Your mother was right when she told you to eat your veggies because green vegetables are loaded with nutrients that can lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, and obesity. They are great for weight loss assistance because of the vitamins, minerals, and low calorie content. But how do you get them in your diet if you don’t want to eat salads all the time?

Sometimes you have to trick yourself into eating more greens. By “trick yourself,” we mean that you have to sneak them into dishes and mask their flavor. Blending them into your smoothies is one of the easiest ways to do that. You can use lettuce, cabbage, or collard leaves as taco shells, sauté some spinach and mix it in with mashed potatoes, or even make some stir-fry with green beans, broccoli, zucchini, leeks, cabbage, and more!

If you are trying to be a healthier person and incorporate vegan or vegetarian recipes into your life, it is very easy to do so on St. Patrick’s Day. The Irish have been celebrating the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, since the fifth century. There’s no reason we should put an end to tradition, which that is why we are giving you some of our favorite green recipes to make a feast. Try them out and let us know how you like them!

Recharge Your Cells With This Kale Smoothie

This smoothie is full of nutrients and it is packed with superfoods! The kale, ginger, and lime juice actually help to flush toxins from your body, while nourishing your cells in the process.

Click here to make the recipe.

Vegetarian Cabbage Soup

Cabbage is a very versatile vegetable (say that five times fast!) that can easily take on seasonings and flavors. This soup is great for helping you stay warm, but it also works to nourish your gut.

Click here to make the recipe.

Baby Collard Tacos

Baby collard leaves can fit in your hand, making them the perfect size and shape for raw taco shells. Your taste buds are going to be so surprised with the intense flavors in this recipe.

Click here to make the recipe.

Melon Spice Mocktail

We couldn’t let you enjoy St. Patty’s Day without a drink! Blending this drink makes you feel as though you are indulging in a margarita, even though you aren’t!

Click here to make the recipe.

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Before the New Year begins, people do their best to get their ducks in a row to achieve resolutions. The easy part is saying that you will do whatever your resolution is. Once the first couple weeks of the New Year pass, motivation begins to dwindle. Exercising every day turns into exercising a couple times per week. Reading every night gets replaced by your favorite TV shows before bed. Eventually, you abandon the resolution altogether, leaving you heavy with the feeling of failure. 

It’s easy to fall into the trap of self-loathing when you don’t achieve your goals. If your plan to save money or lose weight doesn’t work out, your self-esteem can take a big hit. Failure is an inevitable part of life and nobody is perfect, so there’s no reason to beat yourself up for abandoning resolutions. More often than not, the people who embrace failure often generate more motivation to succeed. 

Why Do New Year’s Resolutions Fail?

Do you want the complete, honest truth? Let us first tell you that resolutions are problematic, primarily because they aspirational. This means that people think that setting these goals will change who they are, but the authentic self can never be silenced. So how do you maintain commitment to your resolutions when they are the farthest things from what you know to be true? Resolutions are often so grandiose that they are not easy to commit to, causing self-doubt and eventual failure. That’s why it’s better to set intentions and break resolutions up into smaller, more manageable goals. 

If you recently gave up on your New Year’s resolution and feel down in the dumps, the following tips will help you get back on the horse. It’s never too late to bounce back and focus on strategy and success!

Reframe Your Failure

It’s easy to look at your failure through a negative lens, but failing at a resolution is not a poor reflection of your character. It’s best to analyze failure so that you can learn from it, improve, and ultimately try again. Through failure, you can see where you thrive and where your weaknesses are. Plus, you build up resilience when you emerge from the ashes of your failure to try again. 

Acknowledge Your Strengths And Weaknesses

When you fail at anything, the hardest thing to do is to see where you succeeded. You failed at achieving your goal, so you naturally point out weaknesses, but it’s constructive to analyze your strengths as well. In fact, when you examine both your weaknesses and your strengths, you can correct yourself for the future and invite change into your life. 

Keep Time On Your Side

The wheels can easily come off the resolution wagon, and one of the most common causes is poor time management. If getting fit is your goal, you have to plan out daily workouts and make them work with your schedule. Rather than stressing out beyond control, you abandon your workouts to focus on making breakfast for the kids, working on freelance projects, or whatever else demands your attention. Time management, in and of itself, is a great resolution to have, but you don’t have to wait for the New Year to practice time management. When you figure out how to make space for your resolution, you’ll have greater success. 

