You would be surprised to hear how remarkably powerful white vinegar is at cleaning. It is tremendously effective as a cleaner, herbicide, brightener and so much more. You can use it straight-up, or mix it in water based on your needs, and it will entirely replace a number of pricey cleaning products and reagents that you buy from big stores.
Vinegar’s high acidity level allows it to be highly effective in killing germs, bacteria, and mould. Standard white vinegar is often enough for most normal jobs, but the really tough ones can be done away with by using something more acidic like pickling vinegar (7% instead of the standard 5%). It is a very viable and inexpensive replacement to chemical supplies online and in stores.
In Your Kitchen
Soak your dishrags and sponges overnight in a quarter-cup of distilled white vinegar and water, not much, but enough to cover them. After this, wash them and you’ll see they’re as fresh as new ones! You could run an empty dishwasher with a cup of vinegar to remove foul odours and soap. All stains on cups, containers, utensils and even the inside of your fridge can be removed with gentle scrubbing too. Microwave odour and grime can be fixed by letting a bowl of water-vinegar solution boil in the oven for three minutes or so.
In Your Bathrooms
You can kill bathroom germs easily by spraying around your tub and sink with full-strength vinegar and then wiping clean with a damp cloth. Soap build-up can be removed using a scouring solution which is non-toxic. Four parts vinegar and one part salt is the perfect recipe for success when it comes to removing soap scum. You can soak your toilet basin with three cups of white distilled vinegar for a half hour or so before scrubbing it with damp cloth and flushing. You don’t need to shell out big amounts for various cleaners, disinfectants and chemical supplies available online anymore. It isn’t just the floors and the tiles, though. Vinegar can be massaged into your scalp and does wonders against dandruff too!
In Your Living Room
Windows and any glass surfaces shine like brand new when cleaned with a 50-50 vinegar-water solution. If you are doing this for the first time, you might see streaks of chemical residue, but spraying undiluted vinegar at them gets rid of them too. Brushing your carpets with vinegar (1:4 with water) can restore their bright colours too, and 2 tablespoons of white distilled vinegar with a quarter-cup baking soda or salt rubbed into any stain and dried for a day will help reduce or eliminate it.
In Your Laundry
Instead of using chemical-laden dryer sheets and chemical supplies bought online, you could just add a half cup of vinegar to your washing machine’s rinsing cycle to reduce static and also preserve the bright colours. Whites can be restored to older socks and dishcloths by letting them boil for a while in a pot of water with a cup of vinegar added, and letting this soak overnight, after which they can be washed normally. If your garments have scorch marks and sweat as well as antiperspirant stains, you should rub them gently with vinegar and wipe with a clean piece of cloth.
