My personal rule of thumb for products coming into my home is to use the least toxic product that will do the job well. I also don't like to have a ton of different products that only accomplish one task when I could just have one big jug of vinegar.
So here are 8 things I like to use vinegar for in my home.
1) Mop the floors. A big splash of vinegar in a bucket of mop water is enough to get the floors sparkling clean. Although you can smell the vinegar while you are mopping, the smell quickly dissipates. Sometimes I add a couple drops of essential oil to leave my floors smelling extra fresh.
2) Use it in place of Fabric Softener. I've never really been one to use fabric softener. But I do like to add a splash of vinegar during the rinse cycle when I wash our towels so that they will come out softer and fluffier.
Oh, and as an added bonus? It looks way prettier in my laundry room than a jug of fabric softener would!
3) Use it to clean tea stains out of teapots and mugs. Soak stained vessels in a sink filled with hot water, with a big splash of vinegar and some dish soap. After a short soak, the stains normally come off with a quick wash.
4)Descale your kettle. Put enough vinegar in kettle to cover the lime scale and mineral deposits. Sometimes I add water because I don't want to use up all of my precious vinegar. (Yes, I'm cheap!) Boil the vinegar in the kettle, and then rinse the kettle well.
5)Use it to clean your dishwasher. Last week I shared how to give your dishwasher a really good clean. Click here to read those instructions.
6) Use it to clean your microwave. Microwaving a bowl of vinegar will loosen the dirt and grime inside your microwave, making cleaning it much easier. Click here to read my post about cleaning your microwave.
7) Clean the toilet. Until recently, I used store bough toilet cleaners because I liked the fancy neck design that allowed me to apply the cleaner right below the rim. And then one day, when I was out of toilet cleaner, it occurred to me that my trusty spray bottle of vinegar could get the vinegar right up under the rim too! I spray under the rim all around the toilet, let it sit for a few moments, and then give the toilet a quick scrub with the toilet brush.
8) De-stinkify drains. (de-stinkify is a word, right?) Sprinkle some baking soda down your drains and then follow it up with a cup or so of warm vinegar. This is a great task to do immediately after cleaning your microwave or kettle because those tasks left you with a bunch of warm vinegar anyways!
Do you have a great use for vinegar that I didn't mention? Please share it with us in the comments below!
I am a fan of using vinegar for cleaning, but I never thought of using it on the toilet. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt works great as a window/mirror cleaner!! No streaks!
ReplyDeleteYou can also safely run it through your coffee pot to clean it :)
ReplyDeleteuse apple cider vinegar to rinse hair after washing, makes hair shiny and also works great as a treatment for dandruff/itchy dry scalp. White Vinegar works great to sooth a sunburn: take a vinegar bath, or just apply directly to skin with a vingegar soaked cloth.
ReplyDeleteVinegar applied to tough stains in carpet: soak with vinegar, apply a dry cloth to carpet, place an iron on cloth and it helps to pull the stain from carpet.
what is your vinegar to water percentage in your spray bottle to clean with? Thanks! This was a great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Amy! I use straight vinegar in my spray bottle.
DeleteTHANKS!! trying today!
DeleteI fill the tank of my carpet cleaner with half white vinegar and half hot water. It cleans the carpet really well and eliminates odors (really good if you have pets). I also keep a spray bottle of half and half on hand to lightly mist upholstery if your couch can't be cleaned any other way. You can lightly mist the air with it if you have a stinky room or smokers around.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you put baking soda in that mixture if it would remove carpet stains as well.. hmmmmm
DeleteWe own a carpet cleaning company and we use Vinegar and Water for pet stains or really any stain in the carpet. I regularly use vinegar for our hardwood floors and Love the look of the floors afterward! I didn't even think to use it throughout my house! Thanks for the tips!
DeleteIf you ever leave a load of wash in the washer and they get "skunked" restart the cycle with a cup of vinegar, all the stink is gone for good!
ReplyDelete1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cold water, and a tsp of detergent work extremely well on grease stains on clothes. My fiancé recently got machine grease on his white dress shirt and this removed it completely. You can also use vinegar to clean your coffee maker, instead of buying coffee maker cleaner.
