Now, more than ever, we are learning the value of a clean home. Couple that with the growing desire to utilize safer products (in essence cleaning up our lifestyle), add a dash of marketing pizzazz and you have the equation for confusion. How can you have a clean home and a clean lifestyle? Can the two coexist? And for some, most importantly, can they coexist without spending three times as much on cleaning supplies?
There are many home cleaning activities that can be done effectively with one simple, cheap ingredient: white distilled vinegar. The high acidity makes it an inhospitable environment for many microorganisms and pathogens, allows it to help loosen mineral and lime deposits, cuts through grease and stains, deodorizes and more. White distilled vinegar is inexpensive and effective for most household cleaning. Read on for how it can help clean up your home and your lifestyle.
Important note: While it has many disinfectant properties, white distilled vinegar has not been proven effective in killing COVID-19.
1. A fruit and vegetable soak. In a large bowl, combine one part white distilled vinegar with three parts water. Place your fruit and veggies in the mixture, gently move them around to remove dirt and then soak for about 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water to remove the vinegar, then allow to dry before storing.
2. Glass cleaner. In a spray bottle, combine one part white distilled vinegar with one part water. Spray and wipe for shiny windows!
3. Stain treatment. For most stains, simply saturate with white distilled vinegar and allow to sit for five minutes. Then scrub using a brush (or even a paste of vinegar and baking soda) to remove. Wash as normal.
4. Odor remover. Probably the easiest of all, simply set a bowl full of white distilled vinegar in a room and leave it overnight. The vinegar will absorb the odors and the vinegar smell will dissipate when you dispose of it the next morning.
5. Mold killer. Place full-strength white distilled vinegar in a spray bottle (do not dilute). Spray directly on the mold and allow it to sit for an hour before rinsing or scrubbing.
6. Weed killer. Combine one gallon of white distilled vinegar, one cup of epsom salt and one tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Fill a spray bottle with the mixture and apply to weeds in the morning after the dew has evaporated.
7. Floor cleaner. Combine one cup of white distilled vinegar to one gallon of warm water for a hardwood floor cleaner. Mop your floors as normal, making sure to wring out the mop very well, and air dry.
8. Refrigerator cleaner and deodorizer. Combine one part white distilled vinegar with one part water and use the solution to wipe out your refrigerator. Dry with a clean towel.
9. Toilet cleaner. Pour one cup of white distilled vinegar in your toilet and let it sit overnight. In the morning sprinkle 1/2 cup baking soda on top, scrub and then flush.
10. Fabric softener. Add a cup of white distilled vinegar to the final wash or rinse water for softer clothes without all of the chemicals. And no, it won’t make your clothes smell like vinegar!
Heather Disarro is the author and creator of Heather’s Dish, a blog focused on clean living, food and fitness, and she is the social media boss of Content Titan, a digital content powerhouse. Heather loves spending time with her husband and two kids doing almost anything outdoors, eating good food and laughing. Always laughing.
