DIY Citrus Vinegar Cleaner

What did we do before Pinterest? How did we organize all of our favorite recipes, food blogs, and discover amazing tips for natural and green cleaning solutions? Maybe it's just me, but I definitely feel like I had a lot more free time before Pinterest came along!

This DIY Citrus Vinegar Cleaner was one of those amazing Pinterest discoveries that I am now absolutely addicted to using in our home. I love that it doesn't involve any chemicals and is a wonderful way to reuse citrus peels that would have otherwise made their way into the compost. When diluted with water, this cleaner is perfect for cleaning mirrors, glass, counter tops, and moping floors. And, if you have already jumped on board with using baking soda and vinegar for hair care, this is a fabulous way to make your vinegar rinse smell fruity!

DIY Citrus Vinegar Cleaner

Ingredients and Supplies:
Citrus peels
Glass jar
White vinegar
Spray bottle

Instructions:
Cut peel off of citrus fruit and place in jar.
Cover with vinegar and allow to sit for two weeks.
Remove peels and dilute vinegar 1:1 with water.
Pour into spray bottle.
Use as a cleaner for windows, glass, counters, and mopping floors.

You can also mix the vinegar/water mixture with a little Dr. Bronner's soap or baking soda for more cleaning power.

How to Wash Your Hair with Baking Soda & Vinegar

Awhile back I blogged about the baking soda and vinegar hair care method and I wanted to give an updated post about this. Baking soda and vinegar is an incredibly simple and easy way to clean your hair without shampoo. Since I am always on a mission to reduce my exposure to potentially harmful chemicals and simplify my beauty routine, it felt right to be using a natural, time-tested method to clean my hair.

Now, you might be asking, what's so bad about shampoo? Shampoos can contain a lot of harmful ingredients. I am by no means an expert on this, but in my research, I've repeatedly found the worst chemical-offenders to be:

• Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (used as a foaming agent in shampoo and is a possible carcinogen)
• DEA/Diethanolamine (an emulsifying agent that can create carginogenic compounds when combined with other chemicals found in personal care products)
• Parabens (used as preservatives to extend shelf life, but many of these chemicals have been linked to breast cancer)
• Fragrance (the word "fragrance" on a label can mean the presence of over 4,000 separate chemical ingredients; scary!)

When I found out what was really in shampoo a year and a half ago, I vowed to stop using it and so I switched to the baking soda and vinegar method.  This worked really well for about four months. Then I fell off the baking soda wagon.


As my hair grew out and I got a bit lazier, I began resorting back to shampoo and trying to find natural brands that didn't contain the ingredients listed above. The funny thing is that I eventually found my way back to baking soda because it actually works better than shampoo!

A few months ago I began struggling with my shoulder-length hair being really limp and flat due to the Seattle weather. I tried to remedy this with mousse and styling products, which then caused build-up. To remedy that, I started incorporating a clarifying shampoo every few weeks, but this dried out my hair, so I added in an intensive conditioner that only made the lifeless hair problem worse. Plus, with the winter cold, my hair was getting really static-y. Urgh.

I was ready to chop it all off and go back to short hair when I remembered the baking soda and vinegar hair care method. Could this solve all my problems? Yes, and it did.

After being back on this method again for three months I can honestly tell you that I will never stop using it.  My hair now has more body, volume, and strength than it did with all the crazy shampooing, products, and special hair care nonsense that I was doing before. And now my routine is incredibly simple: wash with baking soda, rinse with vinegar, blow dry, and maybe flat iron the front strands if I feel like it. That's it.

Now that I've been using this method for awhile, I've found that my hair doesn't get as oily as it did before (shampoos strip our scalps of natural oils so this increases oil production to compensate) and I only have to use this method every 2 - 3 days.  The baking soda and vinegar method is cheap, effective, simple and chemical-free and I think you'll love it as much as I do.

(Note: I've slightly changed my method since my last post. Read on...)

Method:

It might be hard to adjust to the lack of shampoo foaming action at first, but I promise this is worth it in the end. Start by mixing 1 part baking soda with 3 parts water.  I was making a large batch of this and then keeping it in my shower, but I noticed it wasn't as effective as the individual batches I used to make. Then a reader (thanks Heather!) informed me that water activates baking soda and so now I am back to mixing individual batches in travel-sized squeeze bottles (pictured above). I have shoulder length hair and use about 2 - 3 tablespoon of baking soda with 3x that amount of water. You can adjust this depending on your hair length. 

Baking Soda:

• Apply the baking soda and water mixture to dry or wet hair by squeezing a little at the roots and working to the ends.  
• Repeat this process all over your head.  
• Let it sit for 1 - 3 minutes then rinse with warm water. 

After washing and rinsing with the baking soda mixture, you'll want to apply a vinegar rinse. (I've found that white vinegar does not leave as strong of a smell compared to apple cider vinegar so that is what I use in my rinse.)  Mix 1 part white vinegar with 4 parts water. To minimize the vinegar smell, I also add lavender, peppermint, and/or rosemary essential oils to the vinegar mixture.  (In my last post I had more suggestions about how to customize your rinse fragrance.) I also mix a big batch of this ahead of time and keep it in a squeeze bottle in the shower. 

Vinegar Rinse:

• Tilt your head back, close your eyes (to avoid getting this mixture in your eyes), and distribute through your hair. If you have longer hair like I do, I like to then (still keeping my eyes closed) tilt my head forward and distribute more rinse through the ends.
• After a few seconds, rinse with cold water. 

