Maybe one of the oldest and most often forgotten cleaners on the market to day is vinegar. As a young lad I can remember my grandmother using vinegar for just about every thing. I often wondered why it way so effective. It wasn't until I went to college that I found out that vinegar was a mild acid and that's why is cleaned so well. Below is a list of a few things that I personally clean with vinegar:

1. Three ounces of white vinegar and 2 ounces of rubbing alcohol in a quart spray bottle works great for cleaning windows.

2. One ounce of white vinegar in your rinse water when doing dishes really eliminates the soap and makes them squeaky clean.

3. A half-cup of white vinegar in mop water really cleans up vinyl no wax floors.

4. To clean up copper and copper alloy products, make a paste using white vinegar and salt. It will shine up quick.

5. Mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water into a quart spray bottle, makes an excellent grease cutter,

If you are allergic to any of the above products, please don't use them. Always test fabrics and paints before using any chemical compounds. Please remember to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands and eye protection for your eyes. If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES (255-2266) or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed Do?

Copy written by Ed Madan, certified executive housekeeper, Northwest Environmental Services.