While often overlooked, vinegar can be a phenomenal way to help clean your house. Vinegar is an incredibly useful and versatile substance, and can help you out exponentially.
Additionally, vinegar is relatively cheap and easy to get a hold of, making it a great resource for cheap and easy cleaning solutions.
I've been using vinegar to clean my home for over 15 years. I'm so thankful I do use natural cleaning products because of an experience I had when my oldest was little.
He was about two-years-old when I was cleaning the bathroom. I had my bottle of diluted vinegar sitting on the counter while I was cleaning the tub. He came in, picked it up, and tried to spray it so he could be like mom.
But he didn't know how to work the spray bottle and ended up spraying himself in the face! I was so thankful that I was using diluted vinegar and not a chemical that could have hurt his eyes or skin or gotten into his mouth.
Although my kids are old enough to help cleaning and that isn't an issue, I still prefer using natural products around my family and my pets. I don't want my pets to walk across the floor after I used a chemical to clean and then lick their paws!
To help you get the most out of vinegar and maximize your cleaning, here are a few tips and answers to FAQ.
How to Clean With Vinegar
Is Vinegar Good For Cleaning?
Some people are wary of using vinegar to clean, as it is not exactly a conventional cleaning product. However, there is no reason to worry as vinegar can be a great cleaning agent when used properly.
What is the Difference Between Cleaning Vinegar and Regular Vinegar?
While it may not seem like it, there is a major difference between cleaning vinegar and regular vinegar. Cleaning vinegar
has about 1% more acid than water than regular vinegar does.While this difference may seem trivial, the acid difference between the two vinegars means that cleaning vinegar is about 20% stronger than regular vinegar.
You can also make a pine needle vinegar cleaner recipe to get the benefits of pine.
There are a variety of ways to use vinegar for cleaning. One of the best and easiest ways is to make a simple cleaning solution using vinegar.
The first way is to mix equal parts vinegar and water into a spray bottle
. This is perhaps the easiest solution, but it can be easily improved. Consider adding a few drops of lemon essential oil to the mix for removing bacteria.
You can also add liquid dish soap to the mix to help remove tough stains around your house. Additionally, mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil for an easy furniture polish.
Vinegar can work wonders when mixed with water, soap, or lemon, but it really shines when mixed with baking soda. For a simple baking soda and vinegar cleaning solution, mix together equal parts vinegar and baking soda
.
This solution works wonders on bathroom appliances. It makes a great toilet, shower, and sink cleaner that makes any bathroom sparkle.
Vinegar and baking soda can also be used to unclog drains. Simply pour some boiling water down the drain, and then the mixture. Let the drain sit for about 10 minutes before pouring in more boiling water for an easily unclogged drain.
Making a Vinegar Based Cleaning Solution
There are a variety of ways to use vinegar for cleaning. One of the best and easiest ways is to make a simple cleaning solution using vinegar.
The first way is to mix equal parts vinegar and water into a spray bottle
. This is perhaps the easiest solution, but it can be easily improved. Consider adding a few drops of lemon essential oil to the mix for removing bacteria.You can also add liquid dish soap to the mix to help remove tough stains around your house. Additionally, mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil for an easy furniture polish.
Vinegar and Baking Soda- A Powerful Combo
Vinegar can work wonders when mixed with water, soap, or lemon, but it really shines when mixed with baking soda. For a simple baking soda and vinegar cleaning solution, mix together equal parts vinegar and baking soda
.
This solution works wonders on bathroom appliances. It makes a great toilet, shower, and sink cleaner that makes any bathroom sparkle.
Vinegar and baking soda can also be used to unclog drains. Simply pour some boiling water down the drain, and then the mixture. Let the drain sit for about 10 minutes before pouring in more boiling water for an easily unclogged drain.
Try this baking soda cream cleaner with baking soda and vinegar.
Disinfecting your house can be both difficult and costly, but it doesn’t have to be. There are a variety of ways to use vinegar to disinfect your house. The cleaner discussed earlier does a great job at disinfecting your house, especially with a few drops of lemon essential oil.
Additionally, if the cleaner leaves a smell behind, especially on flat surfaces, simply use a wet rag with a few drops of soapy water to wipe the surface down again. This will eliminate the smell while keeping the surface clean.
Vinegar is a phenomenal cleaning resource, but there are a few things you shouldn’t clean with it. Be sure not to clean: Granite and marble countertops, stone floor tiles, irons, and egg. My old fridge, that wasn't stainless, had a warning against using vinegar to clean it.
For incredibly tough stains, don’t go in blazing with a vinegar solution. Be sure to use a stain pre-treatment and try water with dish soap.
For peace of mind, do a quick internet search if you aren't completely sure if you can clean something with vinegar.
