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Is vinegar a good cleaning agent


9 Eco-Friendly, Inexpensive, Multipurpose Uses

Multipurpose cleaners are convenient because they’re usable on many different surfaces. But while effective, some of these cleaners aren’t exactly healthy or environmentally friendly.

Vinegar, on the other hand, is nontoxic and eco-friendly, making it the ultimate multipurpose cleaning solution. And the best part, it’s super cheap.

Keep reading to learn what types of vinegar to use, along with nine ways vinegar can be used to clean and disinfect your home.

You probably have a bottle of vinegar sitting in your cupboard right now. But like so many, you might only use vinegar as a salad dressing or as a marinade for vegetables, meat, poultry, or fish.

Made from acetic acid

Vinegar isn’t only useful for cooking, though. It also makes a great cleaner and disinfectant because it’s made from acetic acid.

Acetic acid is a colorless organic compound that gives vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell. It’s also an ingredient in some store-bought household cleaners.

The acidic nature of vinegar is so powerful it can dissolve mineral deposit, dirt, grease, and grime. It’s also strong enough to kill bacteria.

Different types of vinegar include:

Best type of vinegar to use

White distilled vinegar is the best vinegar for cleaning because it doesn’t contain a coloring agent. Therefore, it won’t stain surfaces. Staining can happen when cleaning with a darker-colored vinegar.

Plus, distilled white vinegar has about 5 percent acidity, which is also similar to the acidity level in many everyday multipurpose cleaners.

About that vinegar smell

The strong odor of white vinegar can be unpleasant, in which case you can use apple cider vinegar instead.

It has the same cleaning properties as white distilled vinegar, but since it’s made by fermenting apple juice, it also has a slightly sweet scent.

Apple cider vinegar is darker in color, so dilute it in water before using it as a cleaning agent.

If you’re using vinegar as a cleaner, the scent may linger for about an hour or so. However, this might be a small price to pay for a cleaner that’s nontoxic, natural, and environmentally friendly.

You can mask the smell by adding a few drops of essential oil, such as lemon oil, lavender oil, or peppermint oil, to a spray bottle containing a vinegar water solution.

Or, open a window and let some fresh air in to help remove the scent quicker.

Here’s a look at a few common uses for vinegar around the home.

Use vinegar to make your own glass cleaner. Combine one part water with two parts vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the solution on glass surfaces and wipe clean for a streak-free finish.

Because vinegar is a natural disinfectant, it can clean and disinfect countertops after food preparation. For tough stains, add a few drops of Dawn soap to one-part water and two parts vinegar.

Vinegar can also remove odors from countertops, but it shouldn’t be used on granite or marble. Use a natural stone cleaner instead. The acid in vinegar can diminish the luster of natural stone.

Vinegar can also deter ants that may scour countertops at night in search of food scraps.

Combine 2 teaspoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt to remove calcium deposits on faucets and fixtures. This solution can also remove hard water stains from showerheads.

To get rid of stubborn stains, spray fixtures and faucets with vinegar and then tie a bag around it overnight. Scrub and rinse the next morning.

Thick soap scum and mildew can be challenging to remove. Spray undiluted white vinegar over tub and shower walls. Let the vinegar sit for several minutes, then scrub and rinse away.

Or, combine baking soda and vinegar to create a paste and scrub away tough grime.

Pour 2 to 3 cups of undiluted vinegar into the toilet bowl and let it sit for up to 3 hours. Scrub with a toilet brush and flush. This helps eliminate rings around the bowl and deodorizes the toilet.

Vinegar also makes a great floor cleaner, but only on certain types of floors.

You shouldn’t use vinegar on hardwood floors because it can dissolve the finish and leave watermarks. The natural acid in vinegar can also damage natural stone floors.

You can, however, use vinegar on no-wax linoleum.

Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to 1/2 gallon of water. To clean ceramic tile, add 1/2 cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of water.

To break through soap scum in a dishwasher, add 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse compartment and let the dishwasher run for an entire cycle.

To eliminate odors in your microwave, place a bowl containing a 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water inside the microwave and heat for a couple of minutes. This solution can also loosen any stubborn stains.

