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It’s no surprise that most of us probably have one of those bottles of white vinegar somewhere in our kitchens. Whether you tend to buy the smaller version for your pantries or you’re like me and know all of the amazing uses, so you buy the 2-gallon jug. While I will be the first to say that I do use vinegar a ton to cook, I also have so many other uses for vinegar when cleaning around the home!
One of the greatest advantages of cleaning with vinegar is that it IS a food product and therefore is of course not as harsh as those toxic chemicals that we lock away from our babies. I won’t say that I live in a completely green-house and only use organic and natural products, but I do love when I am able to use safe and natural items for cleaning.
What makes this even easier is that it’s something I always have around the house! At the bottom of this post, I will be giving you my favorite recipe for your very own homemade vinegar cleaner that you can try out for any of these surfaces!
Uses for Vinegar in the Home
These are some of my favorite uses for vinegar and homemade vinegar cleaners around the house, in each room, and for each surface! Kid friendly and mother-approved!
Uses for Vinegar – Kitchen Cleaning Ideas
Cleaning Your Microwave with Vinegar
Using a homemade vinegar cleaning solution (like the one below) to spray down your microwave is an amazing way to clean the gunk off of the inside. Our microwaves are one of those things that are easily forgotten since they typically remain closed when not in use.
When using them, we don’t often stop in the middle of cooking something and think to grab our supplies and start cleaning. By using homemade vinegar cleaner, you don’t have to worry about any harsh or toxic chemicals transferring to your food after cleaning.
The vinegar works well to loosen the gunk and grime without any of the negative side effects of using bleach or other popular cleaners on food surfaces! Just spray down the microwave, give it a few minutes to soak, and wipe clean with a paper towel.
Related: DIY Foaming Handsoap
Make Your Sink Look New Using a Vinegar-Based Cleaner
White vinegar is amazing at clearing soap scum off of these surfaces! I like to spray the homemade cleaner directly onto the faucet, the area connecting the faucet to the sink (I’m sure there’s a name for that…) and the sink itself and let it soak for 5-10 minutes while I do other things.
When I come back, I simply take a dampened paper towel and wipe down the areas where I sprayed the vinegar solution. Then, I go back over with a dry paper towel.
It’s seriously magical, they’ll be sparkling like you just installed them and yet it’s SO easy! No more hard scrubbing of soap scum.
Wipe down Countertops and tables
The homemade vinegar cleaner recipe I am going to share with you is the perfect replacement for those all-purpose cleaners.
You know, the ones we buy to wipe down our countertops after cooking or clean off our kitchen tables before dinner is served? This is a great way to save money and utilize this all-in-one product for a multitude of things!
Uses for Vinegar – Bathroom Cleaning Ideas
Remove Soap Scum from bathroom faucets
Since you have now seen what these vinegar cleaning solutions can do to soap scum, you won’t be surprised by my next suggestion. Tackle those TERRIBLE bathroom surfaces that we all hate cleaning and often overlook.
You can simply spray your cleaner all over your shower head, as well as around the base of the shower head and the tile. While that sits for a minute, go ahead and spray your bathroom faucet and sink. Go back to your shower head, wipe down the surface with a wet paper towel and then do the same in the sink.
Make your bathtub or shower look brand new
After the soap scum is removed and these surfaces are officially sparkling, tackle the bathtub/shower! I don’t know about you but we always get those awful water spots on the walls. I love how easily I can wipe this gentle cleaner through the tub to take care of it. The best part is that no one has to suffer overly strong chemical smells during their next shower or bath.
Related: Top 10 Professional House Cleaning Hacks
Clean Grout with Vinegar
Vinegar is an acid so it is known for cutting through grime and dirt quite well. I love to use this as a quick cleaning agent for cleaning the grout between tiles in the bathroom floor. I even use it for spot cleaning the grout in the wall tile of the back-splash! It works well in combination with an old toothbrush! Use it to get into the grooves and get the gunk out with very little effort!
Uses for Vinegar – On its own
Vinegar in your laundry
Did you know that you can easily get your colors brighter and whites whiter by utilizing vinegar? Just add a half cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle of your wash. You will notice a drastic difference!
This is also a great option to use when you want to put extra fluff into your towels. I have never had an issue with clothes coming out smelling like vinegar from doing this, either. Partially because I use scented fabric softener in the dryer and partially because the vinegar is rinsed off before the cycle is completed.
Vinegar on bug bites and stings
Have you ever tried placing white vinegar on a cotton ball and holding it on a bee sting or bug bite? Acids are known to neutralize alkaline compounds.
The venom in a sting or bite is alkaline so placing acidic vinegar on it can provide prompt pain relief by neutralizing the alkaline!
Wrapping Up the Uses for Vinegar
These are just a couple of the ways you can use this solution around the home but most certainly not a complete list. You will find in time that while we are often believe harsh chemical cleaners are the only way to clean tough surfaces, that’s not completely accurate.
Related: Declutter Your Way To A Calmer Household
Your Homemade Vinegar Cleaner Recipe
A few tips regarding this vinegar cleaner recipe:
- These are the bottles I use anytime I make a homemade room freshener spray, DIY spray cleaner, or anything else of the sort. These spray bottles are great quality and I love how easy it is to order them from Amazon!
- If you think you’ll want to make multiple batches and/or you have other needs for glass spray bottles, I HIGHLY recommendthis 6 pack as it is a FANTASTIC deal if you need multiple (less than the price of 3 of the bottles above).
- I personally have this sticker makerthat I use when making labels. Personally, I have this because, for the price, I get SO much use out of it. I can make stickers, magnets, laminate things, etc. There is so much I can use it for as a mom who is always working on the next DIY project!
- You don’t HAVE to have this, of course. You can simply print the labels on sticker paper or even plain paper and attach with glue, modge podge, or double-sided tape!
Ingredients for Homemade Vinegar Cleaner
- 1 Cup of white vinegar
- 2 cups hot water
- 1/8 cup lemon juice (this is for scent)
- 1 Spray bottle
- Label
Instructions for Vinegar Cleaner
- In your empty spray bottle, pour your cup of white vinegar. It may be best to use a funnel for this step unless you have extremely accurate aim!
- Add two cups of hot water to your spray bottle.
- Pour your 1/8 cup of lemon juice into your mixture in the spray bottle.
- Place the top back on your spray bottle and make sure it is closed tightly.
- Shake the bottle well until the solution is fully mixed together.
- Print the label of your choice and either create a sticker or attach it using glue, modge podge, tape, or sticker paper!
- Enjoy your new chemical-free all-purpose cleaner!
Check out even more household vinegar uses your never knew from Reader’s Digest!
Libby
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