I think I've mentioned by now how sensitive my skin is to everything. No? Oh. My skin is sensitive to damn near everything.
So anyway, because of that, I am careful about my laundry detergent, my dishsoap, my handsoap, and my bathroom and kitchen cleaners too.
What does she use? You may or may not be asking.
Well, for those of you who were asking, I use a mixture of water and white vinegar. The truth is, you don't have to dillute white vinegar to clean with it. But watch out when you clean the microwave! (Stings the eyes and nose you know.)
Wait Michelle, you may be thinking, white vinegar will not kill every kind of dangerous bacteria that may be lurking around in my home. Michelle, some bacteria have a mucos coating around them that protects them from vinegar and even extreme hot and cold tempuratures.
Yes, you're right, that is so true. You know what I do for those really bad nasties that the white vinegar wont hurt badly enough? I mix 2 or 3 drops of bleach into 2 or 3 cups of water and put it in a spray bottle (don't confuse this spray bottle with the one containing the white vinegar, and DON'T mix them together.) After you apply this mixture, (after opening a window and while wearing gloves of course,) make sure you rub it around to make sure that it penitrates the mucos coating on the bacteria.
I always use the bleach mixture in the bathroom because bathroom stuff is gross. Everywhere else I only use the bleach mixture every other week or so, unless I've been working in the dirt (that happens to be where the worst mucos-covered culprits reside.)
Hey, wait a minute, you can't scrub inside the tap! What about that?
Oh yeah, that's right, the tap. I put the bleach mixture in a cup and submerg the tap into it for 2 min (that gives it enough time to dissolve the mucos coating) and that takes care of that.
You're so weird, Michelle.
Yes, I know. But I do what I have to do. My skin doesn't like most cleaners (which happen to be ineffective against the mucos-covered bacteria anyway) and my lungs don't like the fumes that come from them. You see, I've been forced to look into strange, but effective alternatives.
Aside from no dangerous fumes or skin irritation, another thing I like about cleaning my kitchen table and counter tops with white vinegar is the fact that I don't cringe when my kids lick stuff off the table. I don't have to worry if whatever they lapped up is laced with whatever's in the clorox wipes or disinfectant spray.
I save the clorox wipes for the grocery store carts. Thankfully, my kids have out-grown licking those. :)
Anyway, I got the white vinegar tip from the land of the healthy nerd people who drink weird green stuff with kelp in it and don't wash their hair with shampoo (I frequent that place.) I got the bleach and water advice from the show Kitchen Crimes. Now you don't have to belive me cuz you have my sources.
Have a good day! :)