Cleaning with vinegar
With my journey to find ways to live a greener life well on its way, I found myself at the grocery store investing in a few giant bottles of vinegar for cleaning.
From the look the clerk gave me, I think she had a few questions but was too afraid to ask.
I was hesitant to try the following vinegar uses because I was afraid someone would walk in my house and mistake it for a pickle-packing factory when hit in the face with a lingering vinegar aroma.
The good news is the vinegar smell disappears once it dries, though I can’t be responsible for any pickle cravings you encounter while cleaning with it.
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White vinegar is a great disinfecting tool. It can be used for disinfecting, deodorizing, cutting grease and wax build-up, and removing stains on carpet, countertops, pots, pans, and coffee carafes. This acidic wonder can wipe out tarnish, soap scum, mineral deposits, and more.
Distilled white vinegar creates an environment that inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and some bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella, says Jeffrey Hollender, author of Naturally Clean.
Vinegar is cheap
I purchased a gallon of the store brand vinegar for $2.79 at the grocery store. You can find it even cheaper at discount clubs if you are a member.
Use It to Clean Your…
Coffeemaker:
Pour equal parts vinegar and water into the machine’s water chamber; then switch on the brew cycle. Halfway through, turn off the coffeemaker and let the solution sit for about an hour. Turn it on again to complete the cycle; then run several cycles with clean water. – My favorite use!!
Dishwasher:
To disinfect the interior of the machine, pour 1/2 cup vinegar into the reservoir and run an empty cycle, says Hunter. Or place a small bowl filled with vinegar on the bottom rack and run an empty cycle.
Drains:
Clean drains―and the pipes they’re attached to―by pouring vinegar down them. After 30 minutes, flush with cold water. (Or use the vinegar/baking soda combination in this article.)
Floors:
Add 1/4 cup vinegar to a bucket of warm water to clean almost any type of floor except marble (vinegar can scratch it) or wood (use more dilute mix – vinegar can strip wood).
Glassware: For spotless hand-washed glasses, add 1 cup vinegar to the rinse water.
Laundry:
Instead of fabric softeners that are full of synthetic fragrances, try adding a small amount of white vinegar to your machine’s rinse cycle. This will help to rinse out the detergent completely and leave your clothes feeling soft.
Moldy walls:
Spray vinegar on the affected areas. After about 15 minutes, rinse and let dry thoroughly.
Showerheads:
To combat mineral deposits, pour vinegar into a plastic grocery bag and knot the handles over the neck of the showerhead, securing with rubber bands. Let soak overnight. Rinse with water in the morning.
Steam iron:
To get rid of mineral deposits, fill the iron with equal parts vinegar and water; press the steam button. Turn off, let cool, empty, and rinse.
Windows:
Mix 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 cups water, and a squirt of liquid Castile soap in a spray bottle. Spritz windows and wipe with a sheet of newspaper.
All-purpose:
Mix a solution of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar in a new store bought spray bottle and you have a solution that will clean most areas of your home. Vinegar is a great natural cleaning product as well as a disinfectant and deodorizer. Always test on an inconspicuous area. It is safe to use on most surfaces and has the added bonus of being incredibly cheap.
WARNING:
- Improperly diluted vinegar is acidic and can eat away at tile grout.
- Never use vinegar on marble surfaces.
Special thanks to Marianne B. for providing information for this article.
Have other cleaning uses for vinegar to share?
Hi Melinda,
I’d heard about cleaning with vinegar before. I may have actually tried it once or twice. But now, I wouldn’t have a prayer of convincing my wife that it would work as well, or better than the big bottle of lysol spray sitting on our counter.
.-= Todd Morris´s last blog ..Big Playground on Fort Hood =-.
Thanks for commenting
LOL good luck on convincing her. I don’t know if I will attempt the washing clothes with it, but I have used it for many things. Cleaning the coffee maker is my favorite use. I tell you…coffee tastes much better from a cleaned out coffee maker.
Next I’m trying it on the mold on the back of my house. FL humid weather encourages mold/mildew growth, and I want to see if it helps prevent it during the rainy season.
vinegar is great for cleaning and I have tried it for many of your mentions. I hate the smell when using it and always afraid everything will taste like vinegar afterwards, your coffee pot illustration is a perfect example of ‘ It won’t ‘ . Thanks Mel
.-= Lee´s last blog ..It’s not the size of the fingers but the balls ~ Bowling =-.
