hello -

i found the recipe for a "bleach and Lysol alternative" which was Dr. B's peppermint, white vinegar, water, and an EO if desired.

i mixed that up tonight, but i used a different Dr. B's (not peppermint) and eucalyptus EO (not rosemary, sweet orange or lavendar). it curdled. is this because i used alternate Dr. B's and EO, or does this always happen with Dr. B's and vinegar?

if it always happens, HOW could you possibly use it in a spray bottle as a cleanser?? and it didn't just curdle, but was extremely oily and i could hardly wash the goo off my hands, let alone getting it rinsed off something else.

i really need an alternate cleaner. i know straight white vinegar is a disinfectant. but i need to clean the inside of a new (used) vehicle i bought, and thought this other stuff, mixed up as a gallon, might be easier/better.

i have OCD and have a great fear of germs. i can't help it. of course, i also have a great fear of toxic chemicals, which makes my life loads of fun, lol. after years of using far too much Lysol and related cleaners, i'm trying to find alternatives that will "beat" the OCD, but also be better for my family, the environment, and me. i feel bad that my illness makes me cause harm to others by adding so many pollutants to the environment.

can someone help me with this? i mean, with finding a disinfecting cleaner that i can use (not help with the guilt, lol...that's mine to deal with). i'm willing to buy the peppermint Dr. B's instead, if that was what i did wrong, but i don't have a lot of money so if it's going to curdle no matter what, i need to find a better alternative.

thank you so, so much!!
-colbey

Get a copy of Clean House, Clean Planet. Look at used on ebay, half.com, or amazon. Vinegar and Dr.Bs should not be used full strength together in typical fashion. Don't give up hope! They're both my cleaners I reach for first, even 4 years after getting the book.

thanks. i'll try to get that book at some point (i can't buy used, for obvious reasons, lol).

but i need to get the vehicle cleaned now, so maybe i'll just have to resort to regular cleaners.

i guess i did mix the vinegar and Dr. B's full strength, but only in putting both in the bucket before adding the water. that's the way the recipe says -- add the ingredients, then fill the squirt bottle the rest of the way with water. so it must always clump.

i know vinegar is an antibacterial at full strength. but somehow, wiping out the entire inside of the car with straight vinegar doesn't sound like a good idea. anyone know at what dilution level it loses it's antibacterial properties?

thanks!