Like all of my zero-waste idols, I have now hopped on the vinegar train. It took a little while to get started (mainly because I was finishing up some all-purpose cleaner I already had under the sink that I felt too guilty to just pour down the drain and too lazy to try to find a new home for a half-bottle of cleaning spray). Also, by finishing up the cleaner I already had, it meant just refilling the empty spray bottle with my new vinegar concoction! No bottle purchase necessary.  

I absolutely love lavender so after buying a bunch from my local farmers market for home décor purposes, I used the leftovers to soak in a jar of vinegar for a couple of weeks (inspired by an aesthetically pleasing Instagram post I had come across).  The result was the prettiest purple-pink colored, lavender-smelling vinegar which I combined with water (1:4 ratio) to create my new non-toxic, all-purpose cleaner!  

I was SO happy with the mix that I immediately began cleaning. Starting with the bathroom then on to the kitchen, the apartment started to sparkle. For tough spots, I broke out the touted baking soda. I was so pleased with this simple, inexpensive cleaner and with the latest zero-waste step I had taken. I surged with pride even more when my boyfriend came home and immediately commented on how great the apartment looked. Job well done, vinegar. Jobbb well done.  

A couple of things to note that I came across while looking into cleaning with vinegar:

·      Vinegar should not be used on stone surfaces like marble or granite

·      Yes, vinegar smells like vinegar. Even with the lavender-infused, you can still tell that it’s vinegar. The smell will dissipate, though, after 20 minutes or so.