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Welcome to Clean Enough, a new kind of cleaning column for busy home cooks who have better things to do than scrub and sanitize around the clock. Every other week, neurodivergent writer and mom Emily Farris shares tips, tools, and products that can help you stay on top of the dirtiest spots in the kitchen while also dispelling a few cleaning myths and cutting down on clutter.
I don’t exactly consider myself crunchy, but I do try to limit the use of harsh chemicals around my home, especially in the kitchen. While I’m more than happy to bust out a bottle full of ingredients I’ve never heard of after someone has prepared raw meat on my counter—or, say, when there’s a new virus threatening to alter my life in previously unimaginable ways—my go-to cleaning sprays have historically been more gentle formulations.
Until about a year ago, though, I wasn’t loyal to any one product or brand. As long as it smelled vaguely of citrus and worked well enough to help dislodge dried-on barbecue sauce from the dining table, there was no telling what everyday cleaner you’d find under my sink. Sometimes I’d stock up on Mrs. Meyer’s when Target was having a sale, and other times I’d pick up a probably overpriced bottle of Seventh Generation or Zum while shopping at my definitely overpriced neighborhood grocery store. I also often found it impossible to resist whatever random oversized offering of lemon verbena spray cleaner TJ Maxx happened to be selling for just $4.
And then early in 2023, for reasons I can’t quite remember but that likely had something to do with this column, I ordered a bottle of Aunt Fannie’s cleaning vinegar in the “bright lemon” scent, and that was it for me. I had finally discovered the perfect spray for my kitchen—with its budget-friendly painted “backsplash,” porous butcher block countertops, fingerprint-prone stainless-steel appliances, and all. I haven’t stopped talking about it to anyone who will listen since.
Founded by a dad on a mission to reduce toxins in the home after learning his toddler had autoimmune issues, Aunt Fannie’s makes a variety of food-safe, pet-safe, kid-safe vinegar-based cleaning products. And unlike so many “natural” cleaning sprays I’ve tried, the brand’s vinegar cleaning leaves the hard surfaces in my kitchen completely free of spots and streaks—yes, even the glass cooktop on my induction range is streak-free after I clean it with this stuff.
Most people know that vinegar is a wonderful natural degreaser that can kill some food-borne pathogens. But the power player that makes this spray work extra hard to break down grease and grime is a specific type of vinegar called cleaning vinegar, which is slightly more acidic than the white distilled stuff. And though it has such a potent acid as the active ingredient, my favorite Aunt Fannie’s spray still manages to smell really nice thanks to citrusy essential oils. Many companies have tried and failed to create pleasantly scented vinegar-based cleaning solutions without artificial fragrances (I’ve botched my own DIY versions too!), and this is the first one I’ve found that truly smells good.
Aunt Fannie’s cleaning vinegar works so well and smells so pleasant that I use it everywhere: My counters and cooktop, the inside and outside of my fridge, my kids’ placemats and the linings of their soft-sided lunch boxes, and even my painted cabinets because it’s safe to use on painted and sealed wood surfaces too. When I’m done cleaning, I notice that the air in my home smells fresher because vinegar also neutralizes odors.
For better or worse, I’ve become a bit of an Aunt Fannie’s evangelist and whenever someone asks me for a cleaning spray recommendation, my answer is always the same.
Q: Emily, what should I use to clean my crusty glass stovetop?
A: Aunt Fannie’s Cleaning Vinegar Spray.
Q: Emily, what should I use to clean my grimy old cabinets?
A: Aunt Fannie’s Cleaning Vinegar Spray.
Q: Emily, what should I use to clean the inside of my refrigerator?
A: Aunt Fannie’s Cleaning Vinegar Spray.
Q: Emily, my toddler spilled milk on the rug and now that spot smells sour. What can I put on it?
A: Aunt Fannie’s Cleaning Vinegar Spray.
You get the idea. Now I should probably tell you where to get the spray.