If you think vinegar is just for salads, think again. Here are 10+ practical and easy ways to improve your household with vinegar—from cleaning tiles to repelling insects.
By Jennifer Noonan and Katie Nolan
Versatile Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the healthiest goods you can buy for your home, and it may already be in your cupboard. Aside from being a popular food ingredient, it has a plethora of domestic applications. How does it manage to be such a multipurpose household item? Vinegar’s high acidity allows it to remove stains, cut through sludge, and be utilized in the garden. While there are many different varieties of vinegar, white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are the greatest alternatives for being a powerful cleanser that will not damage surfaces. Still not sure that a bottle of vinegar can replace your chemical cleaners? Continue reading for 15 ways to use vinegar around the house.
Insect Control in the Garden
Fill a covered container with a cup of apple cider vinegar to make an eco-friendly insect trap. Shake in 1 cup of cold water and small chunks of banana peel. Poke holes in the top and place it near a fruit fly infestation on the kitchen counter. In no time, you’ll be catching critters. When the trap becomes too gross, discard it and replace it with a fresh one.
Wash Your Dishwasher
Your dishwasher cleans all of your dishes. Who, however, cleans the dishwasher? You can do it by pouring 1 cup of vinegar into the bottom of the tub and running it through a dish-free cycle. This should be done once every month or two to eliminate built-up soap residue and maintain it squeaky clean.
Clear out your shower heads
Got a clogged shower head? Put boiling water in a bowl with a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Soak the shower head for 10 minutes and watch those clogs disappear. If you can’t remove the head, partly fill a plastic bag with full-strength vinegar and tape it over the fixture. Let it sit for an hour and remove, and you’ll be shower-ready!
Remove Rust
Renew rusty tools by soaking them in full-strength vinegar for several days. Once the rust dissipates, rinse and dry them well. This method also works well for screws and bolts.
Clean Your Wood Floors
Wash your hardwood or pre-finished floors the old-fashioned way. Add a 1/2 cup vinegar to 1 gallon of hot water and mop or scrub as usual (make sure to barely wet your mop or cloth). Dry the floor completely with a towel afterward—standing water is the enemy! Don’t try this technique on waxed floors because it will strip off the wax finish. To lessen the smell of vinegar, add a drop or two of essential oil to your mix. Lemon- or lavender-scented oils are excellent options.
Save a Dried-Up Paint Brush
Don’t toss out that synthetic brush because it’s caked with dried paint. Soak it in a cup of vinegar for a few minutes to loosen the bristles. Then, in warm, soapy water, wash it. Are you still together? Boil it in vinegar for 10 minutes, then rinse with soapy water. Your brush should revert to its former pliable and functional state.
Remove Smoke Odors
Cigarette smoke contains tar and resin, which can adhere to furniture and leave an odor long after the smoke has evaporated. Spray orange-infused vinegar onto hard surfaces, let it sit, and then wipe it clean with a dry cloth to break through and remove that unpleasant residue. If the condition is particularly nasty, you may need to repeat the operation several times. Spraying on fabrics should be avoided.
Clean Ceramic Tile
Make your own cleaning solution to freshen up dingy tiles around tubs and sinks. Just add a 1/2 cup vinegar, a 1/2 cup ammonia, and a 1/4 cup borax to a gallon of water. Scrub ‘em up, and let ‘em shine! Rinse thoroughly with water and allow to air dry.
Test Your Soil
You can do a quick and cheap test for excess alkalinity in your soil by putting some dirt in a container and pouring about a 1/2 cup of vinegar into it. If it fizzes or bubbles up, it’s too alkaline. Simply add peat moss or sulfur to make your soil pH more neutral.
Unclog a Drain
To clear a clogged drain, combine 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup white vinegar. After the bubbles and froth have subsided, flush the drain with hot water. Rinse with cold water after about 5 minutes. Commercial drain cleaners are more effective, non-toxic, and gentler on your pipes (and your wallet!) than this method.
Clean the Windows
Achieve streak-free, shining windows by making your own window cleaner. All you need to do is combine one part white vinegar to two parts water in a spray bottle. It’s a simple and effective recipe!
Sanitize the Cutting Board
Unlike your plastic cutting board, you can’t just stick your wooden cutting board in the dishwasher; the soft surface will warp from the hot water. To properly clean a wooden cutting board spray it with undiluted white vinegar, let it sit for no more than five minutes, and then wipe it off with a damp cloth.
Extend the Life of Flowers
Enjoy fresh-cut flowers for as long as possible by adding equal portions of white or apple cider vinegar and sugar to the water (two tablespoons is a good starting point for an average-sized vase). The vinegar lowers the pH of the water and keeps bacteria at bay, while the sugar feeds the flowers.
Clean the Coffee Maker
Because of mineral and coffee oil buildup that can harm the taste of your coffee, you need to clean you coffee maker every three to six months. Luckily, it’s not a hard job. Fill the water chamber with equal parts water and white vinegar and start the brew cycle. Halfway through pause the cycle to let the vinegar work its magic cleaning and disinfecting. After 30 minutes let it complete the cycle and cool.
Refresh Your Towels
Are your towels looking a little dingy? Laundered towels might develop an odor due to bacteria left behind after showering and detergent accumulation. To re-scent them, run them through a cycle with one cup of distilled white vinegar instead of detergent.