Thanks for the comment, Lee. I just cleaned my whole pantry with it this week and it smelled for awhile, but it does go away pretty quickly.
Hi Melinda, It used to be that everyone except me used vinegar to clean windows, but now that you gave me the tip about adding the liquid Castile soap I think I’ll give it another try. Where can I get the soap? Thanks for all of these tips.
@Ileane
.-= Ileane @ Ms. Ileane Speaks´s last blog ..Chrome Extension For Improved Readability =-.
You can get it at the grocery store. For windows I still like the little bit of hand dishing washing detergent in a bucket of water…drying with newspaper better.
I haven’t tried the vinegar version for windows.
The water is so bad here in San Antonio vinegar has no chance against the crude in the tap water here. It’s scary because I was raised on the best water in America NYC water and when I make the kids some ramen or whatever there’s a white film in the pot after I pour the water out. My Mom had use doing the water vinegar newspaper deal as a kid
Glad I stopped by Nice work on your site
See some cool people stopping by also
Thanks for bringing a cool spirit to BloggerLuv I’m working on the spped issue but enjoyed your attitude and input where you been the last two years
Thanks
Thanks for the nice comments John. I love the BloggerLuv concept and I’m sure the speed factor is only temporary. I wish I had more time to spend on it but pop in when I can.
I have had to battle FL water with the heavy mineral content that causes that mineral build up on all the faucets and drives me crazy. Water softener and a water filter and it still leaves it. Gotta wonder what is built up in my stomach.
I discovered a new use for vinegar that will come as a surprise to many of people. I drink a lot of coffee and over the years my teeth began to resemble the color of butter on freshly made toast. I tried costly teeth whitening products but they all failed to deliver acceptable results. Two weeks ago it dawned on me…If vinegar can clean coffee stains from my coffee pot I wonder if it would remove them from my teeth. Guest what? It did! I brush my teeth with my usual cavity fighting toothpaste, then I add a small amount of vinegar in my mouth and swish it around like I would do ordinary mouth wash, I spit the vinegar out being careful to leave a very small amount in my mouth. Then I dip my toothbrush in a box of baking soda and brush my teeth a second. The baking soda serves as an abrasive and mixes with the very small amount of vinegar I left in my mouth and talk about clean teeth. It works like a miracle cure for brown stained teeth. I must warn you, if you leave too much vinegar in your mouth it will foam up like Alka-Seltzer. Don’t panic, just open your mouth to release some of the product. The foam fizzles out after a few seconds. Now, instead of hiding my smile, I take every opportunity to do so.
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Thanks Shirley. I hadn’t thought about using it for that. I am going try.
It is also perfect against rust. Small rusty parts e.g. from an oldtimer I put in a cup of vinegar or acetic over night. The next morning you just have to clean it with water. Amazing results in my opinion!
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That is a good use. I have a rust problem on one of my sinks..I should try that. Plug it up and let it sit.
Melinda recently posted..Ugg- Where are my keys
Bookmarked and on Stumbleupon – for some reason I always have drain problems, and I never thought to try vinegar. I do appreciate the warning at the end. It is true vinegar is very acidic and should be used carefully if one doesn’t know exactly what one’s doing.
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It does work great on drains. Especially if you let it sit in there awhile before running the water again.
Its like bleach. An all purpose cleaner but a lot less hazardous. Its a little more expensive than bleach but if it works that well Its worth it.
Melinda, what if used on granite counter-tops…
This is great info and it is always nice to hear that someone prefers natural solutions instead of using chemicals.I also use vinegar and I must admit it is excellent against rust and water stones.Also,if you have moisture and mold in the bathroom,you can spray the troubled spots with vinegar, leave it for an hour and then just wipe with wet cloth.
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Wow, I had no idea Vinegar could be used to clean all those things. I’m going to try the shower head tip one one of the shower heads I had resigned to just replace. Thanks for the tips!
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This is great! I’m always looking for cleaner and greener ways to clean! I love the comment about the teeth whitening! Wow! Never even thought of that! THanks for your posts! I enjoy them :0)