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Just a few of the many household uses for distilled white vinegar:
GLASS CLEANER
A quarter cup in a quart of water makes a good window cleaner, or use a solution of 50/50/ white vinegar and water for extra cleaning. If streaks are left, add 1 drop of regular dish detergent to remove buildup from store-bought cleaners.
Use a solution of vinegar and water - 1-2 TBLSP in a 4 oz bottle of water for cleaning eyeglasses.
Hot vinegar can be used to remove paint from glass (works great around windows where you've accidentally gotten paint on the glass...). Just heat up vinegar on stove and use a cloth to wipe away paint -- it's that easy.
COFFEE MAKER CLEANER
Fill the water reservoir half way and run the coffee maker as you normally do and then run it once full of water and the coffee maker will be spotless.
KITCHEN CLEANER
Vinegar is an excellent grease cutter. In college cafeterias we boil out our fry vats every week with vinegar and water. Very cost effective and very safe-no harsh chemicals, no risk of fire. Use straight vinegar to clean the grill hoods.
Pour 1/4 cup vinegar with dish soap- water must be hot (not boiling hot). This is great for cleaning your Corningware dishes (it removes all the stains and grease), cleaning your stainless steel pots and pans ect., clean your oven and all of stove top ( this is better than oven cleaners. it will remove all of the grease. just dab on and let it set for a few minutes then wipe clean), and cabinets in kitchen.
OVEN CLEANER
To keep your freshly-cleaned oven from stinking up your house next time you bake something, wipe it with white vinegar poured directly on the sponge as a final rinse. It neutralizes the harsh alkali of oven cleaners.
DISHES
A little vinegar in your rinse water will help get rid of sour smells sometimes left behind on plastic dishes.
Pour 1/4 cup vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser of the dishwasher to keep spots of dishes and glasses also it helps keep the washer clean.
To remove food residue, mineral deposits, soap scum and chemical residues caused by water from your dishwasher:
Set your timer to the "wash cycle" (to prevent any water from being added to vinegar). Pour 1 gallon of white vinegar into bottom of dishwasher. Activate washer and allow to complete cycle to wash with vinegar and rinse with clean water.
LAUNDRY
When using bleach when washing fabric - try an extra rinse with a cup of vinegar in it to get rid of the bleach smell.
CAUTION: Vinegar, like ammonia will cause a small amount of chlorine gas when mixed with bleach. Use only in a ventilated area if you will be adding vinegar AFTER your rinse cycle after bleaching has completed.
CARPETS
Use a trigger spray bottle and fill with one part white vinegar to seven parts water. Take a second spray bottle and fill with one part white, non sudsy amonnia and seven parts water. Saturate stain with vinegar solution. Let dwell for a few minutes and blot thoroughly with a clean, white cloth. Then go over the area with the ammonia solution, let dwell and blot again. Repeat until the stain is gone.
I use vinegar full strength on a clean white cloth to clean spots from my carpeting. This will dissolve most substances except for waxy stains. With young kids and a husband we have plenty of food spots.
Use in steam vac to rinse carpets with after shampooing. The carpet will stay fresh longer, because it removes any detergent residue. Use a quarter of a cup, per gallon of water.
WOOD CLEANER
Make your own very frugal furniture polish using equal parts of white vinegar and vegetable oil. Wipe it on and buff with a soft cloth.
White vinegar can also be used to clean raw wood, such as a wooden cutting board. Pour straight vinegar onto the wood and then use a sponge to literally push the dirt away. Be sure to wipe in the direction of the wood grain, starting at one end and working to the other. This way the dirt you are trying to get rid of won't be pushed back into the wood grain.
Cheap solution to replace those expensive PERGO flooring cleaners:
1/3 part white vinegar
1/3 part rubbing alcohol
1/3 part water
3 drops diswashing liquid
Mix this into a (recycled) spray bottle and you have the equivalent of the Pergo floor cleaner. Just spray and mop; also great for deodorizing a room and for a fast cleanup. I also use this on my tile floors with great results. Pergo is better off when water doesn't sit on it too long, the alcohol is added to make it dry faster. Vinegar is the only recommended cleaning solution by many wood floor distributors.
HARD WATER MINERAL DEPOSITS
I use vinegar to get rid of the hard water deposits around my sink and it's so simple. Soak a paper towel(s) with vinegar and place them around the area that needs to be cleaned or for cleaning the faucet you can soak the towel and wrap it around and then rubberband it in place. I do this overnight and the next morning it's a cinch to wipe clean. This has been safe on my brass faucets as well.
MICROWAVE CLEANER
Put 1 Tablespoon of vinegar, one cup of warm water and 1 or 2 drops of dish soap in a smal microwave safe bowl. Put it in the microwave on high for 3-4 minutes and let stand for 15 minutes. Then wipe the microwave out with a damp sponge. The steam and use of vinegar loosens up the build up in the microwave.
