The versatile ways to clean with vinegar

If you want a natural, more eco-friendly way to clean your house, look no further than good ol’ vinegar. Today we’ve got some white vinegar and apple cider vinegar cleaning tips.

Both types of vinegar are amazing natural cleaners on their own, but there are so many ways you can mix it with other natural products for cleaners.

Vinegar is inexpensive, incredibly diverse and not as harsh or harmful for the environment as regular cleaning products. It is easy to see why it’s been used for over 10,000 years.

Here’s 14 of the best ways to use it for cleaning:

1. Non-abrasive scrubber

Mix 1/2 cup castile soap with 1/2 cup of filtered water and 1/4 cup vinegar and add to a spray bottle. It’ll get grime off in no time.

2. Remove candle wax

Heat the wax up with a hair dryer and soak up as much of it as you can with a rag. Then use a 1:1 mixture of ACV vinegar and water to remove the rest.

3. De-mildew your bathtub

Use a 1:1 mixture of ACV diluted with water on the mildew and leave overnight to soak. You might want to add essential oils to the mix too for a fresh scent.

4. Clean the washing machine

Give your washing machine a good cleaning with 2 cups of ACV vinegar poured into the machine (minus any clothes) and running a full cycle.

5. Clean your iron

Keep your iron clean by filling the reservoir with vinegar, turning it onto steam and letting sit upright for 10 minutes. Follow with water and let sit again on steam for 10 minutes.

6. Remove stickers

Soak stickers with vinegar and let sit 20 minutes, then scrape off with a blunt knife.

7. Clean your kettle

Bring 3 cups of full-strength white vinegar to a boil for five minutes to remove lime and mineral deposits. Leave the vinegar in the kettle overnight and rinse out with cold water the following day.

8. Clear clogged shower heads

Mineral deposits and blockages can put a damper on your shower time. To get the water flowing, remove the shower head and place in 1 litre of boiling water with ½ cup distilled vinegar for ten minutes. Use hot, not boiling, for plastic showerheads. If you have a non-removable showerhead, fill a small plastic bag half full with vinegar and tape it over the fixture. Remove the bag after about an hour and wipe off any remaining vinegar from the showerhead.

9. Unclog and deodorise drains

Vinegar combined with bicarb soda is one the most effective ways to unclog and deodorise drains. It is also far gentler on your pipes than commercial drain cleaners.

To clear clogs in sink and tub drains, use a funnel to pour in half a cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of vinegar. When the foaming stops, flush it with hot tap water. Then, wait five minutes, and then flush again with cold water. This technique also clears away any odour-causing bacteria.

10. Clean the microwave

Mix half a cup of white distilled vinegar and half a cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring to a boil inside the microwave for a couple of minutes the baked-on food will be loosened, and odours will disappear. Wipe the inside of the microwave clean.

11. Shine your stainless steel

To clean your stainless steel or chrome, lightly mist the fixtures with undiluted white vinegar from a spray bottle. Then buff the fixture with a soft cloth and watch it transform from dull to bright!

12. Clean glass shower doors

Use full-strength white distilled vinegar after you have squeegeed the glass, or before you step in and turn on the water. The vinegar will help release the hard water deposits so they don’t remain on the glass.

13. Remove perspiration odour and stains from clothing

Spraying full-strength white distilled vinegar on underarm and collar areas before tossing them into the washing machine will help remove stubborn perspiration stains.

14. All-purpose cleaner recipe

Mix 3 parts filtered water, 1 part vinegar, 1-2 tsp lemon juice and 5-7 drops of lemon essential oil and add to spray bottle and fill remaining amount with hot water.

Use this on your benchtops, sinks – anywhere you need it!

Do you love vinegar?