Vinegar is also great for cleaning the inside and outside of appliances, including stainless steel. Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle, then spray down appliances.

Use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe away the solution. Don’t use abrasive pads, which can scratch the surface of appliances.

Distilled white vinegar is also a great choice for removing fabric odor and stains. Don’t use dark vinegar or you might stain your clothes. Add 1 cup of vinegar to the wash cycle.

But while vinegar is a great household cleaner, can it help your internal digestive system?

Vinegar — or more specifically apple cider vinegar — has been touted as a natural remedy for digestive issues, although there aren’t any rigorous studies or science to back up these claims.

May relieve bloating

It’s possible, though, that apple cider can improve digestive issues, considering how it may increase the acidity level in the stomach.

This can help relieve symptoms like bloating, which is sometimes due to low stomach acid.

May combat acid reflux

Apple cider vinegar may also help combat acid reflux.

One belief is that the vinegar can balance pH levels in the stomach, which not only helps neutralize stomach acid, but also prevents an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut.

This may help reduce gut inflammation.

May flush toxins from the body

Another purported benefit of apple cider vinegar is its ability to flush toxins out of the body. Some people use it as a natural detoxifier, as well as a remedy for constipation and a weight loss aid.

Dilute with water and drink only 1 glass per day

The only way to know whether apple cider vinegar can improve your digestive health is to try it and then see how you feel. Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a large glass of water and drink.

Use organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and only drink one glass per day.

It’s normal to have some sediment floating. This is called the mother. Too much apple cider vinegar can damage your tooth enamel.

Vinegar isn’t only for cooking. It’s also an eco-friendly and inexpensive household cleaner. And in most cases, you only need to mix vinegar with water.

Although, you can add salt and baking soda to create a more abrasive cleaner or a few drops of essential oil for a lighter scent.

How Does Vinegar Work for Cleaning

Kitchen

Alexandra Ossola

updated Sep 20, 2022

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

Chances are you probably have at least one type of vinegar, if not more, in your kitchen cabinets right now. From plain ol’ distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar (or ACV, if you will) to balsamic, red wine, sherry, and Champagne vinegars, vinegar is a staple in our dressings, marinades, and our dill pickle brines.

And some types of vinegar have a second talent: cleaning! Here’s the science behind what makes vinegar so useful as a cleaning agent.

What Is Vinegar Exactly?

Have you ever tasted wine that’s turned? I’ll spare you the test, if you haven’t. It tastes pretty sour, kind of like that bottle of vinegar in your pantry — or rather, exactly like that bottle of vinegar in your pantry.

Let’s back up a bit: To make wine, the sugar has to be converted to alcohol in a process known as fermentation. After the sealed bottle has been opened (or sometimes before, if the cork has been compromised), there’s a second kind of fermentation that happens. During this process, the alcohol is turned into acetic acid, the main compound in vinegar.

Acetic acid isn’t the only compound in vinegar, but it’s the one that makes vinegar acidic. In fact, with a pH of 2.4, distilled white vinegar is a pretty strong acid, more acidic than coffee or orange juice, but still less acidic than your stomach juices or, say, the liquid inside batteries (luckily).

What’s the Right Type of Vinegar for Cleaning?

Dozens of different types of vinegar come from this double fermentation: Balsamic comes from a unique blend of grapes from southern Italy, wine vinegar from red or white wine grapes, apple cider vinegar from apple cider, rice vinegar from rice, and so on.

The only exception is white vinegar, which is usually made of laboratory-produced acetic acid combined with water. White vinegar is the most acidic, which can make it a potent cleaner, but it can also make it too strong for some types of cleaning, in which case you can dilute it with water — or go with something milder, like apple cider vinegar.

More on Cleaning with Vinegar

How Does Vinegar Work?

Vinegar’s acidity is what makes it such a good cleaner. Because vinegar is so acidic, it can counteract some icky buildups. It can dissolve away soap scum, brines left by hard water, and glue left behind by stickers.

Vinegar is great for giving windows and mirrors (use a combination of vinegar and water and wipe with a newspaper instead of a paper towel to avoid streaks), no-wax floors, and wood paneling or cabinets an extra-clean shine.

Another use for vinegar? Getting rid of stubborn stains. Lots of stains, whether from sweaty armpits or grass, are slightly acidic, which means they will dissolve away in the presence of another acid, like vinegar.

A paste of vinegar and baking soda can dissolve set red wine stains. Vinegar can even get cat or dog urine out of carpets or other cloths and, bonus, that pungent smell can keep pets away from places you don’t want them to go.

When Not to Use Vinegar

Be careful, though, because vinegar that is too concentrated can stain delicate fabrics. And there are other surfaces where vinegar can do more harm than good.

Using it on natural stone like granite or marble can scratch it. And though some people use vinegar as a disinfectant, it’s not approved for this purpose by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) because there’s no evidence that vinegar can get rid of some of the most harmful pathogens that lurk on surfaces, like salmonella.

Do you use vinegar to clean your kitchen?

Vinegar is an all-purpose cleaner. Composition application

Universal detergent - vinegar. Natural and effective.

Plain white vinegar is an all-purpose cleaner. Natural, safe and effective. Vinegar is widely available, cheap and easy to use; it can be safely used for cleaning where there are children and pets. The vinegar in the household cleaners I list below is capable of polishing, removing limescale, conditioning, and mildly disinfecting almost any surface in the home. If you're willing to put in a little time and effort to 'chem' vinegar at home and make your own natural cleansers, further cleaning will be a matter of minutes and a pleasure. Almost -)). nine0004

Why make detergents at home.

Are the stores full of household chemicals?

  1. To know for sure that your household detergent is completely safe and natural (especially important for people suffering from skin diseases, asthma and allergies who react badly to various additives and fragrances in industrial detergents).
  2. Keep your home and environment clean with harsh chemicals.
  3. To eliminate the possibility of household chemical poisoning in children and pets. nine0012
  4. To save money, because natural detergents from the store are very expensive.
  5. Just for fun and creativity (you only need a few ingredients and you can choose your own natural fragrance).

See also: How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar at Home, Apple Cider Vinegar - Application

Natural Vinegar Cleansing Ingredients

Here I am listing the composition of homemade cleansers for various household purposes that I found online and tried out. The unit of measurement in most formulations is a measuring cup of a standard volume of 250 ml. nine0005

Glass and mirror cleaner

2 cups water + 1/4 cup vinegar + 1/2 tsp. basic dish soap without additives with a neutral pH (Fairy Original, Dawn Blue, etc.). Mix without shaking the bottle (to prevent the soap from foaming), apply to a glass or mirror surface and wipe with a clean, dry microfiber cloth (such cloths do not leave fibers). For particularly dirty surfaces - mix the product in a container, soak a rag in it and rinse the window. The product dries quickly and leaves no streaks. I really like this simple window and mirror cleaner, I have it pre-mixed in a spray bottle and use it regularly.

By the way, according to some, if you wipe the windows of your car with vinegar and water in a ratio of 3:1 before the promised frosts, then the windows will remain clean, without frost, and they will not need to be scraped off later. I haven't tested this remedy because we don't actually get frost. If you tried it, tell us about the result in the comments below this post. nine0005

See also: How to get rid of bad smells at home.

Limescale Vinegar

Vinegar is great for removing scale in the kettle and limescale on chrome, stainless steel or brass faucets and surfaces near faucets. If you have heavy water (like we do, because England is built on limestone), then you are familiar with the problem of white lime deposits where ordinary tap water regularly gets. To descale your kettle, pour vinegar into the kettle to coat the bottom of the kettle and the heating element. Let stand for 15 minutes, listening to the funny hiss of the lime reacting with the acid of the vinegar. Now add water to the allowed limit and bring the kettle to a boil. Discard the water with vinegar and rinse the kettle with plain water. Now it's shiny inside and looks like new. nine0005

Apply 5% vinegar to limescale near faucets. Stainless steel or chrome taps themselves, in case of serious deposits, can be wrapped with a rag soaked in vinegar. Now we have to wait. How long to wait depends on how dirty your faucets and surfaces are, ranging from 15 minutes to several hours. Then the surface can simply be rubbed - the limescale will come off easily, and then wiped dry and lightly polished with a rag, it is not necessary to rinse off the vinegar. If you clean the bathroom and kitchen with vinegar regularly, then stainless steel faucets will shine, and limescale will be minimal or absent. Which naturally brings us to the next point. nine0005