ReplyDeleteOMG that pic of your washer/dryer made me drool... so pretty and organized! Do you have a top or front loader? What do you wash your clothes with? I'm basically anti-dryer except for towels or when I'm in a rush {because I'm cheap cheap cheap} but I do use the dryer bar softener thing. I'm not real fussy on my laundry soap - I use the liquid stuff from the dollar store. And bleach.
ReplyDeleteYou can also use white vinegar as a rinse aid in your dishwasher instead of using jet dry or other brand names. Leaves dishes spot free and sparkly.
ReplyDeleteover time though the acid in the vinegar will ruin the plastic components in your dishwasher. its better to just put a small bowl of white vinegar on your top rack it works really well and no damage to your components.
DeleteThis is a great post. I need to get back to the basics when cleaning. Nothing is more worrisome than trying to figure out if two cleaners used near each other will cause fatal off-gasses.
ReplyDeleteIt helps to reduce fevers either in a bath or damp washcloth to the forehead. Wives tale or not- it works for us :)
ReplyDeleteSuch great tips! I am going to have to try the tea stained coffee cup trick! I always leave it to set too long. Thanks so much!!
ReplyDeletefunny, I used vinegar to wash my floor this morning... and then I read this post! It worked great for me!
ReplyDeleteWOW... really? I never knew Vinegar had so many uses. It certainly helps me to get paint off my paintbrushes. ;-)
ReplyDeletejennie. x
My jeweler said to skip the fancy cleaners and to soak my wedding ring in hot water. She said you could add a drop of vinegar to help dissolve soap scum, if necessary.
ReplyDeleteoh...that's a good one. I need to give that a try!
DeleteYes, me too. My rings are way overdue. Thanks.
DeleteMy wife cleans our absolutely massive windows with vinegar and scrunched up newspaper, which means we use up something that would usually get tossed out and don't have to worry about chemicals around our daughter.
ReplyDeleteYour wife, you lucky person. I wish I had a wife.
DeleteSpray the grout in your bathroom to get rid of mould or mildew (use with a toothbrush). I LOVE white vinegar!
ReplyDeleteIf your showerhead gets all scaly from the minerals in your water, fill a sandwich bag with some vinegar,use a rubberband to secure to the showerhead and let it soak away the minerals.
ReplyDeleteI also use vinegar for washing produce and for soaking the urine smell out of my potty training daughter's pants!
ReplyDeleteApple Cider Vinegar will get rid of toe nail fungus without harming your liver like the meds do.
ReplyDeleteHow? Do you just rub it on the nail?
DeleteI had athletes foot some years ago. Tried over the counter and prescription stuff. Nothing worked! I used about 1/2 c of white vinegar and filled the bathroom basin with hot water and put my feet in it for at least a half hour. It was relaxing and took it away. I did have to do it a second time but that was it! (Staying in the water helps to get it into the bloodstream and removes it from the outside-in!) Best wishes!
Delete1/2 spray bottle of warm vinegar, 1/2 bottle of blue Dawn dish soap = awesome soap scum cleaner! Spray on, leave for a couple of hours, go back and rinse off. Awesome. (got it from pinterest)
ReplyDeleteI tried this and it worked sooooooooooooooooooooo well it is a must have tip for everybody!!!
DeleteI got this from Pintrest too. It works GREAT!
DeleteDo you delete the Dawn with water or are you saying you fill 1/2 a bottle with straight Dawn and then fill up the rest of the way with warm vinegar?
DeleteI am currently using white vinegar in a spray bottle to control my puppy LOL Yep sounds weird but if he starts mouthing us, or our other 2 dogs a quick squirt on his back and hes backing off immediately. Dogs hate the smell of it!! Now I only have to lift the bottle and hes running away.
ReplyDeleteAlso works great for cleaning up puppy accidents :)...If they "go" inside the house, after picking up or soaking up the mess straight vinegar on the spot will neutralize the scent and deter them from going in the same place. I went through 2 jugs during puppy potty training, it works great (eventually lol). The pricey enzyme crapola you can purchase from the pet supply place isn't worth it - vinegar works great!
