It’s been a few years since we mentioned how great vinegar is in cleaning your home, so it might be time to take a look at some new ideas. Household vinegar can be your go-to bottle to clean almost anything around the house. Here are 17 more uses for that bottle of vinegar in your cabinet:
1. Clean Copper, Brass, and Pewter
Remove tarnish from copper, brass, or pewter by mixing up a paste of one teaspoon salt and a half-cup of distilled white vinegar. Sprinkle in some baking flour until you get a sticky paste. Apply the paste so it covers the surfaces of each item. Leave the paste on for about 15 or 20 minutes and then rinse clean and polish with a dry cloth.
2. Cleaning Blinds
To clean your washable blinds, pour one cup of ammonia in a large container filled with one gallon of warm water. Add 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar and 1/4 cup of baking soda and mix thoroughly. Dip a clean cloth or sponge into the solution and wipe each of the blinds down with the mixture. Rinse with clear water and you are all done.
3. Clean Your Coffee Maker
Fill the coffee maker’s reservoir about half full with distilled full-strength white vinegar. Then, run the coffee maker through a regular brewing cycle. The vinegar should rinse away all the mineral and oil residue. To get rid of the vinegar smell, fill the reservoir with clean water, and run the coffee maker through a complete brewing cycle.
4. Clean the Inside of your Microwave
Fill a glass measuring cup with one cup of water and 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar. Place the cup inside the microwave and run the oven until steam begins to appear on the window. Use a cloth or small to remove the cup without burning yourself. Then, wipe away any food residue by using a damp cloth or sponge.
5. Boil a cracked egg
Don’t let a cracked egg keep you from being able to boil it in water. Add about two teaspoons of white or apple cider vinegar to a quart of water and the vinegar will keep the white from seeping out of the crack in the shell. When the egg cooks to your satisfaction, turn off the heat and take it out using a spoon to prevent being burned.
6. Remove Shampoo Buildup
You can remove shampoo buildup from your hair by making a cleansing rinse with vinegar. Mix 1-2 tablespoons of distilled white or apple cider vinegar into a cup of water. For dry hair, use a little less vinegar. For oily hair, use a bit more. Rinse again with plain water and your hair should be shiny and silky again.
7. Remove Pet Urine from Carpets
Place several paper towels over the wet area and step on them until the urine is absorbed. Spray a mixture of equal parts water and distilled white vinegar onto the area until it’s saturated. Wait about 10 minutes and then blot with paper towels until it’s nearly dry. Cover the area by sprinkling it with baking soda and vacuum after it dries.
8. Remove Bumper Sticker Glue
When bumper stickers are removed, they almost always leave some glue behind. To remove it completely, saturate the area with some distilled white vinegar and wait a few minutes until it’s absorbed. Use one or two paper towels and you should be able to wipe the glue away without a problem. Finish up by rinsing the area with clean water.
9. Soften Paintbrush Paint
Removing old paint from a brush is easy with vinegar. Heat up enough distilled white vinegar to fill a container to hold the brush and place it inside so the vinegar covers the brush. Wait about an hour until the bristles are saturated and the bristles are soft and pliable. Rinse the brush in warm, soapy water and the paint should be completely gone.
10. Remove Red Wine Stains
Get red wine stains out of clothing by sponging the area with distilled white vinegar as soon as possible before the stain becomes permanent. Rub the area back and forth until the stain disappears. Then, wash according to the manufacturer’s directions. This should work fine on cotton, polyester & cotton, and most permanent-press fabrics.
11. Clothes Rinse
Use some distilled white vinegar in your final rinse cycle to remove dingy soap and detergent residue that might be left in your clothes. By adding a cup to the final rinse, the residue should be all gone. For heavier items like quilts and blankets, use two cups instead of one for the best results.
12. Deodorant Stains
For underarm stains on white or light-covered clothing, rub the affected area with distilled white vinegar. Then, wash according to the label’s instructions. If the stain isn’t completely gone, re-treat with vinegar and follow by drying the garment in direct sunlight to help bleach out the stain. Wash again and the stain should be gone.
13. Prevent Colors from Running
Prevent colored fabrics from running when you first wash them by soaking the garments for a few minutes in a tub filled with full-strength distilled white vinegar. Squeeze the vinegar out to make sure you don’t damage the fabric, and then wash them again in cold water, or according to label directions.
14. Unclog a Steam Iron
Mineral deposits from hard water can clog the steam holes in your iron. You can cure the problem by mixing equal amounts of distilled white vinegar and water and pouring the solution into the reservoir. Set the iron upright and turn it to the steam setting for about 5 minutes. Then empty the reservoir and refill the iron with fresh water and the deposits should be gone.
15. Clean the Bottom of a Scorched Iron
Anyone who uses an iron will probably notice the bottom of the iron will eventually begin to show scorch marks. You can remove them easily with distilled white vinegar. Combine equal parts of distilled white vinegar and salt in a pan and heat the mixture until it’s warm. Make sure the iron is cool and then dab a clean cloth into the mixture and rub the scorch marks until they should soon disappear.
16. Remove Scorch Marks on Clothing
If a piece of clothing has picked up a scorch mark from a hot iron, vinegar can come to the rescue. Pour a small amount of distilled white vinegar into a small dish and dip in the corner of a clean cloth until it’s saturated. Rub the scorched area with the cloth and the mark should slowly disappear. Repeat the process if necessary.
If you live in the Chicago metro area and are interested in learning more about our home cleaning services, and how we can help you maintain a safe and healthy living environment, please give us a call. Our number is 708-599-7000. Or, contact us online and we’ll give you a free house or office cleaning consultation.
