Prudent and Practical

Right now, its the middle of a cold winter at our home in Iowa. We have being shut in the house for nearly 2 months, and the air was starting to get a little bit stale. Adding to the atmosphere are our 5 pets (3 cats and 2 dogs), who are all indoor animals. Most pet owners can attest that although having an animal companion is wonderful, the aroma of cat and dog can often be less than pleasant.  in the warmer months, usually opening a window for some fresh air is all it takes, but in the middle of winter, opening a window for fresh air is not a option.

As new homeowners, we were looking for a quick and effective way to help spruce up the aroma of the house. We started our air freshening adventure using Glade Plug-Ins scented oil air fresheners.

PLUGIN air freshener pros and cons

Glade-Plugin, smells nice, but not the most prudent

Pros:

• They do make the house smell nice
• Convenient, just plug it in and let it do the work
• Refillable, once one runs out, just drop in a replacement

Cons:

• Only last about one month
• Don’t eliminate odors, just cover them up with a stronger scent.
• Expensive
• Run on electricity
• Can get hot if left empty and plugged in for a longtime

During the Glade experiment, we decided to start looking for an alternative solution. We wanted something cheap and effective that was also all natural. We were researching online for solutions and after reading, I suggested we try vinegar. Vinegar is a weak form of acetic acid created by fermentation. Often used in cooking, it is also a natural, inexpensive cleaner and deodorizer. The cleaning and deodorizing powers of vinegar is well documented, but could it help deodorize a 5 animal house in the middle of winter?

Our vinegar deodorizing test set up:

• Placed 1 bowl of vinegar in every room of the house
• Used larger amount (volume)  for larger rooms
• Left out for 24-48 hours

As the test began the smell of vinegar permeated through the air, but it was not too overwhelming. After a few hours, the aroma of vinegar was no longer noticeable. After day 1 there was a definite freshness in the air. It was apparent the vinegar was cleansing the air. After day 2, the smell of “stale winter” was eliminated. To confirm we were not just becoming acclimated with our surroundings, we invited a group of friends over and had them give the house the “sniff test”. It passed with flying colors!

I had my doubts , but after using the vinegar, the results couldn’t be ignored. Now vinegar has moved into our cleaning products as one of the most popular cleaning products in the house. At $2 for 32oz, its inexpensive and works great.

Natural, effective, affordable. Truly a prudent and practical cleaner.

Vinegar, the prudent and practical air freshener!

There are many resources online that discuss other ways to use vinegar as a household cleaning product. These were some of our favorites:

http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/vinegar

http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/cleaningtipsandrecipes/a/Clean_Vinegar.htm