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When you think of vinegar, what comes to mind? A good stir-fry perhaps? Vinegar is a pantry staple in most households, but it can do a whole lot more than add zip to your salad dressing. Vinegar is an amazing cleaning agent, and because it’s non-toxic, it is perfect for use around your home.
Vinegar is 5% acetic acid, which is what kills many types of bacteria, viruses, and mold. How great is that? Today I decided to gather up all the ways I’ve used vinegar around my home, and share them in one post for easy reference. Let’s start with one of my all-time favorites…
All Purpose Cleaner
I use this every single day in my house. It’s what I use to wipe down our kitchen counters and dining room table. It’s what I use to clean our bathroom sinks. And it’s the first thing I grab when the dog has an accident on the floor. The addition of essential oils adds a wonderful, warm scent, so you don’t even smell the vinegar.
DIY Upholstery Spray
There are store-bought upholstery sprays that are so strong and overwhelming, I simply cannot use them. (Not only that, I don’t like the way they smell.) I tried my own version, and love the mild scent that doesn’t overpower the room.
Remove Hard Water/Mineral Deposits
This is truly one of my favorite cleaning tips! If you have hard water/mineral deposits on your faucets, all you need is vinegar to completely remove them. How amazing is that?
DIY Floor Cleaner
This recipe is easy to whip up, and it leaves floors clean and shiny.
Freshen Laundry
If you have ever found a bag with wet clothes in it, you know how bad clothing can smell. Or how about those musty towels? Vinegar can be used to freshen laundry and remove those nasty odors.
DIY Toilet Cleaner
Sooo… my kid decided to drink out of the toilet one day… So gross. That’s when I made the switch to DIY Toilet Cleaner using vinegar and baking soda.
Shower/Tub Cleaner
This is one of the first DIY Cleaning Recipes I ever made, and it works beautifully… even when my children destroy the tub with crayons and markers. Check out the post for more on that 🙂
Cleaning the Coffee Maker
Who doesn’t love a warm cup of coffee in the morning? (Okay. Probably some of you… ) Problem with coffee makers is that they get calcium build-up. Vinegar is all you need to remove it. Although this post was written for a coffee maker, you can apply the same concept to a Keurig.
Cleaning A Coffee Maker or Keurig
DIY Weed Killer
This stuff works so well. I had actually sprayed some weeds and awhile later, it started to rain. After it cleared, I thought I better go re-spray the weeds. No need. They were already dried out and dead.
Drain Clog Remover
I have no idea why this chemical reaction works, but it does. You basically get to do a 5th grade Science project in your drain pipe, and the benefit is that it will unclog slow-moving drains.
Cleaning the Microwave
Cleaning the microwave is super easy with this quick trick. All you need is a measuring cup, some water, vinegar, and a toothpick 🙂 And, yes, this image is pre-cleaning (thus the stain 🙂 )
DIY Fruit Wash
Fine. I admit it. I usually just rinse my fruit and veggies under a stream of water and call it good, but using vinegar can kill off mold and bacteria, and many say, your fruit lasts longer that way.
Cleaning the Dishwasher
Most people don’t think about cleaning their dishwasher, because it is already “washing” itself each time you run it, however, using vinegar and baking soda can help to eliminate odor and kill off mold and/or bacteria that may be harboring inside.
credit: David Locke / Foter / CC BY
Cleaning the Washing Machine
Another appliance you may not think to clean is your washing machine, but if you have a front-loader, you know it can start to get a funky smell. Vinegar is great for getting that odor under control.
Cleaning the Garbage Disposal
This post was one of my very first (so you’ll have to excuse the picture quality 🙂 ), but the cleaning tip remains the same. Vinegar is great for cleaning out your garbage disposal.
How do you use vinegar in your home?
Happy Cleaning-
Erin
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When I first moved to Greece I had no idea what that white stuff was on my glasses. Once I found out it was mineral deposits I went to the store and bought a bunch of expensive cleaners. But I discovered a few years later just how wonderful vinegar is for all that and much more. Now I have a squeeze bottle in each bathroom and the kitchen where we use them to clean and also as a rinse for our hair.
I knew it had many uses but this post is great for all the recipes, Erin thanks for putting them all in one spot. Pinning this one for sure.
Thanks for pinning Mary! Isn’t vinegar the best? I admit, though, I’ve never tried it in my hair 🙂