Applaud Your Efforts

You may not think that you deserve a pat on the back, but you did put some effort into your resolution. That’s worth something! Don’t deny yourself a little self-appreciation. Your efforts have merit and are worth celebrating. If you want to succeed with future resolutions, you have to be able to encourage yourself, even if you don’t hit your goals all the time. 

Set Yourself Up For Success

When you don’t see a resolution through, it’s easy to see that your goals may have been out of reach from the start. That shouldn’t stop you from trying again, though. When you come back for round two, be sure to evaluate your past processes to implement change for your future goals. Plan your route, so to speak, and expect a couple twists and turns along the way. The reality is that the road to accomplishing your goals is not smooth and flat. Realistic expectations will allow you to invest more time and effort into your journey. Be aware of the setbacks, acknowledge them when they arise, and keep moving forward. 

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Winter can seem like a very romantic time because something about cozying up seems romantic. There are various activities that seem to exclude single people, and there’s no fun in seeing everyone couple up. You don’t have to let couples enjoy an entire season while you sit it out and let your emotions get the better of you.

Regardless of your relationship status, you should always date yourself. That can mean different things for different people, but the general gist is enjoying alone time and treating yourself right. You don’t need to rely on anyone else during this alone time, which can often help relieve stress. There’s nothing like the winter season to start dating yourself. Continue reading to learn where to begin.

Go Ice Skating

As a quick note: don’t go ice skating on a questionable lake by yourself in the middle of nowhere. Ice skating at a holiday rink or on a public frozen pond can seem like a winter date idea, but it isn’t just an activity for couples. Going alone can be just as fun and you don’t have to worry about your skill level, so there is less pressure to “be good.” No need to impress anyone, so bundle up and head to the skating rink, get out on the ice, get in some exercise, and enjoy a hot beverage when you’re done. 

Take Yourself To A Show

You don’t have to spend your night in the house just because it’s cold outside. You can enjoy a night indoors and leave your house, too! Take yourself to a concert, show, comedy show, or movie. You can enjoy it with a friend or date, but there are many perks to attending shows alone. You don’t have to worry about abandoning anyone or worrying whether the person is enjoying it or not.

Teach Yourself Something New

One of the best ways to occupy your time and engage your brain is to learn something new. Consider learning a new language with an app or sign up for a drawing or pottery class. You can also take the time to learn a new instrument. There are so many informational tutorials for beginners and experts alike. You can teach yourself via these online videos or courses. The great thing about learning a new skill is that you might learn something new about yourself in the process!

Have A Nostalgia Night

Do you remember the days of living room forts and staying up all night watching TV or playing games? Adulthood doesn’t mean that you have to give up on those nights! Keep your memories alive and make new ones by building a cozy adult fort with pillows and blankets. Spend the night revisiting old TV shows and movies you love. If you have a record player and vinyl records, have a night where you enjoy a glass or two of wine and just listen to your favorite records from front to back. Make some snacks or go out and buy a few favorites from your youth. The possibilities on a nostalgia night are endless!

Cook A Fancy Dinner

This doesn’t just have to be a wintertime activity because you deserve a fancy dinner whenever you want one. Most fancy dinners are labor intensive, so you may not want to go through the effort all the time. That said, consider taking yourself out to dinner if you don’t have the right ingredients or culinary tools on hand. Preparing a quality meal from scratch, while it requires time, often delivers a great sense of accomplishment. Not only will you feel proud of yourself for pulling the dish off, but you’ll also make your taste buds happy.

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The way to eat freshest ingredients is to buy seasonal produce. Some fruits and vegetables are available year round in commercial grocery stores, but certain produce items taste better during the winter. If you go to a farmer’s market, you are guaranteed to see the best seasonal produce varieties.

To get an idea of what fruits and vegetables you should be buying this winter, check out the list below. These produce items can do some amazing things for your health!

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are the staple spud for the holiday season. They are incredibly versatile and are rich in fiber, vitamins, and beta-carotene. Since they are relatively low on the glycemic index, they help you feel full without actually making you sluggish.

