White vinegar is cheap, and you can buy it by the gallon. It’s a handy ingredient for tangy salads and can make soups and stews taste better.
However, if you’re keeping it in the kitchen only, you’re missing out. White vinegar has a long and distinguished history as a cleaner, and you’ll be surprised by how versatile it is all around your home.
Here are 21 ways you can use white vinegar around the house to keep it clean without using harsh chemicals or paying an arm and a leg.
1. Cleans Windows and Blinds
You can use vinegar to clean windows and blinds. For windows, combine equal parts of vinegar and water and use a sponge to apply to the windows. Either wipe dry with paper towels or use a wet squeegee to ensure there are no streaks left on the glass.
To wash the blinds, wipe them with this solution. Alternatively, pour one cup of ammonia, half a cup of vinegar, and a quarter cup of baking soda into one gallon of warm water and use this solution to wipe the blinds. Rinse them with water when you finish.
2. Dissolves Coffee Maker Buildup
If you use an automatic coffee maker, you’ll notice that, after a number of uses, the reservoir fills with an oily buildup. To eliminate it, fill the tank with vinegar and run the machine through a cycle. Follow up with running a full brewing cycle with clear water.
It should clear up the minerals and buildup and leave your machine running optimally for a fresh cup of joe. While waiting for the machine to run through, check out 15 interesting things to do with your used coffee grinds before dumping them.
3. Cleans and Deodorizes Floors
If your floors are unwaxed, you can wash them with half a cup of vinegar added to a gallon of warm water. Simply grab your mop and wipe the floors as you would with any other solution.
When the water becomes cloudy or dirty, change it. This solution will eliminate unpleasant smells as much as it will clean your floors. It’s also safe for your kids and pets, especially for toddlers who often put their fingers in their mouths.
4. Eliminates Antiperspirant Stains
Antiperspirants aren’t the healthiest deodorants to use because they can leak aluminum into your skin, which can affect the estrogen receptors of breast cells. However, if you use them, you probably notice they leave a white residue or stain on your light-colored shirts.
To eliminate these stains, rub the underarms of these garments with white vinegar before you throw them in the wash. If the residue is still there after washing, apply more vinegar and bleach the shirt in the sun.
5. Washes Glasses and Dishes
Vinegar can leave your favorite glasses sparkling. Simply add two cups of white vinegar to your dishwasher to see what we’re talking about. Add as much soap as your machine requires and run a normal cycle.
You’ll be awed by how shiny and squeaky clean your dishes and glasses will be. If you wash glasses by hand, add a cup of vinegar to your soapy water for the same results.
6. Polishes and Cleans Metal
Vinegar is great for cleaning and polishing pewter, copper, and brass objects because it effortlessly lifts tarnish. Combine half a cup of vinegar with one teaspoon of salt and white flour into a paste.
Put the paste on your copper or pewter item and leave for 15 minutes before rinsing with clear water. For best results, use a clean, soft cloth to polish the metal.
7. Unclogs Steam Irons
Steam irons come in handy when traveling or vacationing for a longer period of time. They keep your clothes looking smart, but they can also form a mineral buildup from the water you use to steam your clothes.
To eliminate the buildup, mix equal amounts of water and vinegar and pour them into the water tank. Turn on the iron and let it steam for five minutes, upright. Then, empty the tank and the buildup should be gone.
8. Removes Bathtub Film and Cleans Shower Doors
You probably dread cleaning the grime that develops in your bathtub after a few showers. The good news is you don’t need elbow grease to clean it if you have white vinegar. Wipe the bathtub with vinegar, and then do the same with baking soda. The chemical reaction will lift the film — all you need to do is rinse it away with water.
To clean shower doors, just wipe them down with vinegar. You don’t have to rinse them. Vinegar will also eliminate any mold.
9. Unclogs Showerheads
Minerals from water can clog your showerhead, making it more difficult to rinse your hair properly in the shower. To get rid of this mineral buildup, add a cup of vinegar to a garbage bag and tie it around the showerhead so it’s submerged in the liquid.
Let it soak overnight before taking it away and turning on the shower to rinse the vinegar off.
10. Eliminates Pet Urine From Carpets
If you have a pet, you know that urine will eventually make its way to the carpet. It happens to the best of us, so don’t feel bad about it. First, use paper towels to lift as much of the urine as possible. Then, mix equal amounts of vinegar and water and saturate the stain.
