10 Ways to Use the Magic of Vinegar to Clean Your Home Naturally

It seems as though there is a special, heavily-scented, highly-toxic, over-priced product for every cleaning need that you might have. If you are tired of products cluttering your cabinet space, toxins taxing your body, and cleaners cleaning out your wallet, there is a humble and effective solution waiting in your kitchen cupboard.While you may think of vinegar as a key component of pickles and dressings, it is also a powerful, non-toxic, and inexpensive cleaner.I could write a book on ways that you can use vinegar to clean your home, but I've picked my ten favorite uses for you today. Clean My Space created a video with some other tips and tricks for cleaning with vinegar.There are many types of vinegar but distilled white vinegar is the only type that we will be considering. 

 

Give up the funk.

You may be wondering how something as pungent as vinegar can be used as a deodorizer. The strong smell will dissipate within a few moments, and in its wake, it leaves behind freshness.DIY Household Tips, Tricks, and Hints outlines the many ways that vinegar can be used as a deodorizer. Place small amounts of vinegar in bowls near smelly areas to neutralize odors. You can also create a spray for carpet and upholstery. Just be sure to test the fabric for colorfastness before you go wild with the spray bottle.

Whisk away stains.

How often have you worn what you were supposed to eat or drink? How many times have the kids come in from a day of play in clothing that is barely recognizable?We've all been there, and the right stain can put an outfit out of commission permanently. Trusty vinegar can save the day once again.The Balance explains how vinegar can be used to remove several types of stains. Whether its blood, tomato sauce, or some mystery concoction, vinegar can have your clothing in top condition again in no time.

Burn away oven gunk the non-toxic way.

Oven cleaner is my least favorite household cleaner. From the way that you have to handle it to the way that it smells, you can tell that oven cleaner is highly toxic. If only I had known that I could skip the pricey caustic chemicals and settle for something inexpensive and safe.Gina Eykemans of Kitchn describes how you can enlist the help of vinegar and baking soda to clean your oven without the risk of inhaling toxic fumes.

Banish the toilet gremlins.

No matter how conscientious you are, there are always spots in the toilet bowl that will grow life forms of their own if left untreated. Toilet bowl cleaner, while effective at removing these deposits, is another harsh chemical. Although we most often use a brush when we interact with this cleaner, we are still exposed to the fumes.Skip The Works and head straight for your kitchen cupboard. Martha Stewart's DIY toilet bowl cleaner uses vinegar and borax to achieve the same effect as a brand name cleaner at a fraction of the cost and risk. 

Make windows spotless.

Car detailers have been using this trick for years: wash your windows with vinegar and newspaper. The vinegar cuts through dirt, and the newspaper dries the windows without lint. The result is a spotless shine that will undoubtedly put neighborhood birds at risk.

Stop drinking your morning cup of petri dish.

At some point, that oily buildup that you think adds flavorful notes to your coffee will turn your pot of joe into a pot of sludge. Good Housekeeping points out that your coffee pot may also be home to harmful bacteria.Thankfully, you don't need fancy cleaners to get to the internal workings of your coffee pot. A mixture of equal parts vinegar and water should do the trick.Just fill the tank with the vinegar/water mixture and allow it to run through the system. Your coffee pot will run more efficiently, your coffee will taste better, and you will kill harmful bacteria.

You can use it here and there! You can use it anywhere!

Vinegar is an excellent all-purpose cleaner. You can buy some pre-made products with vinegar as the key ingredient. Everyday Roots offers instructions on how to make your own all-purpose cleaner. Their recipe includes essential oils, which can curb some of that pungent vinegar odor.Vinegar all-purpose cleaner is good for nearly any surface. Just beware of using it on marble or other stone surfaces. The acid in vinegar can damage the stone.

Sticker goo, be gone.

Whether you are still dealing with the Great Sticker Fiasco of 2016, in which your child proceeded to put stickers on literally every surface in your house, or you are trying to get pesky price tags off of your household items, vinegar is here to help.I once believed that the only way to remove this gunky residue was with brute strength and strong fingernails, a razor blade, or a special product, but now I know that vinegar is the key. Lifehacker tells you how to use vinegar to remove adhesives remove adhesives.

The only thing accruing in your shower should be minutes of relaxation.

Your shower can house many types of buildup. Warm and damp environments are breeding grounds for mold and mildew. Shower heads can also become clogged by minerals, and the shower itself may be home to a soapy buildup.I always thought that mold, soap scum, and mineral deposits required different types of cleaners, but vinegar is capable of handling all these tub and shower issues.For soap scum and mold, spray vinegar on the affected areas and let it soak for about an hour. For tough spots, you may need to use a little elbow grease. For a clogged shower head, soak the affected hardware to dissolve the deposits.

Degrease and deodorize your dishwasher

Your dishwasher can house a variety of odd smells, built up grease, and mineral deposits. Adrienne of Whole New Mom offers the best way to use vinegar to clean your dishwasher.Rather than pour vinegar into the rinse aid compartment, place a bowl of vinegar on the top rack of the machine. Run the dishwasher as you normally would, and behold the sparkling cleanliness that this simple hack offers.

Start Cleaning Your Home Naturally With Vinegar!

For most of us, our home is our sanctuary, but unfortunately, our homes are often laden with toxins. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) compiled a list of indoor toxins that we encounter on a daily basis.Eliminate some causes of indoor air pollution and cut your cleaning budget by employing the natural magic of vinegar in your home today. Give a few of these a try. Your house, your body,your wallet, and the environment will thank you.