The many uses for Vinegar

Finally!  A list of uses for vinegar here on my blog so I could pull it up and refer to it quickly.  So many good ideas.  If I could remember where I got this on the web, I would give credit.  I printed it out quite awhile ago.Without further ado:

1.  Clean dirt off PCs and electronics (Mix equal parts vinegar and water and apply with damp cloth.  Do not use a spray bottle.  Use cotton swabs for tight spaces)

2.  Get rid of smoke and other odors (Burned steak or popcorn? Cigarette smell?  Remove lingering smoky odor by placing a shallow bowl of white distilled or apple cider vinegar in the room where scent is strongest)

3.  Wipe away mildew (Use undiluted vinegar to wipe away heavy mildew stains.  Mix with water and use a vinegar mist in a spray bottle to prevent mildew stains from forming in rugs and carpets)

4.  Clean chrome and stainless steel (apply light misting of undiluted white distilled vinegar and buff with soft cloth)

5.  Unglue stickers, decals, and price tags (saturate residue left from stickers with full strength vinegar and scrape off.  Use expired credit card to scrape)

6. Remove carpet stains (for light stains mix 2 tablespoons salt with 1/2 cup white vinegar.  Rub into the stain, let dry and vacuum. For tough, ground-in dirt and other stains, make a paste of 1 tablespoon vinegar with 1 tablespoon corn starch, and rub it into the stain using a dry cloth.  Let it set for two days then vacuum)

7.  Keep windows frost free (vinegar is a great way to keep frost from forming on your car windows. Spray your windows with mixture of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water)

8.  Refresh your refrigerator (mix equal parts of vinegar and water and wipe down the interior and exterior of your refrigerator)

9.  Steam clean your microwave (fill a bowl with 1 cup water and 1/4 cup vinegar.  Set bowl in the microwave and heat on high for 5 minutes.  Once the bowl cools down, use the solution to wipe off the walls of the microwave)

10.  Disinfect cutting boards (use full strength vinegar to clean cutting boards or butcher block counter tops)

11.  Clean china, crystal, and glassware ( To prevent hard-water stains from showing up, add a few ounces of vinegar to your dishwater)

12.  Ease sunburn and itching (gently rub a sunburn or rash with cotton balls or a soft cloth soaked with white vinegar.  Also good for insect bites or rashes from poison ivy)

13.  Clean your eye glasses (apply a few drops of white vinegar to your eye glasses and wipe with a soft cloth.  Do NOT use vinegar on plastic lenses. 

14.  Stop reds from running (soak new 'red' clothes in a few cups of undiluted white vinegar for 10-15 minutes before their first washing. You'll never have to worry about runnng colors again. This also works with other bright colors)

Poo Spray

When I first discovered this DIY home-made spray, little did I know how often I would refill it.  It is so fun and easy to make and works like a charm.  Note to self, send a thank you to the original makers of "Poo-Pourri." To watch the funny video that is laugh-out-loud crassly hysterical and instructional, click here to view!

I ordered the original product a few times and reuse the bottles.  I've given this DIY spray as a gift, carried them with me in my travel toiletry kit, and have them in each of my bathrooms here at home.  

Super easy to make, here's the recipe.  There are too many scent options to list but I'll note my favorites below.

Supplies:

4-8 oz. spray bottle (or bigger, just double or triple the recipe)

Witch Hazel (or rubbing alcohol but I prefer the odorless Witch Hazel)

various Essential Oils "Poo-Pourri,"(see list for suggestions below)

Water

RECIPE:

Mix the following ingredients in a glass jar and then pour into your spray bottle.  You may have some ingredients left over or you may want to make a double batch. It all depends on the size of your spray bottle.  I've used spray bottles as small as 2 oz. (to fit tidily into my travel kit) and up to 8 oz. (that can be kept in a cupboard near the commode for easy access).

1/2 cup water

2 Tablespoons Witch Hazel

15 drops of each of these essential oils:

bergamot, lemongrass, and lemon (this is the original "poo-pourri" scent).

Directions for use: Shake bottle and spray into the toilet 7-9 times before you 'go poo.'

Scent combinations:

*15 drops each bergamot, lemongrass, and lemon (original scent and LOVE this one!)

*15 drops sweet orange, 8 drops of clove (LOVE)

*15 drops each lavender and vanilla (LOVE)

*15 drops each spearmint and eucalyptus (like this one, too!)

