At the store recently, I noticed a quizzical look on a fellow shopper's face as I piled multiple gallons of vinegar into my shopping cart. What in the world could I be using ALL this apple cider vinegar for?

Well, just today I used it to clean and disinfect eggs brought in from outside. I also used it as a hair conditioner (the smell is gone by the time you're finished with the hair dryer). I've also been adding a shot of it to my grapefruit juice in the mornings (it's said to have multiple health benefits, including helping to rid the body of toxins and lowering blood pressure). And, we add it to the chickens' water periodically to keep them healthy.

Then, of course, there are the more traditional uses, such as pickling.

I also tend to pile the baking soda into the cart. We make baking soda available to the goats (it eases stomach bloat). Of course, I use it as a soft scrub for cleaning. The other night as I got ready for bed, I noticed that I'd used it three times in the span of 10 minutes: to exfoliate my face, wash my hair, and brush my teeth. Oh, and I use it for baking occasionally, too. ;)

If I you're thinking about taking on a more natural approach to household products, I'd definitely suggest building a stockpile of these two plus probably some white vinegar, olive oil, washing soda, and Borax. I've found it's amazing how many cleaning/toiletries bottles I can toss because they've been replaced by different mixtures of these simple ingredients.