From removing carpet stains to boosting laundry: 6 surprising uses for vinegar

It’s no secret that white vinegar is a brilliant all-purpose cleaner, but did you know that it also has many other uses in and around the home that don’t involve cleaning general surfaces. Thanks to its antibacterial properties, white vinegar is the perfect bathroom cleaning tool, great for laundry and is also fantastic at eliminating weeds that pop up in the garden, among many other things. Read on to learn brilliant new uses for vinegar all around the house.

Remove carpet stains

Between daily wear and tear, the grandkids or the pets, your carpet can cop a beating. Instead of reaching for the carpet cleaner, mix one cup of vinegar and two cups of water in a large spray bottle. Add two teaspoons of salt and a few drops of lavender oil, before giving the bottle a good shake – don’t forget to pop the cap on! Spray the stain with the vinegar solution, let the carpet dry and then vacuum. Repeat as often as necessary.

Natural weed killer

If you find yourself constantly pulling out pesky weeds that pop up around the garden or between your brickwork, vinegar is a great way of getting rid of them. Simply pour straight white vinegar directly onto the weeds – the weeds should disappear after a few days. Just make sure it isn’t hitting any other plants as it will kill them too.

Boost your laundry

White vinegar is one of the most underrated laundry products. It can be used as an easy DIY stain remover, for removing stains like tomato sauce, grass and underarm deodorant marks. It can also act as a fabric softener – to soften towels and clothes, simply add half a cup of white vinegar to the last rinse cycle of a load. When buying vinegar to use in the laundry, purchase distilled white vinegar.

Toilet stains

There is nothing worse than an unexpected visitor and a dirty toilet bowl. To avoid deposit build up, grab a few paper towels and soak with vinegar. Tuck the paper towels under the rim of your toilet bowl and leave for a few hours. Why? This will make it easier to scrub out the stains later. Try this weekly, to stop deposit build up and an embarrassing encounter.

Get rid of water rings on furniture

We’ve all been there – gone to pick up an empty glass, only to find it has left a nasty water ring mark on your wooden furniture. Don’t fret! To remove water rings, mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil and apply it directly with a soft cloth. Then with another clean, soft cloth shine it up – it’s that easy.

Shower head build-up

Do you find sometimes that the flow of the water is slow? This is usually caused by a build-up of deposits. To fix this, remove the shower head and soak in vinegar for a few hours. The vinegar will help break down those deposits and have your shower head working in no time. Once it’s done soaking, give it a quick scrub to remove any excess gunk.