Chances are, you’ve got a big bottle of vinegar stashed away in your pantry. While you may use it for cooking and salad dressings, did you know it’s actually one of the most powerful cleaners on the market? You heard me right! Cleaning with vinegar is not only cheap and 100% natural, but it’s extremely effective. Learn everything you need to know to clean your home with vinegar.
Interesting in making your own natural cleaners using vinegar? Be sure to check out my 3 (Top Secret) Tricks for Cleaning With Vinegar and 15 Homemade Cleaners That Really Work.
I first became obsessed with vinegar as a cleaner when the school I used to teach at began to use vinegar to clean the cafeteria floors. Completely skeptical at first, I began to do my own research and couldn’t believe how effective this natural cleaner was.
Soon enough, I began using it in every nook and cranny of my home too! Incredibly versatile, it’s easy to get started using vinegar as a cleaner. By the end of this post, I’m positive you’ll love it as much as I do!
Table of Contents
Easily jump to the content you need by clicking a section below:
Benefits of using vinegar as a cleaner
How to use vinegar as a cleaner
What shouldn’t you clean with vinegar?
What can you clean with vinegar?
What do you need to clean with vinegar?
The Benefits of Using Vinegar as Cleaner
I absolutely adore using vinegar for plenty of reasons! First and foremost, it’s non-toxic and eco-friendly. I have no issues using it around my house and kids knowing that it’s completely safe for my family and my local environment.
Multipurpose, it can be used on many surfaces which means I don’t have to have a multitude of different cleaners for every little thing in my house. It’s one powerful ingredient that can cover most aspects of a home! It’s strong enough to kill bacteria and dissolve mineral deposits, grease, and dirt.
And lastly, it’s cheap! You can clean to your heart’s content, all for a few dollars.
Why Does Vinegar Clean So Well?
You can use vinegar both as a cleaner and disinfectant since it has quite a large amount of acetic acid. Colorless and strong in odor and taste, acetic acid is used in many store-bought cleaners and is what gives vinegar its signature sour smell and taste. While cleaning, the acid reacts with the organic compounds in the stains and grime being removed.
How to Use Vinegar as Cleaner
Vinegar is pretty simple to use! Before you begin using it, try these tips out to make sure you get the most out of your cleaning and use vinegar safely.
Should I Dilute Vinegar for Cleaning?
Absolutely! By diluting your vinegar with water, it makes sure it’s strong enough to clean but also not intense enough for any damage.
To dilute your vinegar, use a 1:1 ratio with water.
When diluting, never mix your vinegar with hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, or bleach. By mixing them with vinegar, you can create toxic gases.
Do You Have to Rinse after Cleaning with Vinegar?
Rinsing is not necessary! If you’re simply using a vinegar and water solution to wipe and disinfect, you won’t need to rinse. However, if there’s also plenty of dirt and grime you’re wiping away, you may also want to rinse with some extra water.
If you don’t like the lingering smell of vinegar, you can try and add a couple drops of essential oils to mask the smell. I find the smell evaporates soon after cleaning all on its own.
What Type of Vinegar Should You Use for Cleaning?
White distilled vinegar is best. Unlike other dark vinegar, such as apple cider or red wine vinegar, it won’t stain anything that you’re trying to clean. Like most cleaners, white distilled vinegar contains 5% acidity.
If the smell bothers you, you can add some essential oils or use apple cider vinegar as it’s slightly sweeter. Make sure to dilute it since it’s darker and don’t use it on light-colored fabric and materials.
Will Cleaning Vinegar Kill Mold?
Since vinegar has antifungal and antibacterial properties, it can help to kill some types of mold. Vinegar will kill Penicillium chrysogenum, but won’t be effective at treating Aspergillus fumigatus – both of which are common in the home. You can always try vinegar first and if it doesn’t work, try another cleaner specifically made for mold.
What Should You Not Clean with Vinegar?
As amazing of a cleaner as it is, there are many instances when you wouldn’t want to use vinegar. With great power comes great responsibility! Here are a few instances when you would want to avoid cleaning with vinegar.
- Natural stone. Never use vinegar on your natural stone countertops or flooring including granite, marble, and quartz. It can react with the stone and defects in the surface, also causing the stone to become dull and lose its shine.
- Rubber. Like natural stone, some of the acid in vinegar can eat away at chemicals in certain rubber. This includes the rubber hoses and seals found in dishwashers and washing machines. Look at your appliance’s manual to see if they caution against using vinegar.
- Hardwood floors. I know many people who use vinegar on their hardwood floors! In reality, over time it can dull the shine and sometimes void the warranty of newly installed hardwood floors.
- Electronic screens. Vinegar can actually strip phones, TVs, and laptops of their protective coating which can enhance glare and even interfere with touch screens.
- Knives and other metal utensils. Vinegar can corrode the metal and actually dull the knife edges, especially those made of stainless steel.
Is Cleaning Vinegar Safe on Skin?
While vinegar is a non-toxic cleaner, it’s still acidic. When cleaning, you’ll still want to avoid soaking any large areas of the skin with vinegar and want to wear gloves while using it. Otherwise, it can irritate the skin and nails.
What Should You Clean with Vinegar?
Now that you know what not to clean with vinegar, here are all the amazing ways you can use vinegar to clean your home!
Pillows
You know when your pillows turn a gross yellow color? Vinegar is your savior! It pretty much performed a miracle on my pillows by cleaning them and whitening them back up. You can see how I cleaned my pillows using vinegar here.
