Did you know vinegar is the superhero of “green” household cleaning products? Likely you have a bottle sitting in your cupboard and didn’t even realize it’s super power.
Using white distilled vinegar as an all-around cleaner is an excellent alternative to manufactured (and often toxic) chemical blends because it is safe to use and will keep your house sparkling clean.
Vinegar has a strong smell when in use, but when it dries, it’s completely odor free, so don’t shy away from using if you are not a huge fan of the initial scent. Essential oils can be used to help add fragrance to your cleaning solutions, too.
Try these 9 ways to begin greening your home cleaning with vinegar:
Windows & Mirrors – Fill a 16 oz. spray bottle with ½ vinegar and ½ water to clean windows and mirrors then wipe down with newspaper for a streak-free shine.
Microwave – To clean out a dirty microwave put 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes and wipe out with a damp cloth. This will loosen the food particles for easy cleanup.
Dishwasher – To help remove the film left over from your dishwasher soap you can fill your rinse dispenser with vinegar and your dishes will come out squeaky clean.
Refrigerator & Counter Tops – Keeping a spray bottle on hand filled with ½ vinegar and ½ water makes it easy to grab to clean the counter tops. Use it to clean out the refrigerator on a regular basis too. You won’t have to worry about using this solution around your food because it is non-toxic and all natural.
Coffee Pot – To keep your coffee pot free from nasty buildup, use a full pot of straight vinegar and run through a normal brew cycle. Then run two regular pots of water through the brew cycle. Do this once a month and your coffee pot will thank you.
Underarm Stains – To get rid of these unsightly stains many people just throw the shirt away but you don’t have to. Use full strength vinegar in a spray bottle to soak the stained areas. Leave in for 15-20 minutes before washing as usual and you should be rid of the underarm stains and any associated odor.
Fabric Softener – You can use vinegar in place of your normal fabric softener in the rinse cycle for the same (or better) effect for a lot less.
Toilet – pour in 1 cup of full strength vinegar, leave it for 10 minutes and clean as usual. Your bowl will be clean and fresh.
Tub/Shower – Use vinegar, the half and half mixture in a spray bottle, to keep your shower clean. Just grab it when you’re done showering and spray down the shower, tub and shower curtain, let it dry and voila! Even when cleaning around babies’ bath toys, you won’t have to worry if any get on them because it’s safe to use.
These are just some of the uses for vinegar to make your home green clean. If you have additional solutions, we’d love to hear ’em! Leave your tips in the comments section for others to benefit from.
Great tips! I’m experimenting with mildew. Last year we had a particularly humid few months. So much so that when a storm blew through and knocked out our power, mold & mildew started growing on the windows & walls. I wiped it down and thought the problem was solved but … this year … the first hot & humid day brought it back out. I’ve been told that spraying straight vinegar on the area and letting it sit for a couple of days will solve the problem. Stay tuned …
Oh my! Mold can be such a bugger! Would love to hear your results, do let me know how it works!