In this day and age the mantra seems to be "natural good, synthetic bad". So I have been trying to kick my long-term Windex habit (have you ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding?!). Making a vinegar based cleanser is incredibly easy and inexpensive. Equal parts vinegar and water. Mix. Vinegar is antibacterial and the water assures it is gentle enough to use on all the same surfaces one would use a cleanser like Windex.
For a little something extra, I decided to infuse my vinegar with lemon verbena. Lemon verbena is one of my very favorite herbs--it has a gorgeous lemony aroma and is very easy to grow. As I turn my attention to autumn, it is getting to be that time of year when I look in my garden and think "use it or lose it!" The lemon verbena lightly scents the vinegar, but very gently. If you want a stronger lemon scent I suggest adding 1 Tablespoon of lemon rind.
1. Let the lemon verbena leaves infuse the vinegar for about two weeks. Make sure the leaves are completely submerged during this period because they could mold if exposed to the air.
2. Pour vinegar through fine sieve
3. Mix with equal parts water.
Stephen Jones
Delaware County Master Gardener
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