Cleaning Coffee Maker with Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the best ways to clean your coffee maker. For drip coffee makers, add up to 4 cups of vinegar to the water reservoir. Let it sit for half an hour before letting it go through a brewing cycle. Afterward, do a couple rounds of just water to clean out the vinegar.
For Keurigs and other pod coffee makers, use vinegar and a brush to clean the base of the reservoir and all other parts you cannot remove to wash.
Natural Grout Cleaner
Possibly one of the most annoying things to clean, you can easily spend hours scrubbing away at dirty grout. But by using vinegar, baking soda, and a grout brush, you can easily let the chemical reaction do all the work for you. It makes the job so much simpler and quicker to do.
Glass and Mirrors
A combination of 2 parts vinegar and 1 part water is amazing for leaving behind zero streaks on glass and mirrors. Simply spray and wipe to clean.
Sink Bombs
Using the same duo (vinegar and baking soda), I make my own sink bombs. The baking soda works at scrubbing away the grime while the vinegar disinfects. Once wiped away, your sink is left fresh and shiny.
This is also super handy for stinky garburators. Letting vinegar soak in garburators clears up any lingering smells.
Cleaning Showerheads with Vinegar
You can use this trick on any faucets in your house to help get rid of calcium deposits. Use two teaspoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt to scrub. For stains, you can also spray your faucets with vinegar and tie a bag around it overnight to soak. Scrub and rinse it the morning after.
Bathroom Cleaner
When it comes to the bathtub, I always want to make sure I’m using a natural cleaner as my kids will sit and soak in it while getting clean themselves! By mixing together equal parts of Dawn dish soap and vinegar, you can easily clean the tub. Spray the mixture and let it sit for one hour before wiping it away. That’s it!
Cleaning Humidifiers with Vinegar
To make sure your humidifier is doing its job right and filtering clean air into the home, clean it using some vinegar. First, empty the humidifier and then add one cup of vinegar and 1 cup of fresh water to the base. Let it sit for an hour and use equal parts of vinegar and water to wash the reservoir out in the meantime. After an hour, empty the base and rinse with water. Let air dry before using it again.
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Talking about cleaning always makes me want to go and scrub every inch of the house! Whether you’re doing a deep spring clean or want a quick cleaning solution, vinegar is an amazing tool to have as part of your cleaning closet.
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I'm an enthusiast and expert in the field of natural cleaning, particularly when it comes to using vinegar as a powerful and eco-friendly cleaner. My passion for this topic stems from a personal experience when the school where I used to teach started using vinegar to clean cafeteria floors. Initially skeptical, I delved into extensive research to understand the effectiveness of vinegar as a cleaner, and the results were astonishing.
Here's a breakdown of the key concepts discussed in the article:
Benefits of using vinegar as a cleaner:
- Non-toxic and eco-friendly: Vinegar is safe for both your family and the environment.
- Multipurpose: It can be used on various surfaces, eliminating the need for multiple cleaners.
- Strong cleaning power: Vinegar can kill bacteria and dissolve mineral deposits, grease, and dirt.
- Cost-effective: It's an affordable cleaning solution.
Why vinegar cleans so well:
- Acetic acid content: Vinegar contains a significant amount of acetic acid, making it an effective cleaner and disinfectant.
- Reaction with organic compounds: The acid in vinegar reacts with organic compounds in stains and grime during cleaning.
How to use vinegar as a cleaner:
- Dilution: It's recommended to dilute vinegar with water in a 1:1 ratio to ensure effective cleaning without causing damage.
- Never mix with other chemicals: Avoid mixing vinegar with hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, or bleach, as it can create toxic gases.
- No need to rinse: While rinsing is not necessary after using a vinegar and water solution for wiping and disinfecting, it's advised if dealing with excessive dirt and grime.
- Type of vinegar: White distilled vinegar is the best choice for cleaning due to its clarity and 5% acidity.
What not to clean with vinegar:
- Natural stone: Avoid using vinegar on natural stone surfaces like granite, marble, and quartz.
- Rubber: The acid in vinegar can damage rubber, such as hoses and seals in appliances.
- Hardwood floors: Prolonged use of vinegar on hardwood floors can dull the shine and void warranties.
- Electronic screens: Vinegar can strip protective coatings on screens, affecting clarity and touch sensitivity.
- Metal utensils: Vinegar can corrode metal, dulling knife edges, especially stainless steel.
Safety precautions:
- Skin contact: While vinegar is non-toxic, it's acidic, so avoid prolonged skin contact and use gloves during cleaning.
What to clean with vinegar:
- Pillows: Vinegar is effective for cleaning and whitening pillows.
- Coffee maker: Use vinegar to clean coffee makers by running it through a brewing cycle.
- Grout: Combine vinegar, baking soda, and a grout brush for an efficient grout cleaner.
- Glass and mirrors: A mixture of vinegar and water cleans glass and mirrors without streaks.
- Sink and garbage disposal: Vinegar and baking soda combo works well for cleaning sinks and garbage disposals.
- Showerheads: Remove calcium deposits from faucets by scrubbing with vinegar and salt.
- Bathroom cleaner: Mix Dawn dish soap and vinegar to clean bathtubs effectively.
- Humidifiers: Clean humidifiers by adding vinegar and water to remove deposits and ensure clean air.
In conclusion, incorporating vinegar into your cleaning routine can be transformative, providing a safe, versatile, and budget-friendly solution for various household cleaning needs.
