Green n' Cheap Kitchen Cleaner

Note: Some of my posts won't be about food. I know you're disappointed.

If there's one thing I hate, it's that fake-chemical smell of Lysol cleaners. If there's one thing I hate more, it's paying $4 for a bottle of the stuff. Plus, knowing I'm doing my little part to help make the planet a barren wasteland makes me oh so happy. So I poked around the Intarwebs, combined/tweaked a couple of recipes for "green" cleaners, and came up with the following combination. Vinegar has been proven in many studies to eliminate 99% of bacteria from kitchen surfaces. The smell makes me think of dyed Easter eggs, but it's better than Lysol. I used tea tree oil - which is also a powerful antibacterial - which helps mitigate the urge to argue with my sisters over who gets to use the purple food coloring and the white crayon.

Ingredients for Cleaner
1 part white vinegar (you know - the kind that's $.99 for a gigantic jug)
1 part water
3-4 drops dish soap (not too much!)
3-4 drops essential oil (I used tea tree, but you could also use lavender, bergamot, or other smelly stuff.) (optional)

Put all the stuff in a spray bottle (I took great glee in using an old Lysol Multipurpose Cleaner bottle) and shake it up a little.

Now go forth and...scrub.