Saturday, October 27, 2007

Cleaning the shower in our apartment has always been a major undertaking for Hubs and I. Typically I force him to do it, since I take care of most of the other household cleaning and scrubbing the shower is an abhorrent task.

The problem is that when you clean with the stuff we've been using -- Tilex & Scrubbing Bubbles -- to kill mold and get rid of water stains, it literally burns the mucous membranes of your nostrils and you don't feel quite right for the rest of the day.

We've tried fans, holding our breath and running in to scrub for 30 seconds and then running back out, and any number of other methods of cleaning the shower without submitting to a chemical coma. The only surefire way to do it that we've discovered is for Hubs to wear the gas mask his dad had from his days in the National Guard. Which is scary, right?

And having recently taken an Environmental Health class, I was taught that the cleansers people use in their homes are more toxic than supposed industrial cleansers used in public places, which are much more regulated for public safety. Because individual consumers demand stronger products, companies produce them. Meanwhile we're jacking up our bodies and our environment.

So in spite of myself (I like to think of myself as someone who doesn't jump on every bandwagon), I want to go green. I've been trolling the internet for environmentally friendly cleaning methods, and I keep landing on sites that tout vinegar as the safest and most effective "green" cleanser. So I'm going to give it a shot. And I'll let you know how it goes. Maybe I'll take a before and after photo. Currently our shower is shamefully disgusting.

Also, I found an amusing site that explains how to clean your bathroom sink with vinegar. It amused me because of Christina's previous post on cleaning your kitchen sink (, which was something like a 12-step process that involved sharp instruments and bleach. According to all the tree huggers out there, all you need is a little vinegar! Take a read:


  1. I'm going to have to stock up on vinegar! John and I have experienced that "chemical coma" more than once & every time it feels like we are killing our brain cells.

  2. Although I think the using the gas mask is genius, I'm totally with you on going green. Baking soda is another natural cleaner that usually does wonders. Often paired with vinegar too! Hey, if vinegar can cure (almost) toenail fungus, I think it can clean a shower.

    P.S. Did I tell you I'm going to do cloth diapers?! Well, that's the plan anyway.