Now that we have covered how to use vinegar, and what not to use it on, it is time to go over what you can clean.
Instead of using costly window cleaners, just mix together 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and a gallon of water and pour into a spray bottle. Then, wipe until clean with a microfiber cloth
or newspaper.
You can use the same window cleaning solution to clean glassware such as cups, dishes, and glass decorations.
Simply place a glass filled with two cups of vinegar on the top rack of your dishwasher and run on a normal cycle. The vinegar will mix with the water and giver your dishwasher a good cleaning.
Similar to cleaning dishwasher, just place a bowl with a half cup of vinegar and a half cup of water in the microwave. Run until the water boils, and wipe up any spillover for an easily cleaned microwave.
Over time, your towels may become stiff and rough. However, this is due to detergent buildup and not age or use. Additionally, you may be able to make them soft again with a little vinegar.
Just place your towels into your washing machine and add a half cup of vinegar of detergent in lieu of detergent. Run on a normal cycle and watch as your towels come out feeling brand new!
Use a mixture of 3 parts water to 1 parts vinegar in a spray bottle to clean your produce. Just make sure you rinse them off with water after you have cleaned them.
Vinegar in small amounts is great at cutting through grease and adhesive residue. Use vinegar to clean stubborn adhesive residue from stickers on new items.
Showerheads can be a pain to clean, but vinegar makes it easy and simple! Simply fill a plastic bag with white vinegar, place the showerhead inside, and tie the bag up. Leave the bag overnight and install it in the morning. Be sure to run clean water through it to ensure that it works as well as to remove any excess vinegar.
Vinegar, while seemingly innocuous, can be your best friend while cleaning. Vinegar can be used in almost any room of the house, in many different ways. Whether as an additive, solution, or by itself vinegar is one of the best tools to have at your disposal when cleaning.
Looking for more cleaning tips and tricks?
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Using Vinegar for Disinfection
Disinfecting your house can be both difficult and costly, but it doesn’t have to be. There are a variety of ways to use vinegar to disinfect your house. The cleaner discussed earlier does a great job at disinfecting your house, especially with a few drops of lemon essential oil.
Additionally, if the cleaner leaves a smell behind, especially on flat surfaces, simply use a wet rag with a few drops of soapy water to wipe the surface down again. This will eliminate the smell while keeping the surface clean.
What Not to Clean with Vinegar
Vinegar is a phenomenal cleaning resource, but there are a few things you shouldn’t clean with it. Be sure not to clean: Granite and marble countertops, stone floor tiles, irons, and egg. My old fridge, that wasn't stainless, had a warning against using vinegar to clean it.
For incredibly tough stains, don’t go in blazing with a vinegar solution. Be sure to use a stain pre-treatment and try water with dish soap.
For peace of mind, do a quick internet search if you aren't completely sure if you can clean something with vinegar.
Cleaning With Vinegar
Now that we have covered how to use vinegar, and what not to use it on, it is time to go over what you can clean.
Windows
Instead of using costly window cleaners, just mix together 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and a gallon of water and pour into a spray bottle. Then, wipe until clean with a microfiber cloth
or newspaper.Glasswares
You can use the same window cleaning solution to clean glassware such as cups, dishes, and glass decorations.
Dishwashers
Simply place a glass filled with two cups of vinegar on the top rack of your dishwasher and run on a normal cycle. The vinegar will mix with the water and giver your dishwasher a good cleaning.
Microwaves
Similar to cleaning dishwasher, just place a bowl with a half cup of vinegar and a half cup of water in the microwave. Run until the water boils, and wipe up any spillover for an easily cleaned microwave.
Towels
Over time, your towels may become stiff and rough. However, this is due to detergent buildup and not age or use. Additionally, you may be able to make them soft again with a little vinegar.
Just place your towels into your washing machine and add a half cup of vinegar of detergent in lieu of detergent. Run on a normal cycle and watch as your towels come out feeling brand new!
Groceries/Produce
Use a mixture of 3 parts water to 1 parts vinegar in a spray bottle to clean your produce. Just make sure you rinse them off with water after you have cleaned them.
Grease/Glue
Vinegar in small amounts is great at cutting through grease and adhesive residue. Use vinegar to clean stubborn adhesive residue from stickers on new items.
Showerheads
Showerheads can be a pain to clean, but vinegar makes it easy and simple! Simply fill a plastic bag with white vinegar, place the showerhead inside, and tie the bag up. Leave the bag overnight and install it in the morning. Be sure to run clean water through it to ensure that it works as well as to remove any excess vinegar.
Vinegar, while seemingly innocuous, can be your best friend while cleaning. Vinegar can be used in almost any room of the house, in many different ways. Whether as an additive, solution, or by itself vinegar is one of the best tools to have at your disposal when cleaning.
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