Happy Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day and to celebrate I'm going to share with you my two new favorite things:  Baking Soda and Vinegar.  I know, those two items aren't exactly "new" but they have only recently risen to the top of my favorites list.

My new best friends.

It seems that Baking Soda and Vinegar, both together and separately, have seemingly endless uses that I keep learning about or discovering on my own.  To keep it simple, I'll make a list:



My new hair care routine.

• In the Refrigerator-Who doesn't have a box of A&H (Arm & Hammer. I was going to go with B.S. for Baking Soda and thought better of it.) in their fridge or freezer?  Yes, it keeps the air fresh and clean and absorbs odors.  Nothing new here but it still works. Stage 1 of my Baking Soda and Vinegar love affair.
• In the Bathroom-Brush your teeth with A&H to get your teeth extra clean and a little whiter.  When my teeth feel particularly dirty, this is my go-to solution.  Stage 2-The attraction begins.
• In your Laundry-When nothing could get the sweaty smell out of my husband's colorful (unbleachable) workout gear, I finally put in some A&H and vinegar and.....Stink-B-Gone! Stage 3-Could this be love?
• In the Shower-Here's one of my newer finds:  Mix some A&H with water and use it to wash your hair!  I was skeptical at first but I have to say, it really works!  And, my hair is soft and healthy to boot!  Follow up with some ACV (apple cider vinegar) and water and you have a "conditioner" of sorts.  Check out this post from Simple Mom where I learned this trick.  Awesome! Stage 4-Yep, it's love.
• In the Kitchen (again)-since A&H worked so well on my hair, I decided to see how well it would clean greasy kitchen crud.  Before resorting to the A&H, I had tried to clean the front of my greasy microwave with a brand name kitchen cleaner that was made for cutting through grease.  Not only did it not work, it smelled awful and my skin felt yucky (Very descriptive, I know.)  So, off to get the A&H!  I got a dishtowel damp and sprinkled some A&H on the towel and started scrubbing.  The grease came right off!  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Stage 5-Completely head-over-heels.

My Green & Clean Team.

I now have spray bottles filled with 50/50 vinegar/water solution, 50/50 A&H and water solution, 100% vinegar, and a shaker bottle for A&H (made from an old empty Coffeemate Creamer container).  I can't believe how effective these cleaners are.  They're also easy to make and CHEAP!

At this point, I'm walking around the house with A&H strapped to one hip and a spray bottle of Vinegar strapped to the other waiting for dirt to make the first move.  Honestly, dirt doesn't stand a chance.  I've got an itchy trigger finger.

Remember-Keep it Green!
Blessings,
Laura