Blood Oranges

Blood oranges are rare in some parts, but they are more than worth it if they grace the shelves at your local grocery store or farmer’s market. They are popular from December until March and have a dark red and orange flesh. It’s like looking at a tie-dye shirt inside a fruit. They are rich in anthocyanins, which are red flavonoid pigments that have powerful antioxidant properties. According to nutritionists, anthocyanins also have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce bacterial infections and heart disease.

Winter Squash

The list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning winter squash. Since there are so many colors and varieties to choose from, where do you start? You can’t go wrong with butternut or spaghetti squash, and kabocha and golden squash are loaded with carotenoids, vitamin A, and potassium. We like these roasted, but you can incorporate them into many recipes.

Kiwis

While kiwis are more prevalent certain times throughout the year, many grocery stores carry them year round. When you eat one kiwi, you get 7% of the magnesium, 9% of the potassium, and 2% of the calcium you need every day. One kiwi also contains more vitamin C than an orange!

Bananas

Bananas are notorious for having potassium and magnesium. These are great nutrients for lowering cortisol levels, i.e. stress hormones. Additionally, bananas are great for naturally getting rid of bloating, gas, or water weight. If your bananas are browning, you can freeze them and save them for smoothies instead of throwing them away.

Pineapples

Pineapples contain this awesome enzyme called thiamine, which helps the body break down carbohydrates. You know that afternoon coffee or soda you think you need every day? Pineapple water puts an end to that, helping you feel full and keeping your blood sugar in check.

Beets

We can’t say enough good things about beets, and they have a pretty distinct flavor profile. Perfect for winter soups, smoothies, or roasting with rainbow carrots, beets are rich in betalains, which are antioxidants that can help protect against degenerative diseases. The are also rich in vitamins A, B, & C, potassium, and folate, so there’s no reason not to enjoy them this winter.

Persimmons

Rich in dietary fiber and beneficial sterols, which can help reduce cholesterol levels, persimmons have been referred to as divine fruits. They help to improve digestion and can reduce plaque build-up.

Kumquats

Kumquats have a lengthy season, from October to June, but they are most plentiful from December to April. They are roughly the same size as grapes and their powerful, sweet-tart citrus flavor wakes up your taste buds. They go great in salads and are perfect for snacking; you can even eat the peel. In many Asian countries, kumquats have been used to improve respiratory and immune health, often remedying coughs, colds, and other inflammatory respiratory conditions. Lastly, about 5 kumquats will satisfy 73% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C, so eat up!

Celeriac

Last but not least, let us introduce you to the ugly winter produce item known as celeriac, also known as celery root. Ugly produce needs love too, and the antioxidants that protect healthy cells from free radical damage is just one reason to eat this winter veggie. Because celeriac is rich in vitamin K (64 micrograms per cup), it may be beneficial for bone health, considering that higher vitamin K intake is linked with reduced risk of bone fractures. You can chop it up and saute it, cut it into strips and bake it like fries, or steam it and puree it into a soup. We hope you like it!

Other Popular Winter Fruits & Vegetables

• Apples
• Avocados
• Carrots
• Pumpkin
• Spinach
• Turnips
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Rutabagas
• Leeks
• Onions

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With 2024 just around the corner, plans are coming together to create one final memory of 2023. You don’t have to give 2023 a grand farewell because going out on the town isn’t for everyone. In fact, it can be quite irritating and tricky to coordinate, especially if your plans involve a lot of people. Not to mention, creating a plan that pleases everyone is always a difficult feat. 

You can end 2023 on a happy note without attending a large party or special event. Some people like to see comedy shows or concerts, while others enjoy staying home. If you fall into the latter category then this article is for you. Here are some unique ways to welcome 2024!

Midnight Yoga Session

Are you a fitness geek? Is your goal to add more fitness into your life in 2024? Pledge to make 2024 a fruitful year for your health by starting it with a midnight yoga session. Consider coordinating this plan with a few friends, or bust a solo mission, but a group can provide more support and encouragement. Take your mats out to a garden area and begin your session when the clock strikes midnight. Alternatively, end your session with corpse pose to ring in the new year. Yoga helps to relieve stress and restore balance to prepare you for a good night’s rest.