*15 drops each pine and juniper (manly)

*15 drops each eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender (have not tried this one yet)

Recycling Electronics

Read my latest Living Green column contribution in South Tulsa Living magazine, July 2017 issue. Click HERE to read the entire article!

Doggie Treats for your special Fido

Since I began writing quarterly for our South Tulsa Living neighborhood magazine, it's been easy to let slide posting to my Living Green blog.  But this recipe is too good to forget.  Our pooch (grand-dog) loves them, and yours will, too.  They are healthy and easy to make.

 

To read the entire magazine article, click HERE.

Living Green wrapping up 2016

Hard to believe I've been writing this column for South Tulsa Living for well over a year now.  As we get ready to greet a new year and bid farewell to 2016, I look back on a year of 'Living Green One step at a time' columns with gratitude and a sense of accomplishment.  Once again, I want to say thank you to the publisher, Candy Trenary, and editor, Terri Jeffers, for allowing me huge leeway in writing anything my little heart desires.  They are both gracious and supportive in all ways and I am so lucky to know these women.

To read article, click HERE!

Beginning in 2017, I'll be contributing quarterly rather than monthly (March, June, September, and December).  Fewer articles, less writing, but researched, penned, and submitted with the same enthusiasm I currently maintain for all things living green, one of my favorite topics.

December's article was fun to write and even more enjoyable to photograph.  These decorations are so easy to make and can be put together quickly anytime you have need of an impromptu centerpiece. Use what you have on hand...glass jars, greenery clipped from outside, flowers in season, ribbon or twine...

Thanksgiving (South Tulsa Living, November 2017)

“Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.”  –Edward Sandford Martin

To read column, click HERE!

“I am grateful for what I am and have.  My thanksgiving is perpetual…O how I laugh when I think of my vague indefinite riches. No run on my bank can drain it, for my wealth is not possession but enjoyment.”  –Henry David Thoreau

October Living Green Column

When I opened up the South Tulsa Living October issue to view my article, my eyes about bugged out.  A truly beautiful layout design and couldn't have been happier.  Thanks, you guys, for making my words and photos look so polished!  

To read full article, click HERE!

Roses- Living Green Column, September 2016

South Tulsa Living, September 2016

I'd never heard of rose rosette virus until I moved to Tulsa.  If your KnockOuts or other beloved rose bushes are looking sick, read on.  Your roses could have the rose rosette disease.

To read article, click HERE!

Living Green AUGUST 2016

It was gratifying to find a way to share one of my favorite stories illustrating the power of one.  This story has been around quite awhile but I still remember when I first read it and how it made an impression.  The starfish represent different ideas, depending on how we want to interpret the it. I chose to apply it to the choices we make when trying to reduce, reuse, recycle.

Check out the latest Living Green column in this August edition of South Tulsa Living HERE!

Cancel catalog subscriptions

Reuse food safe plastic bags for storage of leftovers

This bag even has a zip lock closure for retaining freshness

So many options for Meatless Monday

Living Green AUGUST 2016

It was gratifying to find a way to share one of my favorite stories illustrating the power of one.  This story has been around quite awhile but I still remember when I first read it and how it made an impression.  The starfish can represent different ideas, depending on interpretation. I chose to apply it to the choices we make when trying to reduce, reuse, recycle.

Check out the latest Living Green column in this August edition of South Tulsa Living HERE!

Cancel catalog subscriptions

Reuse food safe plastic bags for storage of leftovers

This bag even has a zip lock closure for retaining freshness

So many options for Meatless Monday

Meatless Mondays

The folks at South Tulsa Living just keep doing it better and better with every issue.  Couldn't have been more pleased with my column in the June issue of our neighborhood magazine.  Thanks, Candy and Terri and Matt, for making me look so good!

To read the entire article, click here!

No More Plastic Wrap

This woman's video is worth sharing here!  I use some cling wrap and many little plastic baggies to store food.  Time for me to rethink this entire subject and start replacing my plastic wrap with some of these simple but effective reusable ideas.  It's right up my alley.  I can do this!

Going the extra mile

While putting the finishing touches on my Living Green column for the South Tulsa Living May 2016 edition, it came to my attention I had not yet posted my most recent article from this month's publication.  

Here it is!  Part 2 in a two-part series on recycling here in Tulsa. Would love to hear some feed back on how you handle these items that are not recyclable in your curbside program. Every place is a little different. Educate me on what folks are doing in your part of the country!

To read article click HERE!