How American housewives save by using vinegar instead of detergent
'24.10.2018'
Source: The Spruce
Vinegar is a versatile product for your home. Cleaning with vinegar costs a penny, and the result will be no worse than after using expensive super cleaners. Test a few of our recommendations and see for yourself.
Kitchen Cleaner
The kitchen is an eternal mess - something constantly spills, smears, explodes in the microwave or drips in the oven, which makes you think hard about the choice of methods for cleaning all these surfaces and "insides". Try vinegar - it is safe not only for kitchen furniture and appliances, but also for your family. The Spruce.
- To clean the microwave: simply fill the bowl with a mixture of half vinegar and half water and place it on 2 minutes at maximum power. Then dip the sponge in this vinegar solution and wipe dried remains of food from the microwave walls. Almost no rub. Important: the water can be very hot, wear gloves or let it cool for a couple of minutes.
- For cleaning stainless steel appliances: fill the spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar, then spray it on the stainless steel surface and wipe them with a dry soft cloth or paper towel without much rubbing. After making sure that the fingerprints and dirt are removed, wipe the surfaces with a cloth moistened with water (you can use a second spray bottle with clean water). This step is important to remove acid residues.
- To "punch" the sink: pour half a box of baking soda into the drain hole, and then gently (there may be splashes!) pour in the vinegar. A head of foam should form - let it settle and repeat until all the baking soda has reacted with the vinegar. This tool does not spoil the pipes and the surface of the sink at all, so you can clean, including a clogged toilet.
Bathroom Cleaner
The products that you use to clean the bathroom should be tough enough to kill germs and mold, successfully wipe off a thick layer of soap and toothpaste, which children always leave on the sink. The tool should provide shine taps and the absence of stains on the mirror. This is a serious challenge for any detergent, but vinegar can handle it.
- To remove lime deposits: fill a small plastic bag half white vinegar and attach the bag to the shower head with adhesive tape. Leave for an hour or two. Remove the bag and brush the nozzle with an old toothbrush or rag. Now your shower will look and work like new! The same method can be used to remove mineral deposits from surfaces of taps in bathrooms and kitchens.
- For a perfectly clean toilet bowl: Pour a couple of cups of vinegar inside the toilet before bed, brush it over the sides, and leave it overnight. Rinse in the morning - This simple tip will disinfect and help remove stubborn lime stains.
- To easily remove mold: mix one part vinegar and one part water, pour into a spray bottle and shake well. Do not use only vinegar - you can damage the tile surface. Take a sponge, spray the solution on it (or on the desired surface) and wipe. The mold will go away.
How to use vinegar for washing
Fabric softeners, stain removers, oxygenated bleaches - don't be fooled into thinking you need all of these products. Few of these can do what your regular laundry detergent or liquid detergent plus a bottle of vinegar can't do.
- To improve the quality of washing: Add a cup of white vinegar to the rinsing cycle of your washing machine. This will help to whiten the white things safely, kill the bacteria, and at the same time soften the fabric and eliminate any odors.
- For washing wool things: If your machine has an automatic conditioner / softener dispenser, add one cup of vinegar (if not, add when the rinse cycle starts). If you wash by hand, add some vinegar to the rinse water. Wool may smell like vinegar - but the smell will surely disappear when the clothes are dry.
- As a stain remover: using vinegar, you can remove the stains of tomato, mold, coffee, tea, mustard, sweat, grass, ink, blood, rust, vomiting, crayons and pencils, iron marks and just any old stains. How to do it, read here (English). Pure vinegar is most commonly used, but first it is advisable to conduct a small test on a clean inner tissue at the bottom of the product.
What else can be cleaned with vinegar
Remove dirt, stains, odors with vinegar, use a few drops to shine on the remaining surfaces. When you find all the benefits of this tool and a wide range of its actions, you can save a lot of money by ceasing to buy advertised funds.
- To make windows shine clean: For glasses that have not been washed for a long time, mix two cups of water and a quarter cup of white vinegar, add half a teaspoon of dish soap. If you wash your windows often, just mix vinegar and water 1: 1 and pour into a spray bottle. Use a paper towel to remove dust from the glass. Then spray the solution onto the glass, wipe with a soft cloth and then dry - again with a dry paper towel. It is advisable to do this quickly so that there are no stains left.
- To make a universal cleaner: You will need a spray bottle and an equal amount of white vinegar and water (it is better to take a new bottle and nozzle). Pour the liquid into the container, close, shake. Done!
- For the preparation of home polish: only two ingredients are needed - white vinegar and lemon juice. Combine them in equal parts in a spray bottle. Apply to fabric, not furniture. Wipe the surfaces with this cloth and then wipe with a dry cloth. You can prepare a new solution for each cleaning.
- Carpet Cleaning Mix: it is very easy to prepare; you will need to mix white vinegar and baking soda before making a paste. Apply it to the stain on the carpet, rub the old toothbrush or hard side of the sponge for washing dishes. Allow the paste to dry and then vacuum it. The stain should disappear.
How to give a pleasant smell of vinegar
If you are not happy with the smell of vinegar, just take a few simple steps to give it a pleasant aroma: add a few drops of your favorite essential oil directly to the vinegar. Close the bottle and shake. Attach a sticker indicating the date when the flavored vinegar was made, and a note about what kind of product it is (not to use it for food). You can also add a few drops of essential oil to the finished cleaning products.
What can not be cleaned with vinegar
While vinegar is safe on most surfaces, it doesn't apply to all of your furniture and décor. Avoid using vinegar on countertops and floors made from natural stone such as granite, marble or quartz - it can corrode the stone. You should also avoid using vinegar on unprotected cement surfaces. Do not treat waxed surfaces with vinegar.
Opinions about whether vinegar is safe on wooden floors, diverge. If you decide to try, dilute the vinegar with an equal amount of water and try on an inconspicuous area of the surface before applying to all the floors in the room.