Outdoor Movie Night

Make New Year’s Eve memorable by organizing an outdoor movie night. Transform your backyard, or the backyard of a friend’s house, into a cozy cinema setting. Set up a projector, hang some fairy lights or string lights, and get out some comfortable chairs and cozy blankets. Consider making a large batch of a warming beverage, such as hot cider, hot chocolate, or even a large batch of chai tea. Poll a few movie options between your group and see which one prevails. There’s nothing like a little slice of nostalgia to ring in 2024. 

Starry Night Picnic

If the weather permits (and this also applies to the above suggestion), welcome 2024 with a starry night picnic. Pack some delicious snacks, some warm drinks, and cozy blankets and jackets. You can plan this picnic in several unique ways. Head to a nearby park and watch the fireworks, remain in your backyard, head to the top of your building, or make a weekend out of it and visit a national park. If you choose the last option, the night will be quiet and stars should be in full view. Bask in the serenity of the peaceful night and gaze up at the stars with the one(s) you love. Spending the night solo isn’t a bad move either!

Time Capsule Tradition

Organize some friends, family, or even some neighbors to celebrate a time capsule tradition for New Year’s Eve. Encourage people to contribute letters or mementos and bury your time capsule at a designated spot. It’s up to you when you choose to open the time capsule next. Perhaps you dig it up in a year, five years, or 20 years! Opening your time capsule often creates a beautiful and sentimental tradition of celebrating the passage of time. 

Virtual Countdown Party

The beautiful thing about technology is that it can easily connect you to other people, relatives, and friends spread out around the globe. Host a virtual countdown party in the era of global connectivity! Due to the pandemic, your virtual connectivity game should be strong! Create games, share your resolutions, and countdown to the beginning of 2024 together.

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Focusing on fitness, improving your diet, and achieving better mental health are sound New Year’s resolutions. Don’t overlook the changes you need to make in order to reach your financial goals, though. If you keep your finances in mind, you can set a plan in motion that will encourage a more prosperous future. 

Right now is the perfect time to plan out the changes you want to make next year, given that 2023 is coming to a close. If you want to secure a more financially stable future, there are impactful, money-focused resolutions that you may want to consider. That doesn’t mean you have to abandon fitness goals, but you may want to consider starting the year with your finances in mind. Explore the following options and see if they make your resolution list. 

Quit Your Regular Savings Account And Open A High-Yield Option

It’s always a great idea to save because that provides a sense of security. The unfortunate reality is that savings accounts tend to fall short in regards to earning substantial interest. Take your financial future to the next level by closing your regular savings account and opting for a high-yield savings account instead. A high-yield savings account allows you to grow your money at a faster pace, considering that they have higher interest rates than regular savings accounts. Do a quick search or consult your financial advisor to find which high-yield savings account is right for you. 

Invest In Your Financial Knowledge

The world of finance constantly changes, so staying informed is vital to your financial success. One potential resolution you can adopt in 2024 is to invest more time in expanding your financial literacy. That may look like reading books or articles, meeting with a financial advisor, or taking online courses about finances. When you understand the intricacies of taxes, personal finance, and investing, you can make better decisions that aid your long-term financial goals. 

Create A Budget And Stick To It

If you want financial success, you have to learn to budget. Begin the year by creating a realistic budget that takes your income, expenses, and savings goals into account. Track your spending in a diligent way and make adjustments where necessary. If you manage your budget successfully, you can understand where your money is going and you’ll help yourself save more. A great first step to budgeting is to start making coffee or tea at home if you buy a coffee out every day. If you eat lunch out, consider meal prepping to help save more money.

Move Some Savings To A Certificate Of Deposit

If you want to maximize your savings, explore different investment options. Traditional savings accounts offer safety, but they don’t have the best interest rates that keep up with inflation. A regular savings account, for example, has an average 0.46% interest rate, which is lower than the current inflation rate. Rather than settling for a low interest rate, diversify your savings and set aside  some to a certificate of deposit (CD). A CD offers fixed interest rates, so you can leave your money deposited in the account until the CD matures. Explore the options available to you because there are so many out there. If you leave your money in a different type of account, you are potentially passing up an easy way to earn more money. 

Review And Update Your Insurance Policies

You cannot predict your future, which is why having the right insurance coverage can help your financial security. Take the time to review your insurance policies, including health, life, home, and car insurance policies. Does your coverage align with your current needs? If it doesn’t, contact your insurance providers to adjust your policies and provide a safety net.

