The Hidden Power of Vinegar
Vinegar is magic in a bottle. Not only is it safe (and sometimes enjoyable) to consume, it is also a powerful cleaning product that can be used for everything from whitening laundry and washing windows to sanitizing surfaces and getting rid of pests.
Let’s get specific. Here’s 26 smart (and sustainable) ways to use vinegar around the home.
How it Works
According to Marla Mock, president of Molly Maid, “Vinegar is a good cleaning agent because it is acidic (with a pH value of 2.4), making it effective for breaking down mineral deposits and stains.
When diluted, it can be a safe and environmentally friendly cleaner".
Things to Never Mix With Vinegar
It is important to note that vinegar does not mix well with other cleaning agents. You should never mix vinegar with:
- Bleach
- Ammonia
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Baking soda in a closed container
Mixing vinegar with these chemicals can cause a dangerous chemical reaction.
Deodorize the Room
Jumping on in, vinegar is known to help neutralize odors in the home, such as in the kitchen or refrigerator.
Simply leave a dish filled with 1/3 inch of white vinegar in the room and leave it to work its magic.
Dissolve Rust
White vinegar makes removing rust easy. For small items, soak them in a bowl of white vinegar overnight. For larger items, pour white vinegar over it, let it sit, and then rub it clean.
Star61, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep Colors Bright
Using vinegar in your laundry is a natural way to keep your clothing bright and fresh. Adding ½ cup of diluted white vinegar to your laundry load will help remove stains, odors, and mildew.
Whiten Your Whites
Similarly, white vinegar in your whites load will help whiten anything that has turned a bit dingy.
Vinegar’s natural acidic properties work their magic in the material fibers, lifting away grime and stains naturally.
Clean Faucets
Vinegar works wonders at dissolving limescale, soap scum, and mineral deposits on faucets.
Just soak a paper towel in vinegar, then drape it over your faucet. Leave it to sit for about an hour and then wipe.
Clean Windows and Mirrors
A common issue many people have when cleaning windows and mirrors—streaks. But vinegar can help with that. A mixture of 1 part vinegar and 1 part water will clean glass surfaces, mirrors, and window wells, with a streak-free shine.
Spray it on a clean microfiber cloth and wipe from top to bottom in the S movement.
Descale Your Coffee Maker
Vinegar works well at removing mineral deposits and scale buildup in appliances, like kettles and coffee makers.
Simply mix equal parts vinegar and water and run the mixture through the appliances regular cycle. Rinse thoroughly.
Deodorize Garbage Cans
Kitchen garbage cans are notorious for unsettling smells. Instead of using a harsh chemical to clean it, scrub it down with a mixture of white vinegar and water.
Rinse well and dry.
Eliminate Hard Water Stains on Glass
Vinegar’s acidity level works wonders on breaking down hard water stains. It will remove calcium and magnesium build up.
Just dip a clean rag in distilled white vinegar and wipe down the glass.
Remove Coffee and Tea Stains
Those who have a favorite coffee or tea mug will know that the mug will eventually have a slight stain inside from regular use.
To remove this stain, fill your mug halfway with white vinegar, then add hot water and let it sit for 10 minutes. Drain and wash as usual.
Remove Mildew and Mold
Mold and mildew stains built up on bathroom tiles, shower curtains, and other surfaces can be easily removed. Just spraying vinegar directly on the stain, let it sit for a while, and then wash and rinse.
Unclog Drains
If your water is draining slower than usual, reach for both the vinegar and baking soda. Remember science class? Combining the two will create a fizzy mixture that will clear clogs and remove odors in about 15 minutes.
Just be careful—do not mix these two in a small or closed container. The reaction is instant.
Start by pouring baking soda directly into the drain. Then pour the vinegar down. Let it fizz for 15 minutes and then flush with hot water.
Fabric Softener Replacement
Once again, vinegar is a great additive to laundry. In addition to whitening and deodorizing, vinegar is an effective natural fabric softener.
Just add half a cup to your rinse cycle.
Remove Stickers and Labels
Nothing is worse than scraping stickers and labels off of things. But with vinegar, it’s nearly effortless.
Just soak the label/sticker in vinegar and then peel off.
Showerhead Cleaner
Just like faucets, vinegar will remove the water deposits and stains from showerheads too.
For this, fill a plastic bag with vinegar and secure it around your showerhead with a rubber band. Leave it for a few hours and then rinse with hot water.
Neutralize Pet Odors
When your pet has an accident on the rug, first, blot clean the area to soak up as much as the liquid as possible, and then spray with a mixture of vinegar and water.
This will take away any smell.
Clean the Dishwasher
Your dishwasher needs to be cleaned too. It’s as easy as adding a cup of vinegar and running it for one cycle on empty. This will remove odors and mineral deposit buildup.
Clean the Washing Machine
Much like the dishwasher, your washing machine also needs to be cleaned once in a while.
For this, do the same thing—add one cup of vinegar to the machine and run an empty load.
DIY All-Purpose Cleaner
Your home will benefit from having a bottle of vinegar and water around to use as an all-purpose cleaning spray.
Use it on your countertops, tables, floors, cabinets, windows, doorknobs, light switches, etc.
Use a 1:1 ratio for disinfecting purposes.
Clean Floors
Vinegar is perfect for cleaning and sanitizing floors—but only certain types of flooring. Hardwood floors should not be cleaned with vinegar, but it will work wonders on tile flooring.
Be careful on any surfaces with a finish on them.
For tile, mix half a cup of vinegar with one gallon of water.
Get Rid of Pests
Vinegar can deter ants. Simply mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spritz it around any areas in your home that ants tend to gather, like kitchen crevices and corners.
Stainless Steel Appliance Cleaner
Vinegar can be used to wipe down stainless steel appliances, removing fingerprints and smudges.
Use a microfiber cloth and a 1:1 spray.
Kill Weeds
Outside the home, vinegar can be just as useful. The acidity in vinegar kills weeds by breaking down their cell walls, while also removing moisture, causing them to shrivel up.
DIY weed killer: 1 cup of salt, 1 gallon of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of dish soap.
Clean Bath Toys
Children’s bath toys are notorious for getting moldy inside, as they are often unable to completely dry between uses.
To avoid this, clean the toys by soaking them in a bowl of warm water mixed with half a cup of vinegar. Soak for 10-15 minutes and then rinse.
Shine Silver
Much like stainless steel, vinegar works great at bringing the shine back to silver as well. To clean tarnished silverware, buff your items with a soft microfiber cloth dipped in vinegar.
Get Rid of Fruit Flies
Get rid of those pesky fruit flies by filling a small bowl with vinegar and covering it with plastic wrap.
Poke small holes in the top.
The fruit flies will be attracted to the vinegar and then get trapped inside.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Flickr
