10 Ways To Use Vinegar Around The House

Cleaning your house is a time-consuming and tedious task, but with the right tools and hacks, you can clean your house in no time with the help of a handy ingredient that’s already in your cupboard: vinegar.

From shower heads to blinds, the experts at End of Tenancy London explain how cleaning your house with vinegar can be a natural and effective method. Vinegar is a safe, non-toxic product that can be used to disinfect and clean items in your home, whilst making your house smell nice too. The team has listed several different items white vinegar can clean around the house.

The top 10 uses for vinegar around the house

1. To clean the toilet

Vinegar in the bathroom can work wonders, especially when cleaning your toilet. Don’t waste your money on pricey toilet cleaners, instead simply scrub the dirt and bacteria away with vinegar. Not only can vinegar clean toilets, but it can remove unwanted odours from your bathroom too. Just add 3 cups of vinegar to the toilet tank and leave it to stand for around 30 minutes, before flushing.

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2. To clean a mattress

Mattresses are very difficult to clean, which is why many people opt to replace their mattress entirely when it gets dirty. However, to save yourself some money, vinegar can be used to create an effective DIY mattress cleaner.

Simply, add vinegar, ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol and a few drops of tea tree oil into a spray bottle. Then, remove your bedsheets and spray the solution all over the mattress. Leave the solution to dry throughout the day, letting the vinegar naturally disinfect your mattress.

If your mattress is stained – especially urine stains – spray an extra layer of vinegar and baking soda over the problem area. The vinegar will kill any bacteria and remove any lingering odours, while the baking soda will absorb the excess moisture. The last step is to vacuum your mattress the next day to remove any excess baking soda.

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3. To clean a mug

Struggling to get rid of dark coffee or tea stains in your favourite mug? No need to stress – simply adding some vinegar can be a great cleaning hack that can restore your mug in no time. Just mix salt and white vinegar together and scrub the stains away.

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4. To clean fridges and microwaves

We all know how important it is to keep our fridge and microwave clean from dirt and bacteria when they come into contact with food daily. However, they can be incredibly difficult to clean and harsh chemicals are not recommended due to being in close contact with food.

This is where vinegar saves the day. This simple at-home solution is best to clean and disinfect objects in your kitchen with zero-chemicals. Adding a ¼ vinegar and ¾ hot water into a spray bottle will disinfect your microwave and fridges, whilst also removing any unwanted odours.

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5. To clean your blinds

Cleaning your blinds with vinegar is an inexpensive and effective solution. All you have to do is soak any cloth or sponge into a bowl of vinegar before rubbing it onto your blinds. This should wipe away any excess dust which easily accumulates over time, whilst also removing any dirt.

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6. To clean your coffeemaker

It is recommended to wash your coffee machine out every month, but how many of us put it off? Another quick and easy vinegar hack is that it can be used to clean your coffee machine. All you need to do is place white vinegar into your machine’s reservoir, before brewing the solution halfway. Next, turn your machine off and let the solution sit inside the coffee machine for around 30 minutes. After this, finish the brewing and remove the solution.

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7. To clean suede

Despite suede shoes looking beautiful, they are prone to stains, dirt and marks, which makes them very difficult to wash. However, a simple way to get your shoes back to their former glory is by using some trusty vinegar. Simply apply a few drops of vinegar onto the stains, before carefully rubbing the dirt off your shoes using a toothbrush.

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 8. To clean your computer

Vinegar is a safe non-toxic product that can be used on your computer without damaging it. Many chemicals found in cleaning products, such as acetone, ethyl alcohol, toluene and ethyl acid, should never be used anywhere near your computer.

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How to clean your computer using vinegar:

  • First, ensure your laptop is turned off.
  • Next, mix distilled water and white vinegar in equal proportions into a spray bottle.
  • Spray the mixture onto a cloth or cotton swab.
  • Wipe your screen using gentle circular motions.

9. To clean your shower head

Showerheads clog up with limescale, dirt and hard water, which inevitably affects its performance and adds pressure to the pipes. So, instead of buying a new shower head, why not try cleaning it with vinegar first?

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How to clean your showerhead using vinegar:

  1. First, detach your showerhead from the shower.
  2. Fully submerge the showerhead in a bowl or bucket of vinegar. Leave the showerhead to sit in the solution, removing any dirt and bacteria.
  3. If your showerhead does not detach, fill a plastic sandwich bag with vinegar instead. Place this bag over the showerhead and secure it with a plastic band. Again, make sure the showerhead is fully submerged and leave to stand.
  4. Once you have left the showerhead to stand, remove the solution.
  5. Any remaining deposits can be removed by scrubbing them off with a toothbrush.

10. To clean windows

Forget fancy cleaning products, another simple way to make your windows sparkle is to just use vinegar. Vinegar does not leave chemical streaks on windows and can be a cheaper solution to commercial products, so why don’t you give it a try?

Simply fill up a spray bottle with equal amounts of water and white vinegar and spray the solution onto the window from about a foot away. Wipe the window horizontally until it is clean and streak free. Then, wipe the windows down with old newspaper.

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What can’t vinegar do?

Here at End of Tenancy London we recognise that time is limited and that often families do not have the time to clean or make DIY cleaning products. That’s why we offer reliable and affordable professional cleaning services throughout London, using only the best eco-friendly products. Get in touch if you have any queries or to book an appointment.