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There is something to be said about a great cutting board. You probably use it all the time and may even use it as a charcuterie board on special occasions. When you use a wooden cutting board a lot, though, it begins to look dry and dull. It doesn’t retain that shine that sold you on it in the first place. Instead it looks beaten down with various knife cuts from repeated usage. That’s why you have to revive it with a conditioning treatment!

There are butcher block creams available at kitchen stores or online. Typically, the ingredient list is very short, usually consisting of beeswax and food-grade mineral oil. If the ingredient list is that simple, can’t you simply make your own? The answer, in case you were wondering, is yes. If you are already a DIY enthusiast, you may have beeswax and only need to procure food grade mineral oil. You can even buy a cutting board oil at most hardware stores!

How To Clean A Wooden Cutting Board

First off, always hand-wash your wooden cutting board. You don’t need to put your wooden cutting board or utensils in a dishwasher or submerge them in a sink full of soapy water. Both of those cleaning methods can actually warp or crack your wooden items. Remove any food bits with a bench scraper or spatula before placing it under water. If you notice stubborn stains, you can use a slurry of baking soda and water and scrub the mixture into the cutting board with a sponge.

Scrub the board with a sponge and hot soapy water (a mild dish soap is best). Always wash both sides of the cutting board to prevent uneven drying. Rinse the board and dry with a clean dish towel or paper towel. Stand it upright to prevent residual water from pooling and allow it to air-dry completely. 

How To Condition Your Wooden Cutting Board

Wood naturally dries out after frequent washings, which is why you have to condition it in order to prevent cracking. A properly conditioned cutting board also provides a protective barrier against moisture. That helps to keep the board clean and makes it less prone to warping or cracking. Conditioning your wooden cutting board also reduces the likelihood of staining or absorbing strong odors from certain foods. 

There are several ways to condition a wooden cutting board and if you have a method that works for you, wonderful. Some people prefer specific oils or waxes, so keep using the one you like if you fall into that category. Once you have your conditioner of choice, you want to dip the corner of a rag into the mixture and rub it around the cutting board. You should start to notice an improvement in appearance as you make your way across the cutting board. 

DIY Wooden Cutting Board Conditioning Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon beeswax pellets (or grated beeswax)
• 4 tablespoons food-grade mineral oil

Instructions:

• Combine the beeswax and mineral oil in a small heat-safe glass jar (a measuring cup or pint canning jar will work). Place the jar in a small saucepan filled with a couple inches of water over medium heat. 
• Keep the saucepan on the stove until the beeswax has fully melted. You want the contents in the jar to be completely liquid. 
• Pour the melted mixture into a small jar and allow it to cool at room temperature. It will turn into a gel-like consistency. 
• To use, dip the corner of a rag into the mixture and spread it onto the cutting board, rubbing it gently. Continue until you have completely conditioned the entire board.

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Ideally, everyone lives a responsible, sustainable lifestyle that helps reduce unnecessary waste. We all know that this isn’t the case, especially during the holiday season. Excess tape, tissue paper, wrapping paper, too much food, boxes, and more means one thing: excess waste. And while we encourage this time of celebration to mean something special, we also want it to benefit your wallet and the planet. 

The holidays can wreak havoc on your wallet, but it’s often your own doing. You get caught up in the festivities, but this often results in excess of everything. Since a common desire is to declutter and eliminate excess in the new year, there’s no reason to accumulate during the holidays. Celebrate the holiday season and ring in the new year with a more modest environmental footprint by checking out these budget- and planet-friendly tips. 

Invest In Durable Decorations

Can you go to a dollar store and buy a bunch of decorations under $20? Yes, that is a strategy for many people, but many of those decorations get tossed after the holidays. Although it may seem counterintuitive, you should spend a little more money on holiday decor. When you spend more on higher quality decorations, they’ll last longer and save you money over time. It also delays their inevitable journey to the landfill. 

Buy Climate Neutral Gifts

If you can’t or don’t want to buy secondhand gifts, consider gifts that are climate neutral certified. Think of this certification like the certified organic sticker you see on certain foods, only a climate neutral certification ensures that brands offset, plan, and have plans in place to reduce their carbon footprint. There are many brands that are climate neutral; you just have to search for them online. 