Let the vinegar solution sit for ten minutes, then use towels to lift it off. Dust the stain with baking soda to eliminate the smell. Vacuum the stain after approximately one hour.
11. Removes Wine Stains
Red wine stains are up there with blood as some of the most difficult stains to get out of cotton, polyester, and permanent press garments. However, if you use undiluted vinegar directly on the stain within a day of the “accident,” you can make it disappear.
Keep adding vinegar until the stain is gone, then throw the garment in the laundry as usual.
12. Cleans and Deodorizes the Microwave
The microwave is great when you’re short on time and need to whip up a snack, but it can be a pain to clean. However, with white vinegar, it becomes a breeze.
Mix a quarter cup of vinegar with a cup of water and some slices of lemon or lime in a microwave-safe bowl. The acid from the fruit will loosen any food spills inside the machine. Boil it in the microwave until the window goes foggy with steam. Leave for 10 minutes, get the bowl out (be careful as it will still be hot), and wipe the plate and the walls clean of any residue.
13. Eliminates Soap Residue in the Washer
Sometimes, we use more laundry soap than we need to and end up with soap residue on our clothes. This residue is unsightly and can also cause flare-ups in people with allergies to scents or soap.
To eliminate it, add a cup of vinegar to the final rinse for regular clothing and two cups of vinegar for heavier coats and blankets.
14. Deodorize the Kitchen Drain
Our kitchen drain can be a source of nasty odors and can also harbor pests like fruit flies. If you don’t have an infestation, simply pour a cup of vinegar down the drain each week and let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing.
If you do have a fruit fly problem, combine half a cup of salt with half a cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar and pour it down the drain. Leave overnight and rinse with boiling water in the morning.
15. Removes Fruit Stains From Hands
You may have made a delicious berry cake or salad and noticed your hands turned purple after handling the fruit. Cutting up certain vegetables, like beets or red cabbage, can have the same effect.
To get the stains off your hands, pour undiluted vinegar over them and rub the stains until they’re gone. Rinse your hands with water. No need to use soap unless you dislike the smell of vinegar.
16. Kills Weeds
Weed killers can contain nasty chemicals you don’t want in your backyard or garden. One way to get rid of weeds is to pour undiluted white vinegar on them. Just make sure to reapply because some weeds are very stubborn.
You can also mix equal parts of vinegar and salt and use the solution on your unwanted vegetation with similar effects.
17. Extends the Life of Bouquets
Surprisingly enough, vinegar doesn’t kill plants when you dilute it with water. Add two tablespoons of vinegar and two tablespoons of sugar to your one-quart water container and watch your flowers stay fresh longer.
To get maximum life out of your bouquets, trim the ends and change the water when it starts to get cloudy — every other day or so.
18. Leaves Hair Shiny
Shampoo and conditioner buildup can leave your hair looking dull and limp. To avoid this, you can rinse your hair with white vinegar once or twice a week. Use a mix of one or two tablespoons of vinegar to one cup of warm water for your rinse.
One tablespoon of vinegar works best for dry hair. Additionally, you can use apple cider vinegar to leave your hair shiny and silky, but you don’t have to. White vinegar will work just fine.
19. Helps Boil Cracked Eggs
Have you ever wanted a boiled egg only to find the last egg you’ve got is cracked? This hack is for you. Add about two teaspoons of vinegar to a quart of water and put your cracked egg in.
The vinegar will poach the egg, preventing the white from seeping into the water. You will get your wish, and breakfast will be salvaged.
20. Sets Colors
If you enjoy DIY projects like giving your clothes a new look for the season by dyeing them, vinegar comes in handy to help you set the new color.
Dye the fabric as you normally do until the last rinse. To set the color, add a cup of white vinegar to the last rinse. It will improve color coverage and give your garment a vibrant, lasting color.
21. Removes Scorch Marks
If your iron or stove has scorch marks from running too hot while covered in residue, you know it’s hard if not impossible to get rid of them. Well, you can use past tense now because with a mix of vinegar and salt, you can get rid of scorch marks easily.
Mix equal parts of salt and vinegar and heat them up in a pan. Rub this mixture on the scorch mark until it’s gone.
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This article originally appeared on Savvy Homemade
