After moving to Germany and starting a graduate program at the university, I was pretty broke... well, real broke. So, of course I tried to cut expenses as much as possible and opted for the cheapest thing on the shelf instead of the eco-friendly andor higher quality products.
The day I impulsively grabbed an all-purpose cleaner in a bright, and I mean bright, pink plastic bottle off the shelf, I felt a little guilty and even slightly alarmed by the way the obnoxious color seemed to hint at the toxicity of its chemical contents. I used this cleaner for months, despite its nauseating artificial scent (comparable to likes of pine tree air fresheners) and the fact that my skinned burned after using it.
An added bonus of using a vinegar/water solution in your bathroom is that it is the arch enemy of mold. As a person living in Hamburg, Germany, this is a god-send. For some reason, the humid and cool weather make it some kind of paradise for all varieties of mold. As somewhat of a self-made mold exterminator I have come to appreciate vinegar on a whole new level.
The one draw-back of vinegar is that it does dry out your skin so feel free to use gloves when cleaning and then a healthy portion of hand lotion (coconut oil) afterward.
The day I impulsively grabbed an all-purpose cleaner in a bright, and I mean bright, pink plastic bottle off the shelf, I felt a little guilty and even slightly alarmed by the way the obnoxious color seemed to hint at the toxicity of its chemical contents. I used this cleaner for months, despite its nauseating artificial scent (comparable to likes of pine tree air fresheners) and the fact that my skinned burned after using it.
DIY Cleaning Solution: Vinegar and Water
Finally, I'd had enough. With a little searching online I quickly found a wonderful solution. Vinegar. Vinegar is an amazing liquid with a variety of uses in addition to making salads and pickling veggies. I soon started making a vinegar and water solution that I have used to clean the kitchen and bathroom.
A friend sent me a link to the Zero Waste Home blog some great recipes for all kinds of things, and that recipe includes castile soap to cover up the sour smell that vinegar can leave. Due to my laziness perhaps and an only half-way attempt at finding castile soap in Germany I decided to just use vinegar and water. It works fine for me and it is cheap! The smell sticks around for a day or two but I barely notice it anymore.
A friend sent me a link to the Zero Waste Home blog some great recipes for all kinds of things, and that recipe includes castile soap to cover up the sour smell that vinegar can leave. Due to my laziness perhaps and an only half-way attempt at finding castile soap in Germany I decided to just use vinegar and water. It works fine for me and it is cheap! The smell sticks around for a day or two but I barely notice it anymore.
Vinegar Also Kills Mold :)
An added bonus of using a vinegar/water solution in your bathroom is that it is the arch enemy of mold. As a person living in Hamburg, Germany, this is a god-send. For some reason, the humid and cool weather make it some kind of paradise for all varieties of mold. As somewhat of a self-made mold exterminator I have come to appreciate vinegar on a whole new level.
Use Gloves When Cleaning
The one draw-back of vinegar is that it does dry out your skin so feel free to use gloves when cleaning and then a healthy portion of hand lotion (coconut oil) afterward.
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