One of the ways that I've changed my method is rinsing my hair with cold water after the vinegar rinse. The cold water helps to seal in moisture, smooth the hair, and add shine. I have straight hair and have noticed that this really made a difference with eliminating frizz and winter static. 

Since my hair is longer than when I used to use this method, I first noticed the vinegar smell leftover in my hair much more. To remedy this, I simply add two drops of lavender essential oil to my hair brush and run it through my hair as I blow dry it. Works like a charm! 

Have you tried the baking soda and vinegar method? Any tips that have worked well for you?

Cucumber Peach Salad

I am an ugly crier.  No really.  Remember in Bridesmaids when Rose Byrne is crying and Kristin Wiig says that she is an ugly crier?  She doesn't even know what ugly crying is.

I suppose this wouldn't be too much of a problem except that I tend to cry during movies... a lot.  The Vow?  Yep.  Hunger Games?  Check.  Brave?  Definitely.  And don't even ask me about the Finding Nemo incident of 2006.  That was a legendary ugly crying moment.

Here's the important thing that you need to know as an ugly crier:  how to hide the signs.  No one wants to go out in the world with red, puffy eyes.  No one. So you quickly learn tricks like using chamomile tea bags and (my personal favorite) cucumber slices to calm the eyes.

If you're an ugly crier, I advise you to keep cucumber on hand at all times.  And, if you happen to have a cucumber and a peach handy,  you might want to consider making yourself this salad.  After all, you probably need a snack after all that crying.

This recipe is so easy and the lack of cooking makes it perfect for summer.  I love packing it up for picnics because it also travels really well.  If you find yourself stuck in a situation without a fork, this salad will be just fine as finger food.

Cucumber Peach Salad
Serves 4

1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 medium peaches, pitted, and sliced
2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade

Thinly-slice the cucumber and marinate slices in rice vinegar for at least 1 hour in the fridge.  Toss with the peaches just prior to serving and garnish with basil. 

Baking Soda & Vinegar Hair Care

Welcome to the final Beaty Food Friday, a special feature I am doing every Friday for the month of October that shows beauty products that can be made from everyday items in your kitchen.

I am super excited to share my final Beauty Food Friday recipe with you beause it's something new that I've been trying and I am loving it. That's right... we're talking about baking soda and vinegar for hair care!

Now, before you judge and think I've gone off to Hippieville (which, maybe I have... and maybe I like it there...), hear me out for a minute. I've done my research and I know that there are mixed reviews about the baking soda and vinegar method.  The top complaints I've heard are:

1. Ease of use
2. The strong smell from the vinegar
3. Dry, brittle hair

What if I told you that I have solved these issues?  And that this method is super cheap and will save you  money on shampoo?  And, that using natural ingredients on your head keeps hundreds of toxic chemicals off your body and away from your brain?  Trust me, it's time you get on board.

Method:

It might be hard to adjust to the lack of shampoo foaming action at first, but using the right quanties of ingredients will make this a lot easier.  Start by mixing 1 part baking soda with 3 parts water.  I have chin-length hair, so 1 Tablespoon of baking soda mixed with 3 Tablespoons of water was the perfect amount for me.  You can adjust this depending on your hair length.

To make application easier, I recommend mixing individual batches in travel-sized squeeze bottles (pictured above).  Apply to dry hair by squeezing a little at the roots and working to the ends.  Repeat this process all over your head.  Let it sit for 1 - 3 minutes then rinse with water. 

Once you get the hang of this and are able to judge the right amount for your hair, you can make a big batch of the mixture in a large squeeze bottle and keep it in your shower.  The baking soda and water will separate so make sure to shake the bottle prior to each application.  Super easy!

After washing and rinsing with the baking soda mixture, you'll want to apply a vinegar rinse.  Mix 1 part vinegar (both plain white vinegar and apple cider vinegar work well) with 4 parts water.  For my hair, I used 1 Tablespoon plain white vinegar and 4 Tablespoons of water.  I also mixed this in travel-sized squeeze bottles.  Tilt your head back (to avoid getting this mixture in your eyes) and distribute through your hair.  Rinse after a few seconds. 

The vinegar rinse does have a strong smell, so I like to mix 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 pinch of cinnamon, and 1 pinch of nutmeg with it.  This not only masks the vinegar scent, but it's a nice scent for fall.  I've also been enjoying different combinations of essential oils and if you are looking for a stronger scent I would recommend experiementing with different oils. My favorite combinations are:

• Rose Mint (1 drop rose essential oil and 2 drops mint essential oil)
• Vanilla Lavender (2 drops of lavender essential oil and 2 drops of vanilla essential oil)
• Orange Rosemary (1 drop orange essential oil and 2 drops rosemary essential oil)

These amounts are for a single rinse so if you are making a larger batch, experiment and find the right amount of oils for you.

If you find that your hair is becoming dry, simply use some coconut oil!  You can apply it to your hair and let it sit for a few minutes before washing with the baking soda mixture or use it as an intense overnight hair mask.  

I found baking soda in the bulk section of my natural grocery store for $.92/pound.  A 16 ounce plastic squeeze bottle cost $2 and my travel-sized bottles cost $1 each.  This is a very accessible and affordable way to get rid of unnecessary chemicals in your life, green your beauty routine, and stay healthy! Now that I've solved all your complaints, you have no reason to not try this out at home! 

Note: I have an updated post about this method with revised tips.