The Best Ways to Use Vinegar in Your Cleaning

Most people are trying to live healthier lives today. One way they’re trying to do that is to cut down on the myriad of chemicals that they’re subjected to on a daily basis. Vinegar is just one eco-friendly product you can use to replace those chemically-laden products in your home.

Everyone knows that a splash of vinegar is great on a salad, and that it can be used as a tenderizer for meat. However, not everyone knows the many ways vinegar can be used around the home to clean without the use of chemicals.

Not only is vinegar versatile for cooking, but it is also a versatile cleaning product that can be used in any room of your house. These are just a few of the ways that vinegar can be used to clean around the home.

• Freshen and clean your automatic coffee maker by filling the reservoir with vinegar and then running it through a brewing cycle. Follow this up by running a rinse cycle of water. (Please check the owner’s manual for instructions for your particular maker.)
• Boiling a solution of one-fourth cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of water and inside the microwave will help clean and deodorize your microwave. The moisture from the boiling solution will loosen the splattered food and make it much easier to remove with a soft cloth or sponge.
• Clean brass, copper, and pewter by creating a paste. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of plain salt in a 1 cup of vinegar. Stir in enough flour to make a paste. Then use the paste on any metal surface and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Make sure you rinse with clean warm water and then polish until it’s dry.
• Forget about using the window cleaners from the stores. The cheapest and most effective way to clean windows is to combine half water and half vinegar. Put it in a mister, and spray it on the windows. Dry the window with a soft, lint-free cloth. Your windows will sparkle and be streak-free.
• Remove stubborn toilet bowl stains by spraying them with vinegar. Use a little elbow grease and the stains will come off. You can also add 3 cups of vinegar to your bowl to help deodorize it. Let it sit for one-half hour and flush for a fresh-smelling bowl.
• Do you have baby clothes that aren’t as clean and soft as they used to be? Add one cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle of the load the next time you wash. The vinegar will help break down uric acid and soapy residue. Clothes will come out soft and fresh.
• You can also add a cup of vinegar to the last rinse cycle of your normal load of clothes to help dissolve the alkaline base of soaps and detergents.
• How many of us hate the deodorant and antiperspirant stains on our clothes? Before laundering, lightly rub white distilled vinegar onto the areas where the stain would be. Toss it in the wash as usual.
• Soak clothes that have never been washed before in white distilled vinegar to help set the colors.
  

Reducing the chemicals we use in our homes has never been easier. And, it doesn’t require buying multiple products to clean the home, and keep it chemical-free. All it takes is a bottle of vinegar, and a little know-how. -ecofriendlyliving