BRASS CLEANER
To clean brassware to like-new condition without scrubbing, soak in 1:10 parts of white vinegar:water. To clean brass lamps, unscrew sections, soak in bucket. All green and black tarnish comes off in no time. Learned this from a band director who uses vinegar to clean student's brass instruments.
COPPER CLEANER
On heavily tarnished copper or copper-alloy to be cleaned up, use a paste made of salt and vinegar.
CAST IRON POT CLEANER
I use a white vinegar solution 2 parts vinegar 1 part water to clean the rust off cast iron pans. I collect antique cast iron pans and after cleaning the old grease off them many times they are rusty under the old seasoning. I soak the pan overnight in the vinegar solution and the vinegar just dissolves the rust. Very rusty pans many take an extra evening. Don't leave it in there too long or you will not have a pan. The vinegar actually dissolves the metal. This would work on new cast iron pans also.
WALL CLEANER
1 gallon water
1 cup ammonia
1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
Put the ammonia, vinegar and baking soda into the bucket of water; mix well. Wash the walls from the bottom up to prevent drip stains.
REFRIGERATOR CLEANER
Use in the refrigerator to neutralize odors and remove mineral deposits.
DRAIN CLEANER
Vinegar and baking soda as a weekly cleaner/degreaser/deodorizer for my kitchen/bathroom drains. See recipe at bottom of page.
FURNITURE CLEANER
For cleaning antique appliances: Pour white vinegar straight out of the bottle onto a sponge, or pour it into a dishpan to soak stubborn buildup for a few minutes. After your appliance's first-time cleaning, future quick cleanups are easiest using a small spray/squirt bottle with diluted vinegar-water.
FLOOR CLEANER
Add 1/2 cup vinegar to a gal. of water to keep your vinyl no wax floors clean and shining.
When waxing a floor after scrubbing with a floor stripper, use 1 cup of vinegar to rinse water. It neutralizes the chemicals and makes wax or floor finish adhere better.
I add 1/4 cup of vinegar to a half bucket of warm water. I wring my cloth out real good and wipe all dirt and built up wax away. I don't rub the furniture, just wipe it down and then buff with a dry towel. You'd be amazed what a job it does.
I keep a two small spray bottles in the kitchen - one filled with vinegar and one filled with hydrogen peroxide. These are the best safe disinfectants for counters, cutting boards and washing produce. More effective against bacteria if used separately.
BATHROOM CLEANER
Put white vinegar in a spray bottle, take the top off and heat in the microwave until warm. Be careful that your spray bottle can be heated. I take it in the shower and clean our fiberglass shower with just the warm vinegar a sponge and the shower water. It really makes the shower look sparkling white. You can clean the silver fixtures too. Helps remove soap scum really well.
Shower cleaner: Use approximately 1/3 cup of white vinegar and 1/3 cup of all purpose cleaner (Lysol, etc.) or laundry detergent in a 32 oz. spray bottle filled rest of the way with water to clean my shower. Spray heavily and use a light net scrubbie or sponge to get hard water and soap scum off. Rinse completely. Then, spray every day after showering. Use plain vinegar and water for the daily mist. Can even be used in toilet and sink.
GROUT CLEANER
To clean grout pour white vinager full strength let sit and scrub with a tooth brush. This works great!
I discovered that vinegar works great to remove tempera paint like you use when you decorate your windows for the holidays. It takes it right off almost immediately, sponge vinegar over paint then wipe off finish removing residual with paper toweling, or, as I prefer, reusable terry cloth towel:)
PESTICIDE
Instead of using pesticides to get rid of ants in the kitchen, clean the countertop with a vinegar and water mixture. It is a good cleaner, and it also leaves a residue that ants will flee from.
LEATHER STAIN REMOVER
Remove water stains from leather by rubbing with a cloth dipped in a vinegar and water solution.
That staining that occurs in clay and plastic flower pots and their saucers comes right out--no scrubbing needed. Just fill the kitchen sink with cold water and add plain white vinegar about 2/3 water-1/3 vinegar. Soak pots and saucers til they look clean and new (sometimes takes an hour). Wash with soap and water before reusing.
WHIRLPOOL TUB CLEANER
Pour 1 gallon of white vinegar into the water of our whirlpool tub, once a year and run it. This will keep the jets from clogging up from soap scum.
JEWELRY CLEANER
I use it to clean my jewelry. Not for pearls or opals. Use a plastic tub with lid, add cidar vinegar then jewelry, put lid on and let set. Usually immediate results, but can also be left overnight. Been great for gold, silver, diamonds, and other gem stones. |
