How to make multi-purpose vinegar cleaning spray | Zero waste tutorial

This is one of the easiest, cheapest zero waste tutorials ever!

I now substitute the use of the bulk of my at-home cleaning products with a simple home-made vinegar cleaning solution composed of white vinegar and water. With vinegar costing less than 1 euro a litre here at my local package-free store, it’s also dirt cheap, and certainly cheaper than any of the cleaning products at the supermarket.

The smell of vinegar takes getting used to but I’m totally fine with it and prefer it to the headache-inducing fumes of store-bought cleaning products. Not only does vinegar leave no smell behind when it evaporates, it is also a great deodoriser, so it’s ideal for the bathroom.

If the smell bothers you for the few minutes until it evaporates, you can simply scent your home-made cleaner with essential oils. If you’re going to do that, though, be aware that some types of essential oils can be harmful to pets.

I’ve found vinegar to be effective at cleaning most types of dirt and grime, and use it to clean the sink, toilet, floors, windows, kitchen and tables. That being said, it’s not as powerful as some store-bought products, so if you’re dealing with very dirty surfaces more scrubbing might be in order.

How is vinegar all-purpose cleaner good for the environment?

Cleaning with vinegar lets you cut down on plastic packaging. Here, zero waste stores sell package-free white vinegar at even lower prices than supermarkets. But even if you do buy packaged white vinegar at the supermarket, you consume less packaging overall—as the vinegar is diluted with water, one bottle will last you a long time.

Not only do cleaning products like Javel and Jif release toxic fumes into your home, they’re also bad for the environment. Household cleaners run back into the water system through your drainage system. Waste water is treated before being released back into the world, but not all pollutants can be effectively removed.

Vinegar may damage surfaces made of natural stone, marble, granite, paint and hardwood, depending on how little or how much you dilute it with water. When in doubt use more water.

Zero waste vinegar all-purpose cleaning spray tutorial

Ingredients:

• White vinegar (I use 8%)
• Water
• Empty spray bottle (a recycled one will do)

Step 1

Pour one portion of vinegar into the empty spray bottle.

Step 2

Add three portions of water.

Step 3

There is no step three. It’s that easy!

You can also add less water to the vinegar (which is what I do when fighting mould) or even use it pure when dealing with more stubborn dirt. If you use a higher concentration of vinegar, simply increase the proportion of water.

ATTENTION: If you are looking to disinfect, say, door handles to ensure they are coronavirus free, use soap or actual disinfectant. Vinegar has antibacterial properties and can reduce pathogens, but may not be effective against viruses like COVID-19.

Happy spraying!