DeleteI love dogs! And not so much for cats but I really don't like the idea of spraying them. Are you spraying the animal because you don't want to be bothered or is your animal trying to tell you something?? My daughters 2 dogs come to me because I feed/water them, treat them, let them out and play with them the most. They are small dogs so they are not walked even though that would be another thing that dogs really need. If you have done the above and walked your dog, you should not have a need to spray them since they will be tired. As for cats, they need some cat toys, a climber...one of the least expensive is a feather on a long stick~just wave it back and forth! They love it! They just don't want to be petted. In this respect, they are pretty much like kids.
DeleteDogs and cats that are bored will deliberately do things to get your attention (good/bad attention), just like kids!!
This is a vinegar post, not a pet lesson dear.
DeleteIts not a lesson, its an advise & safety always comes first. My animals do exactly the same when they need something. So, consult a vet or Doctors before jeopardizing the little ones kids or pets. For all you know it maybe toxic for them.
DeleteI keep a spray bottle of it in the kitchen. It's a great disinfectant, kills germs on cutting boards, counter tops, etc.
ReplyDeleteI keep a spray bottle in my kitchen and one in the bath. The bottle is 1/2 water, 1/2 vinegar. We have quartz counter tops in our kitchen and I use this spray after each meal. I spray counter and then use a sponge with a bit of dishsoap to scrub the counter down. They sparkle as if they are brand new! I also pop the sponge in the dishwasher for the cycle each night. I use a dmapened cloth and vinegar spray for dusting, mirrors, windows, bathroom fixtures, the surfaces of washer and dryer--- I could go on and on. I will definitely try your tea kettle tip. I can't believe the money that I wasted on cleaners for years!
ReplyDeleteKelly, where do you buy your essential oils from? I keep wanting to add some to my vinegar cleaners to make them smell better, but I'm clueless where to find the oils.
ReplyDeleteI got mine (grapefruit, mmm) from Wegmans. they're around 8-10$ a bottle. you can also order them offline (amazon.com)
Delete-Jill
you can get the at Hobby Lobby and Michaels also
Deletecan buy at any walmart etc. or at arts/craft stores..like ac moore/michaels
DeleteI get mine at health food stores. Some drug stores have a small selection as well.
ReplyDeleteit's good to clean out your bathtub jets too :)
ReplyDeleteI use vinegar to get rid of/ keep fleas away from my pets. We had a bad infestation from the dog park this year and the vinegar killed the fleas. We did have a lingering problem with the cat but I think that was because I had a hard time properly bathing the cat. They were gone on the dog though. We just mixed vinegar with regular shampoo (the shampoo was just for smell and to make it easier to apply) scrubbed and rubbed, let it sit while we combed for fleas (you can get 99 cent flea combs at petsmart) and then rinsed.
ReplyDeleteVinegar won't keep fleas away though. If your pets have fleas, the home needs to be de-flead (i.e. carpets vacuumed, floors cleaned, pet beds or area where pets lay washed in hot water). Fleas have 4 life stage cycles and this will need to be done repeatedly to kill all the stages. Plus, in order to get good killing activity, you'll have to keep bathing your pets in vinegar. Dogs and cats are not designed to have bathes as often as us so their skin can get dried out really easily. There are a number of good products that are safe for your pets that will kill the flea in multiple life stages... talk to your vet about good flea control before bathing your pet continuously in vinegar.
DeleteAgree! I'm a vet, and pets' skin is alkaline, not acidic like ours, so vinegar is very drying to them. Besides, just the shampoo and water and flea combing would have killed the fleas as well as the vinegar! Soaping up a dog and letting it sit on them 5-10 min then combing out the dead or dying fleas does the trick. But once they are in the house, you will continue to have problems unless you use something to prevent the eggs from hatching. I'm all for fewer chemicals, but in this case the products which prevent reinfestation and egg hatching are very effective and in most cases, very safe.
