11.23.2008

mirror, mirror, on the wall...

lucy has a favorite mirror in the house. a big one, right above the fireplace. there's always this cute baby in it, staring right back at her, and the two of them are always pleased to chat and giggle back and forth. as a result, the mirror is full of tiny baby handprints, drool and smudges. today i gave a shot at cleaning it without the use of windex. plain vinegar, squirted from a spray bottle, and wiped with a flannel cloth. all the smudges gone, without any streaks left behind. i was really impressed at just how well it worked. so well, in fact, that i might just get around to cleaning the glass slider sometime soon. and some windows. maybe.

windex actually gets a low toxicity rating on the household product saftey database. still, lucy will soon be getting around on all fours and i'm already highly aware about what's beneath the kitchen and bathroom sinks, not to mention what'll be in contact those little hands and knees. we've gotten rid of nearly all of the toxic stuff, and don't use anything more than water, vinegar, baking soda and dr. bronner's castille soap in our day-to-day cleaning. but even these, in larger quantities, can be hazardous. still, it's nice to know that what we're using in our home does not pose an elevated risk to us, to lucy, or to our animals.

No comments: