using Dr Bronner’s Sal Suds, since I add Essential Oils for scent and additional disinfecting. Anytime you use essential oils, even when diluted, it’s best to use glass containers. Essential oils can dissolve plastics over time.
Grove Collaborative is dedicated to helping everyone create a healthy, beautiful home. They grew out of a simple belief: the best natural products for your home and family should be the easiest to get.
At Grove Collaborative, they do the work to find amazing, affordable and effective natural products – from non-toxic laundry detergents that are tough on stains to sustainably sourced argan oil that will make your hair and skin glow.
CLICK HERE TO SAVE $10 OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER WITH GROVE COLLABORATIVE
Life is too busy for last minute errands so they deliver to your doorstep, on your schedule. They work in collaboration with partner brands that share our values and vision. Everything you’ll find here meets the Grove Standard:
- Uncompromisingly healthy.
- Beautifully effective.
- Sustainably minded.
- Amazingly affordable.
Grove Collaborative is a Certified B Corp. one of just 1,700 companies like Beautycounter, Patagonia, Method, Seventh Generation, Etsy, and Ben & Jerry’s that meet the world’s most rigorous standard for businesses supporting social, environmental and community wellbeing.
I also purchase my paper towel, toilet paper, cleaning brushes, sponges, tooth brushes head refills, razor refills, deodorant, etc. with Grove Collaborative’s convenient monthly shipment option. There’s no membership fees or contracts, but you WILL save time and money when you shop Grove Collaborative.
NOTE: this is not a sponsored post. It is not endorsed by or affiliated in any way with any of the brands pictured/mentioned. However there are links included in this post which will provide me with a small % or other referral fee for my recommendation – these links are no different than stores like walmart/target/costco getting a percentage of your sale in exchange for their advertising and/or operating costs. I, personally, would rather my friend make a couple bucks on my purchases instead of a large corporation… you too?
I’ve just purchased a small humidifier that requires weekly cleaning of water scale from the tank. Instructions call for two cups of white vinegar to do this. I’m not willing to buy GMO vinegar but organic vinegar is just too expensive for this purpose. Can I use Sal Suds for this, and how would I do that? Thanks for the guidance.
I’m not familiar with how to us sal suds for this application, I suggest reaching out to Dr Bronners directly.
Hello Hayley! Thank you for sharing this. I am also moving away from that conventional, generic supermarkets’ brand of distilled white vinegar in favor of not supporting GMOs. I do have a question though. Whole Foods sells a one gallon container of organic distilled white vinegar with the non-gmo stamp for just over $5. That seems reasonable. Wouldn’t that be an affordable option? Thank you.
yes, $5 is a great price! We (like most people) don’t have a local Whole Foods but it’s a great tip for those who do!
I have heard that adding vinegar in the washer rots out rubber hoses and rings. Also, a lot of people think that white vinegar and baking soda (together) make an effective cleaner because it fizzes when, in actuality, they neutralize each other and so, therefore, are ineffective as a cleaner. Separately, they are okay, but not when mixed together – together you are just basically ending up with salt.