DeleteI have a greight all purpose stain remover that involves vineger
ReplyDeleteit's 1 part vinager 1 part dish washing soap and one part amonia it cheans just about everything but be carefull not to use it with bleach it becomes toxic in contact. lather a little bit of the mixture untill it becomes very sudssy and apply a little bit on a carpet that has bene soiled (first test a corner to make shure that it doesent affect the rug) and with a spunge rubit on and wipe off with a clea towel and it brightens and cleans!
I also use it for the toilet the sink and everything else that i can fined it usefull. I have even used it sometimes for stains on the clothes.
Cut the grime on the top of the refrigerator with a paper towel or cloth and full-strength white distilled vineger.
ReplyDeleteI've never tried it, but I've heard that vinegar is great for a sparkly -clean faucet!
ReplyDelete-Sandy
I was raised in a very medical family where everything was scrubbed to sanitary with large quantities of bleach. When I was 21, I met the man who would go on to father my children and become the dreaded "ex". He used vinegar to clean. It drove me crazy like you wouldn't believe. I used to call my mother and vent for HOURS about the crazy man and his vinegar obsession. Now that I have children, I really don't like the bleach. It's so harsh and the fumes are horrible... so after considerable research into non-chemical alternatives, I've made the switch to vinegar as well. Maybe the crazy ex wasn't so crazy after all (just don't tell him I said that)...
ReplyDeleteI use it so much too. My general purpose cleaner is half vinegar, half water with a few drops of eucalyptus. It cleans everything!
ReplyDeleteI just used vinegar to clean the bathroom. It as amazing! Vinegar is my new cleaner. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteVinegar is awesome, those are great suggestions! I use it to clean my shower head, check it out here http://areal-lifehousewife.blogspot.com/2011/11/tip-4-how-to-clean-shower-head.html
ReplyDeleteFound you through pinterest :)
I use vinegar for so many things, I clean coffee maker with water and white vinegar, I clean all vegies I buy with water and vinegar, you would be surprised at the dirt in the bowl after I take vegies out. I use vinegar in our boat head to deodorize and sanitize
ReplyDeleteI mix it half-and-half with water and use it as an all-purpose cleaner... and I really use it for almost everything! I also use apple cider vinegar as a rinse for my hair. (1 tbsp of baking soda to 1 cup of water to wash; and the same proportions but with vinegar instead of baking soda as a final rinse.) I've heard you can use white vinegar for this too.
ReplyDeletethe apple cider vinegar is good for dark hair but if you have blonde hair you should try the same proportions with lemon juice it keep light hair light :)
DeleteI have found that when removing old caulk from our bathtub,vinegar worked like a charm . I sprayed it on the caulk and let it sit for a little while. When I went back to it , it came right off.
ReplyDeleteApparently, vinegar on hard wood floors is the worst thing you can use to clean them.
ReplyDeleteA cup of white vinegar in your washing mashine with detergent on the hottest wash cycle (no clothes) about once a month will get rid of limescale build up and leave it spakling!
ReplyDeleteWhen cleaning grapes and strawberries, beans, peas in the pod, etc, I fill a large bowl with a splash of white vinegar, cold water and several ice cubes. When I remove the grapes from the stems, or the greens from the strawberries, I throw the fruit in the bowl. Swish the produce around, then drain and rinse. By looking at the water, you'll see how great it is at cleaning. The vinegar does a great job removing all the gross stuff that is sprayed on our produce, and the ice cold water really brings out the flavor of the fruit, and keeps it fresh longer.
ReplyDeleteOh, by the way... I also have a water/vinegar mix in a spray bottle to clean apples and other larger fruits and veggies. Spray and wipe off.
DeleteI'm assuming using vinegar and baking soda to clean the toilet and sinks is safe for septic tanks.....
ReplyDeleteGreat, great ideas! Please tell me, you are using common white vinegar, not wine vinegar, do you? And how much of it you use to clean the floor? a spoon for a bucket?
ReplyDeleteYes, plain white vinegar. And I don't measure how much I use to mop the floor...just a big splash!
DeleteThank you, I will try!