Consolidate Online Purchases

Online shopping has made holiday gift shopping more convenient than ever. You never have to enter a store and subject your poor ears to those earworm holiday songs. If you are going to purchase gifts online, try to do it in one fell swoop. Amazon, for example, will give you the option to group items together and have them arrive at a later date. That way, you reduce the amount of packages and trucks needed to deliver packages to you. Minimize the excess by shopping online in as few purchases as possible. 

Give The Gift Of Experiences

As you get older, you realize that you don’t need or want a lot of stuff. If you do see something you want, you typically buy it for yourself. A lot of other people don’t want to accumulate things either. Instead of buying a mug or hoodie that you know a person doesn’t need, give the gift of experiences. If you want to be budget-friendly, make a coupon book for coffee dates with mom, dinners with grandpa, bowling with the nephew, or babysitting for your niece. Gifts of service, such as mowing the lawn, making a meal from scratch, or running errands, are also great ideas. 

Get Creative With Wrapping Gifts

According to an estimate from Earth911, about 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper is produced in the U.S. every year. The shimmer, shine, and fun patterns are short-lived, as people tear the paper to shreds to get to the gift. Most wrapping paper is not recyclable, with about 2.3 million pounds of wrapping paper ending up in landfill every year. Gift bags are great to use because you can use them over and over again. For a recyclable option, consider wrapping gifts in old maps or vintage book pages. Save up some brown paper bags that you get at the grocery store and wrap your gifts in them. 

Make A Plant-Based Feast

Turkey and ham are the usual suspects at most holiday feasts, but what’s wrong with breaking tradition? Swap out your meaty dishes for plant-based alternatives. According to research from 2021, vegetarian and vegan diets that focused on legumes and whole grains were the least expensive diets around. A 2019 study found that transitioning from an omnivorous diet to a vegan diet lowered personal greenhouse gas emissions by 50%. Roast some Brussels sprouts or bake a platter of root vegetables. If you live in a warmer climate, get a head of cauliflower and cut it into thick steaks for grilling. You can even roast the entire head of cauliflower and smother it in a lemony tahini sauce!

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From descaling coffee makers to getting rid of grime and water stains, vinegar is an excellent cleaning agent. Distilled white vinegar is a versatile cleaner in the non-toxic cleaning world, but multi-purpose does not mean it is all-purpose. When it comes to cleaning with vinegar, there are household items that can easily damage if you clean them with vinegar. Additionally, if you mix vinegar with other cleaning agents, especially bleach, the acid in vinegar can create dangerous chemical reactions.

People like vinegar because it is both inexpensive and non-toxic. Even though it is readily available, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution for every cleaning obstacle you face. You don’t want to ruin wood finish or damage your stone countertop. For these reasons, we’ve highlighted seven things that you should never clean with vinegar.

Grout

If you have unsealed or damaged grout, do not clean it with vinegar. Over time, vinegar can wear grout away and cause it to deteriorate. If you have sealed grout, however, you can clean it with vinegar, but you should still use non-acidic cleaners to avoid ruining your grout. 

Cast Iron

Don’t let any cast iron lovers ever see you soak your cast iron pans in vinegar. There is a specific set of rules to follow when it comes to seasoning and cleaning your cast iron pans. The seasoning process slowly builds up a coat of oil that helps keep cast iron non-stick. The reason that you should not use vinegar to clean your cast iron is because it cuts through that film, in addition to reacting with cast iron and causing it to rust.

Hardwood Floors

Tile floors can take a beating, but hardwood floors are a little more sensitive. People have mixed feelings about completely avoiding vinegar on hardwood floors or using a diluted vinegar solution to clean them. Most flooring manufacturers recommend that you do not clean floors with vinegar because the strong acid can eat away at the finish, causing it to dull over time. 

Rubber Gaskets And Hoses

If you repeatedly expose rubber gaskets and hoses to vinegar, they will disintegrate over time. Make sure that you check the manufacturer’s instructions before you clean household appliances with vinegar. Dishwashers, washing machines, and refrigerators may contain rubber that can easily disintegrate when exposed to vinegar. 

