Vinegar isn’t just for cooking. In fact, it’s a rock star at cleaning.
Created through fermentation, vinegar contains acetic acid, which can cut through grease, germs and odors. Today we present 10 easy ways to use distilled white vinegar — which typically sells for less than $5 a gallon — using tried-and-true tips courtesy of the Vinegar Institute, the National Gardening Association and Linda “The Queen of Clean” Cobb, featured on the DIY Network.
ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER
Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle for a safe, streak-free cleaning product for countertops, windows and refrigerator shelves.
AIR DEODORIZER
Mix 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Store in a labeled spray bottle and spritz as needed to absorb odors from the air. Though vinegar has a sour smell at first, it disappears when it dries, so your home won’t smell like vinegar.
TOILET BOWL CLEANER
Remove stubborn stains by spraying them with straight vinegar and brushing vigorously. To deodorize the bowl, add 3 cups of vinegar, allow it to sit for 30 minutes, then flush.
MICROWAVE
Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave to loosen splatters and to deodorize. You can also spray the inside of the microwave and stove top with full-strength vinegar. Allow it to sit 10 minutes on tough, baked-on stains, then wipe it away.
DRAIN FRESHENER
Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, followed by 1/2 cup vinegar. Watch the mixture foam as it cleans and deodorizes.
REMOVE REFRIGERATOR SMELLS Place 1 cup apple cider vinegar in a glass and set it in the
refrigerator for two days to remove odors.
AUTOMATIC COFFEE MAKER
Vinegar can dissolve mineral deposits that collect in automatic drip coffee makers from hard water. Fill the reservoir with vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly with water when the cycle is finished. Check the owner’s manual first for cleaning instructions.
FRESHEN BABY CLOTHES
Add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to each load of baby clothes during the rinse cycle to naturally break down uric acid and soapy residues.
SHOWERHEAD DEPOSITS
Pour vinegar into a plastic bag, tape it to the showerhead and let it sit overnight. Brush the showerhead to remove remaining deposits.
SHOWER CURTAINS
Add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to the rinse water when laundering your shower curtain. Do not spin dry or wash it out. Hang it to dry immediately.
Resources
1,001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar: See www.vinegartips.com.
Queen of Clean: Cleaning demosvideos based on simple home solutions by Linda Cobb at www.diynetwork.com or www.queenofclean.com.
National Gardening Association: See www.garden.org.
Vinegar Institute: See www.versatilevinegar.org.
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