DeleteI tried to clean microwave with vinegar - and it works! It's awesome idea, thank you! tomorrow I will try to mop with it! :) And can you tell me wahat you store with this bigger round jar? :) Your set of cleaning supplies looks lovely!
ReplyDeleteThese tips are wonderful!! I use a bottle of vinegar and water to clean my countertops, kitchen sink and glass table tops. I, also, use some in my mop bucket, on the carpet as we work to house break our new puppy and in the laundry.
ReplyDeleteI would like to warn you though - I started using vinegar because my children wanted to help me clean and this was so much safer than chemicals. We have a black marble hearth and my three year old was helping me clean and sprayed the marble. It ate the marble and our hearth is ruined. So, before using vinegar, please check the material prior.
Thanks for that warning, Jennifer. That's a good point. sometimes it's easy to forget that just because a product is natural or non-toxic, that doesn't mean it's safe for everything!!
DeleteIs it safe to use on granite? My countertops get so icky dirty that I end up using Windex, which I know is a no no! But just a plain hot rag doesn't disinfect. Does vinegar disinfect? Also, what ratio would you usr on the counters?Thanks for the help!
DeleteYes, vinegar is a great disinfectant.
DeleteVinegar is a great natural weed killer.. spray the vinegar on the weeds on a nice warm sunny day and the weeds will be gone..
ReplyDeleteI use vinegar in my everyday cleaning business as well as at home. Half vinegar/Half water in a spray bottle works well for counters, toilets, windows/glass, but the best I have found to work is that if you spray vinegar directly onto grout, let sit 5 minutes, and scrub with a grout brush, then it turns your grout back to the original color. No more stains on counters/grout from coffee spills, bathroom floors around toilet areas starts to look like fresh grout! Happy Vinegaring!
ReplyDeleteI have a quick question, which may seem a little silly. Do you use a specific type of squirt bottle. I have terrible luck with finding good ones. I've tried the cheap-o dollar store ones and ones that cost $5 and STILL can't find a good kind!?!
ReplyDeleteI just use dollar store ones...but I know what you mean because a couple times I've bought them and then realized that they don't spray well at all. I guess I've just lucked out and gotten (mostly) good ones. Maybe you could try a different dollar store?
Deletehome depot sells great squirt bottles made by the Zep company (I have only found them at home depot. Anyways, they are about $4, and work awesome!!! THanks for all the helpful vinegar hints :)
ReplyDeleteAdd a drop of dawn to the vinegar to clean windows and mirrors to help keep them from fogging up. And I found that just 1/4 c dawn mixed with 1 cup hot vinegar works just as well in bathrooms as 1:1 ratio. Much easier to rinse completely.
ReplyDeleteMe encantaron todos los comentarios,mi madre lo utilizaba mezclado con agua fria para bajar la fiebre.
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about cleaning with vinegar but recently was cleaning out the refrigerator and cupboards. We found some very old vinegar/balsamic vinegar that I poured out. My husband almost barfed (I love the smell). Does it have a strong odor after it's been diluted? I'm guessing that once it dries the item no longer smells like vinegar. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOnce it's dry the smell disappears. You could also add a few drops of essential oil to your spray bottle with vinegar in it to make it smell better.
DeleteAlso you can use vinager on Mosquitos bites, it will take the itch off right away.
ReplyDeleteGreat to kill weeds, but you will have to do it several times, and becareful with the good plants.
I also keep a small spray bottle in my diaper bag, good dsinfectant.
Also you can use vinager on Mosquitos bites, it will take the itch off right away.
ReplyDeleteGreat to kill weeds, but you will have to do it several times, and becareful with the good plants.
I also keep a small spray bottle in my diaper bag, good dsinfectant.
You can also use vinegar to draw the heat out of sunburn. Cover the sunburn with a vinegar soaked washcloth and let it sit for a while. (I usually sleep with the washcloth on me at night when I have a sunburn). Source: My Grandma. Her mother used this method since she was a little girl.
