I love vinegar. I’ve got several varieties in my pantry and only recently ‘discovered’ what people had been telling me for years – that a mix of vinegar and water sprayed onto glass and rubbed off with newspaper gives an amazing result – much better than commercial glass-cleaning products.
But wait, there’s more – so much more that vinegar can do around the house. It is surely the most versatile product in your home. And if you’re not using it for all of the purposes I’m about to list courtesy of moneytalksnews, then you’re spending money unnecessarily.
In the bathroom
Vinegar excels at cutting through grime, partly because it’s acidic. It is, in fact, diluted acetic acid so it can damage natural stone such as marble and granite, so proceed with caution and test on a small area first or consult the surface manufacturer.
But, if all’s good, get to work.
Clean sinks and bathtubs with full-strength vinegar and then rinse well.
Bust soap scum with a spray a 50/50 vinegar and dish detergent on the tub, wait a few minutes, wipe and rinse thoroughly.
De-gunk your shower head by filling a sturdy plastic bag with vinegar. Use a rubber band to hold it to the shower head and let it soak. Then fill any shower-door tracks with the vinegar and scrub with an old toothbrush.
In the kitchen
De-lime the kettle by boiling three cups of vinegar and letting it stand overnight. Rinse well.
Clean the dishwasher once a month by running a cup of vinegar through your (empty) dishwasher.
Scrub the inside of your fridge with a 50/50 vinegar-water mix.
Sanitise cutting boards by spraying with undiluted white vinegar.
Are fruit flies a problem? Create a trap by rolling a sheet of paper into a funnel and placing it into a jar with cider vinegar at the bottom. Fruit flies are attracted to cider vinegar. They’ll be lured in but won’t be able to find their way out and will drown.
In the laundry
Soften fabrics by adding a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle instead of using more expensive and chemical fabric softeners.
Clean the iron by filling the water reservoir with vinegar, stand it upright and turn on the “steam” setting. After 10 minutes, empty and rinse well. Also wipe the faceplate of your iron with vinegar.
Anywhere
Mop floors with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. The vinegar smell will dissipate, but you also can add a drop or two of essential oil to the water.
Clear drains by tipping in a half-cup of baking soda, then pouring in a half-cup of vinegar. Follow with boiling water from the kettle, then with hot water from the tap.
Remove adhesive from stickers by wiping with vinegar.
Kill ants with the same mix of vinegar and detergent that you used to remove bathroom soap scum.
Do you have any other uses for vinegar? Or any other money-saving cleaning tips?
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