Bathroom detergent: sink, bathtub, shower stall

An effective bathroom cleaner must not only remove dirt, grease and limescale, but also soap residue. All this together creates a nasty whitish coating in the bathtub and sinks, but the tiles, doors and shower floor are most susceptible to it. Try this Natural Efficient Vinegar Bathroom Cleanser :

2 tbsp. vinegar + 1.5 tbsp. dish soap. Gently mix the ingredients without shaking the bottle. Spray this composition from a spray bottle with a thin layer, spread it over the entire surface with a sponge. Leave for 15 minutes (in places of special pollution and plaque deposits - for several hours, periodically re-applying the product). Scrub the surface with the hard side of a sponge or brush, then rinse with water. Wipe dry with a clean cloth. nine0005

I use dish soap and chlorine to clean the kitchen sink (no vinegar, because chlorine and vinegar can't be mixed) because the kitchen sink has a lot more germs and bacteria than the bathroom.

Mildew Vinegar

Vinegar is a mild mold killer. Bleach, for example, removes mold much faster and more effectively, but if you want to avoid the unpleasant side effects of using bleach (pungent smell, risk of ruining clothes), use undiluted vinegar. The stronger the vinegar, the better it works against black mold. First, clean the area affected by black mold, scrub the mold from porous surfaces with a brush. Then apply vinegar from a spray bottle, let it dry, and reapply it. Black mold from joints and seams between tiles after exposure to vinegar should be removed with a brush with stiff bristles. Rinse off the dirt with water, pat dry and reapply the vinegar. nine0005

When it comes to removing black mold from silicone joints, which are particularly prone to it, ordinary vinegar cannot cope with it, you have to use products with bleach.

Rust Vinegar

Scrub the rust area with a cloth heavily dampened with vinegar until the rust stain is removed. Small metal objects affected by rust can be soaked or even boiled in vinegar. Vinegar also works on rust stains on clothes.

Once the rust has been removed from the metal surface, coat the entire item with a thin coat of vegetable or mineral oil. The oil will protect the metal from corrosion, as well as give shine and a better look to the entire product. nine0005 Granite cleaner: cleaning and care All-purpose bathroom cleaner: sink, bathtub, shower Home Detergents: Natural, Safe, Effective Household detergents, composition and use Limescale remedy. Faucet and granite counter BEFORE cleaning with vinegar Limescale remedy. Faucet and granite counter AFTER cleaning with vinegar

Granite cleaner: cleaning and care

2 st. vinegar + 1 tbsp. water. Mix in a spray bottle, spray onto granite countertops in kitchens and bathrooms, and wipe with a clean microfiber cloth. Don't worry, 5% vinegar won't damage your granite countertop, it's protected with a special product (see below for which countertops you can't use vinegar on).

Attention: never clean the granite countertop with alcohol!

For lime deposits on granite countertops (near faucets), use pure 5% vinegar without water as described above (see photo of my kitchen faucet). nine0005

Where else can vinegar help - all-purpose cleaner

  • Peel off a sticky label or price tag. Soak the label with vinegar, let stand, roll off the surface. Use a cloth soaked in vinegar to wipe off any remaining sticky adhesive from the label on the surface of the product.
  • Clean sticky gum from carpets, clothing or hard surfaces. Soak the stained area in vinegar, and then remove the remaining chewing gum.
  • Clean suede. Treat soiled suede with a mixture of vinegar and water (50:50), dry with a clean towel, dry away from heat, comb with a soft brush. nine0012
  • Clean burnt pan. Pour vinegar into the pan and boil for 15-20 minutes, let cool and wipe off the stain.

Where NOT to use vinegar

  • On marble, travertine, quartz and onyx surfaces.
  • In the rinse aid compartment of the dishwasher.
  • Where bleach is used. The interaction of chlorine and vinegar releases poisonous gas.

How to make household detergents with vinegar

Having tried the compositions of home detergents, many 'fall in love' with them and categorically declare: I will never buy household chemicals in the store again! We are against categorical and fanaticism in anything. Therefore, at home, in addition to detergents with vinegar, we use other chemicals for their intended purpose, which, perhaps, I will also write about. If you decide that most of your household chemicals will be taken up by household detergents with vinegar, I recommend taking this seriously -)).

