Thoroughly Clean Thursday: Vinegar

So a few years ago, I used to roll my eyes at people who were conscience about chemicals and all things "crunchy granola." I thought that people overreacted a lot and that they should not make a big deal out of it. So many people use chemical based products and are just fine. However, I find that as I get older and research more about what is best for my children and family, I am becoming one of those people. It started with being determined to deliver my babies without any medical interventions. I know many people use epidurals or other pain management during child birth, and I'm sure if I had long labors that involved pitocin or other extreme circumstances, I would have ended up with one. I'm not trying to say anything negative about medication because I know sometimes, it really is necessary. For me, however, it was best to go natural. Anyway, next came vaccines. Again, I wanted to limit medications entering into my babies little, delicate bodies. We get some vaccines, and eventually they will have all of them, but I see absolutely no reason why my one day old newborn needs to be vaccinated against an STD. I moved from there to making my own baby food, and then on to cloth diapers and wipes(something I swore I'd never do...). What does this have to do with cleaning? Well, my new obsession to do things as "crunchy" as possible has moved on to the way I choose to clean. I am now using vinegar. Yep, that's right. From now on, I am going to use that stinky stuff. It's great though! And it really doesn't smell THAT bad. I have a spray bottle filled with half vinegar and half water, and then a smaller spray bottle filled with just water for Sweet T to use (but don't tell him that it's different than mine:)). I feel safe with it. I do not worry about nasty chemicals coming into contact with my precious babies. Sweet T can help me as much as his little heart desires, where as before he could only help with dry wipes and such. You can also scrub the shower with it! Just sprinkle with baking soda and then spray with vinegar. It can unclog drains. Again, sprinkle with baking soda and pour vinegar down the drain, wait a little while and then pour boiling water down the drain. I have seen websites that list other ways you can use it to clean too. Added benefit: it's cheap!

Disclaimer: I still roll my eyes at a lot of "crunchy" things people do. While I believe that God commands us to care for the earth He created for us, I think people take it too far. I do what I do because it's best for my CHILDREN, not because I want to save the planet or anything.