With so many cleaning products to chose from today, many people are looking for more one-stop-shop type cleaners, where they can use the same thing to clean multiple surfaces. Plus, many store-bought cleaners are so laden with chemicals that they are extremely toxic for you and your family. For those with little ones and pets to watch out for, these just simply aren’t an option.
Well what if I told you that you can use one product to clean your entire house? You can! And it’s something you probably already have in your cupboard…VINEGAR!
Now I’m specifically talking about distilled white vinegar because of it’s amazing ability to not only kill germs, but also do away with many different types of molds, mildews and other sources of frustration we deal with while cleaning.
Why Use White Vinegar?
There are basically 3 reasons I love using vinegar to clean:
- It’s a natural disinfectant. When vinegar comes into contact with germ cells, it crosses the cell membrane and releases protons that attack the cell and cause it to die. That’s also why it works so well to cut through grease and other similar substances. Typical vinegar you buy by the gallon has 5% acidity, but Heinz has just released a new “cleaning vinegar” that has 6% acidity, so it’s stronger and has even more potent germ-fighting ability.
- It’s cheap. I don’t know about you, but I hate buying cleaning products because it seems like you need a different product for every surface of your home, and that adds up quickly! On average, a gallon of vinegar is less than $5 and it goes a long way because most of the time, when you use it, you dilute it in water (which is free)…sounds like a pretty good option to me!
- It’s so versatile. Cleaning with vinegar is great not only because it has the ability to clean multiple surfaces, but it’s also safe to use on multiple surfaces. It won’t break down substances or corrode metals. As you’ll see, it’s uses are truly endless.
How to Use Vinegar
- Multi-Purpose Cleaner – Vinegar makes a great multi-purpose cleaner. Simply mix 50% water and 50% vinegar in a spray bottle you can get from your local dollar store for $1 and use it to clean pretty much every surface in your house. I use it a lot in the kitchen and the bathroom and it’s safe to use on stainless steel and other metals. You can also use this mixture on glass, so it’s great for cleaning stove-tops, windows and mirrors as well. Go even further and use it to disinfect your handles, door knobs, remote controls and light switches.
- Appliance Cleaner –
- Microwave: Put a cup of 50% water and 50% vinegar in your microwave and microwave it for 2-3 minutes. Then, just wipe it clean.
- Refrigerator: Wipe down your entire fridge inside and out with the multi-purpose cleaner I mentioned earlier. You can even store a little spray bottle of it in the fridge for quick clean-ups.
- Dishwasher: Put a cup of pure vinegar in the top rack of your dishwasher (without anything else in it, of course) and run it through a hot water cycle. This will clean and sanitize your dishwasher.
- Garbage Disposal: Pour about 1/2 cup of vinegar down your garbage disposal and 1/2 cup lemon juice or even a few slices of lemon. Turn your garbage disposal on and let it grind up the lemon or work through the mixture and rinse with water.
- Floor Cleaner – Mix 1/2 cup vinegar into a gallon of water and add some lemon if you want the scent. Use it to mop and sanitize your hard floors, including vinyl, wood and tile.
- For carpets: After shampooing, rinse carpets with 1/2 cup vinegar mixed with 1 gallon of water. This works really well at removing soap residue from your carpets and keeping the carpet fibers stronger for longer.
- Bathroom Cleaner –
- Sinks and drains: Use the multi-purpose cleaner to wipe down sinks, faucets and handles. To de-scum and unclog drains, plug the drain first and sprinkle 1 Tbs. baking soda on it and 1/2 cup vinegar. Let the mixture sit on the drain overnight if possible. In the morning, unplug the drain and let the mixture wash down. Wipe it down and rinse it with water.
- Showers and Bathtubs: Make a paste out of 1/4 cup baking soda and enough vinegar to make it easily spreadable. Use a scrub brush to scrub down tile or surrounds and shower or bath floors. Rinse with water.
- Shower Heads: put 1 cup of vinegar into a plastic baggie and put the bag over your shower head so it is submerged in the vinegar. Tie a rubber band around the top of the bag and leave it overnight. In the morning, just remove the bag and rinse it by turning the shower on for a minute before you shower. You can also use this with sink faucets or kitchen sprayers.
- Toilets: Pour 1 cup vinegar into the toilet and let it sit overnight. In the morning, sprinkle baking soda around the edge of the toilet bowl and scrub the mixture with the toilet brush and flush the mess away. Use the multi-purpose cleaner to wipe down the rest of the toilet.
- Mattress Cleaner – You can even use vinegar to freshen your mattress. Just mix 1 cup vinegar with 1 Tbs. rubbing alcohol and a few drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle and spray onto your mattress. If you want to get it even cleaner, after you spray it, sprinkle the entire mattress with baking soda, let it dry and vacuum it up. This will not only sanitize your mattress, but also help prevent mildew, dust mites and bed bugs.
- Laundry – Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, you can also use vinegar as a fabric softener. Just add 1 cup of pure vinegar to the final wash or rinse cycle of your laundry and it will help remove detergent residue and static, making your clothes brighter and stronger.
There you have it. your new “clean” cleaning guide for your entire house. And don’t worry if you think you’re whole house is constantly going to smell like vinegar. It will at first, but the smell quickly goes away. Trust me, even while you can smell it, it becomes the “smell of clean” in your house like the smell of lysol or bleach once was. The smell goes away even faster if you mix these concoctions with lemon or orange oil. Try out these recipes and make your own. I’d love to hear about them!