ReplyDeleteI burnt my hand on a pampered chef cooking stone. My oven mitt wasn't thick enough for the heat of the stone, and I have a high pain tolerance. I almost cried it hurt so bad with all the nerve endings we have in our hands. I ran my fingers under cool water immediately. It seemed to help, but the burning felt like my hand was cooking. It was aweful!! my skin wasn't broken, but I could see a blister was about to form on 3 fingers. I knew that vinegar helped sunburns, so thought it was worth a try. It all happened so fast and my daughter brought me a bowl of plain white vinegar and I soaked my hand in it. The relief was IMMEDIATE! I was truly amazed. Then I took my hand out of the bowl and the heat came again, so I soaked it for another couple minutes. I seriously think this kept me from having major damage and bad blisters on my hand. Now of course if it is really super bad with instant blisters and pealing, then you should see a doctor, but for me, this worked, and very fast. The crazy part is that I am a dental Hygienist, and I had an interview with a new office with in 5 days of getting burned. I was so worried that I would have scaring and an open wound and have to cancel and lose a potential job, but all was well, and I healed, and the best part...... I got the job. :)
Deletewhen using vinegar/water to clean my bathroom floor..does it need to be rinsed off ???? want to wash my bathroom floor today !
ReplyDeleteNo, you just add a splash of it to a bucket of water and mop as usual.
DeleteLove this! My mom used vinegar for everything. She would even drink a cup of warm apple cider vinegar every night because she had high cholesterol and didn't want to take medicine.After a very minimal change in her diet and the vinegar regiment her LDL levels went drastically down. (I would consult physician before doing this). it also works great to get the sticky residue from labels and tape off. I spray it on let it sit for about 5 minutes and it comes right off. I also always have a spray bottle with 2 parts vinegar, one part lemon juice and one part liquid dish soap. It is the best all purpose cleaner I have ever used!
ReplyDeleteKills ants instantly..!!
ReplyDeletecant get rid of that yeast infection, try adding a drop of vinegar in the cream you use.
ReplyDeleteDont overdo it tho, cus raw vinegar can irritate the skin.
I have used vinegar and water to remove wallpaper, first remove the outside layer then spray let few minutes then use somethings to scrape the glue...comes out easy then you can wash the wall...
ReplyDeleteI used vinegar and water when my daughter had high fever until the medication starts working takes about 20-30 min ...I would rub her back and feet with vinegar and water...helps to reduce fever faster...(I used apple cider vinegar few times and one day a friend gave me ,rose petal vinegar it smells very nice)
My mother used on me when I was small ,I used to have febrile seizures if the fever was not reduced faster...works from experience
My mother in law used to drink one glass of water mixed with one teaspoon of vinegar and one of honey every time she ate something high in fat and she felt full..I tried this too and you start to better right away after you burp few times...better than anti gas medications
Another use for vinegar is to have a glass of water mixed with one teaspoon o vinegar before every meal... they said that speeds the digestion process and you don't gain wt. you start loosing wt.
Can you use just vinegar and water for cleaning the bathtub, toilet, and bathroom sink if you do it every week? I keep reading about mixing it with baking soda or some other ingredients and about it taking care of stains and soap scum. But I was wondering if just vinegar and water will do the trick for both germs and soap scum?
ReplyDeleteI have just been searching for info about this topic for a while and yours is the best I have found out so far.
ReplyDeletewilson
Water Damage Restoration Service
Hello, Dear sir
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A year ago for A Current Affair Australia I did a comparison of supermarket shelf carpet cleaning stain removers to see which one was the best. White vinegar was also use against the stain removers and white vinegar was the clear winner. We tested them it with a variety of stains like beetroot, curry and wine.
ReplyDeleteVinegar was the best all round stain remover and the cheapest.
carpet cleaning stain removal need to be done soon rather than later.
Vinegar works really well for sprains and sore muscles. Soak a rag and apply, its amazing. My grandfathers cure for everything and now with three boys that play football and race dirtbikes he was right.
ReplyDeleteCan i use apple cider vinegar instead of white?
ReplyDeleteNice tips. Sometimes I don't like to make up my own concoctions but I still want to be natural and organic. I use a product called Freshana Organic Solutions. Awesome stuff.
ReplyDelete