Pet Messes

If you have a pet, especially a new one, they will most likely pee or poop in the house. Vinegar is not an ideal cleaning agent for surfaces like mattresses, upholstered furniture, or carpeting. The Humane Society of the United States does not recommend the use of vinegar on pet messes. The reason for this is because the strong chemical odors may encourage your pet to reinforce the urine scent mark in that area. Ideally, use an enzyme-based cleaning agent for pet messes. 

Your Phone Or Tablet

Maybe you are following a recipe and dirty the screen of your phone or tablet. Whatever you do, don’t clean the screen with vinegar. Additionally, if you are making dressing or something that calls for vinegar, avoid splashing vinegar on the screen. The screen has a fingerprint-resistant coating that vinegar can damage. Should you need to clean your screen, use a microfiber cloth dampened with water. 

Natural Stone Surfaces

Marble, granite, and other natural stone surfaces, such as slate, should not be cleaned with vinegar. That means don’t use vinegar on home furnishes like countertops, floors, or shower walls, or household goods like tabletops or serving pieces. The acid in vinegar can etch stone or cause pitting that you cannot undo.

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Do you love to clean? No, nobody loves to clean, but cleaning is a necessary part of life. Cleaning helps get rid of germs, keeping you and anyone else who lives in your house safe. That said, many people clean with chemical cleaning products that contain toxic ingredients, many of which can damage endocrine function. 

Instead of polluting the home with chemicals while you clean, use a homemade, vinegar-based cleaner that is 100% safe. Vinegar is frequently recommended as a household cleaner and can be very effective on certain surfaces. We are, of course, referring to distilled white vinegar, not apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar. It is important to note that vinegar is a cleaner and not a disinfectant like bleach or commercial cleaners. Because of that, it is not as effective at killing certain germs when compared to disinfectant sprays. 

Why Should You Clean With Vinegar?

Vinegar is about 5% acetic acid, which works to break down the structure of some oils, dirt, films, bacteria, and stains. That same acetic acid can also harm certain surfaces, which is why vinegar cleaners aren’t meant to clean every inch of your home. Do not use vinegar on natural stone, cast iron, aluminum, or waxed wood. The “set time,” or the time a cleaner has to set on a surface in order to work, varies with a vinegar cleaner. Experts suggest that the set time for vinegar can be up to 30 minutes, especially if you use it to clean stained pots and pans. 

How Does Vinegar Work?

The acidity, as mentioned previously, makes vinegar a great cleaning agent. It can help dissolve soap scum, brines left behind by hard water, and even the glue from stickers. If you want to clean your windows or mirrors, mix vinegar with water and wipe with newspaper (not a paper towel) to avoid streaks. You can also use vinegar to get rid of stubborn stains, for example, from sweaty armpits or grass. Most of these types of stains are slightly acidic, meaning they will dissolve away in the presence of another acid, like vinegar. A paste made with vinegar and baking soda can help dissolve red wine stains. You can even use vinegar to get dog or cat urine out of carpets or clothes!

When To Not Use Vinegar

Because vinegar is highly concentrated, it can stain delicate fabrics and harm other surfaces. It will scratch natural stone like marble or granite. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vinegar is not approved to disinfect surfaces. Unfortunately, there is no supporting evidence that shows that vinegar can get rid of harmful pathogens, like salmonella, that lurk on surfaces. Additionally, using vinegar on hardwood floors can eat away at the finish and make it look dull over time. 

Orange Basil Vinegar Cleaner

Not only does this recipe help clean certain surfaces, but it also leaves your home smelling floral and zesty. Instead of tossing orange peels into the trash, use the peels to provide that citrus scent to your vinegar cleaner. The peels from four oranges and four to five sprigs of basil will do the job!

Ingredients:

• 1 (16-ounce) wide-mouthed mason jar
• Peels from 4 oranges
• 4-5 sprigs of basil
• Distilled white vinegar

Instructions:

• Add the orange peels and sprigs of basil to the wide-mouthed mason jar and fill it to the top with vinegar. Tighten the lid and let it set for a minimum of 10 days. 
• After this infusion time, prepare a spray bottle and fill it halfway with the vinegar mixture (only the liquid, not the peels or sprigs). Add water to the spray bottle to fill it up. Shake well and use when ready. 
• Once you finish this solution, you can use the rest of the vinegar to create more. You shouldn’t keep your vinegar solution longer than one month, as you don’t want it to spoil.

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