Purchase plastic spray bottles, preferably in different colors. Purchase a large (5L) bottle of white distilled 5% vinegar from a hardware store or online. Get your favorite essential oil (tea tree oil, lavandin oil, rosemary oil are especially good for cleaning). Mix a little (a glass or two) of the compositions you need, because natural homemade detergents do not contain preservatives, so their shelf life is not as long as that of industrial ones. Clearly sign each bottle (you can indicate the composition so that you don’t have to look for it later to prepare a new batch). You can make stickers, or you can use indelible markers, as I did (see photo). Always have clean rags, microfiber cloths and cleaning sponges on hand. Put everything you need in one place. Now cleaning will be a matter of minutes: get the right bottle and rag, sprinkle the contaminated surface and wipe. And now the whole house shines and exudes your favorite aroma! nine0005

See also: How to get rid of the smell in the washing machine

Tags: vinegar, cleanliness in the house

Do's and don'ts of cleaning with vinegar A life

Check this list before you start cleaning.

You can listen to a short version of the article. If it's more convenient for you, turn on the podcast.

Can be cleaned with vinegar

1. Windows

To make your own window cleaner, dilute half a tablespoon of vinegar in a liter of water (regular-percentage). Pour some into a spray bottle. Wash the glass as usual, and finally wipe it with a dry cloth. There is no need to rinse this mixture.

2. Dishwasher

Vinegar will help remove accumulated dirt and grease. Pour two cups of vinegar into a large glass bowl and place on the top rack. Run a normal cycle, but without detergent and without drying. The vinegar will mix with the water and clean the car.

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  • 20 Unexpected Things to Put in the Dishwasher

3. Towels

If the towels get hard, put them in the washing machine and pour half a cup of white vinegar into the powder compartment - do not add the powder itself. Vinegar will remove detergent residue and mineral deposits from the fabric that make it rough. nine0005

4. Carpets

To remove stains from carpets such as wine, mix a tablespoon of liquid soap, a tablespoon of white vinegar and two cups of warm water. Dampen a clean sponge in the mixture and apply a little at a time to the stain, blotting occasionally with a dry cloth. Continue the process until the stain is gone.

Vinegar can also remove stains and odors from pet urine. Mix a quarter cup of vinegar with a liter of warm water and wet the stain with the mixture. Leave for a few minutes to absorb the liquid and then pat dry. Repeat as needed. nine0005

5. Vegetables and fruits from the supermarket

Vinegar will help remove bacteria and pesticide residues that are used in stores to extend their shelf life. Mix three parts water with one part vinegar and pour into a spray bottle. Treat vegetables and fruits with this mixture, and then rinse in water.

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6. Glue residue

Vinegar will come to the rescue if you can't wipe off the adhesive residue from the label or you accidentally stuck something in the wrong place.

Do not clean with vinegar

1. Granite and marble countertops

Vinegar can damage the surface of the stone. To clean these countertops, use a mild dish detergent and warm water.

2. Stone floors

They can also be damaged by acid cleaners like vinegar and lemon. Wash these floors with special stone soap or mild dishwashing detergent. nine0005

3. Remains of a broken egg

If you drop a raw egg on the floor, don't reach for the vinegar to collect the egg white. The acid in the vinegar can cause the egg to curdle and make it harder to peel. It is because of the protein reaction that vinegar is added when poached eggs are boiled.

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  • 18 Unusual Ways to Cook Eggs

4. Iron

Vinegar can damage internal parts, so do not pour it into the water container in an attempt to clean the iron. To prevent clogging of the steam holes, empty the iron after use and clean according to the manufacturer's instructions.

5. Hardwood parquet

Better play it safe and use a special cleaner. If you really want to try vinegar for cleaning, be sure to dilute it with water (half a glass of vinegar per four liters of water) and first check in an inconspicuous area. nine0005

6. Stubborn stains on fabric

No matter how hard you try, stains from grass, ink, ice cream or blood cannot be removed with vinegar alone.

Learn more