From showerheads to soapy heads, copper to microwaves, vinegar (especially distilled white vinegar) is a versatile, environmentally safe alternative to the store-bought cleaner — and it’s inexpensive, too. Take a look at some of the remarkable uses for this cleaning wonder.
1. Window cleaner
Mix equal parts of distilled white vinegar and water. Apply to windows with a sponge. Wipe clean using a squeegee. (Remember to wet the squeegee blade first so it won’t skip.)
2. Blinds
To clean washable blinds, mix 1 cup ammonia, ½ cup white distilled vinegar, ¼ cup baking soda and 1 gallon of warm water. Using a sponge or cloth, wipe blinds with the mixture. Rinse with clear water.
3. Automatic coffee makers
To dissolve minerals and oily buildup, fill the reservoir with white distilled vinegar and run the coffee maker through a brewing cycle. Empty the carafe. Rinse away vinegar residue by running a full reservoir of water through the brewing cycle. (As always, follow the manufacturer’s care instructions.)
4. Kill grass
Forget store-bought grass and weed killers. Pour full-strength white distilled vinegar on unwanted vegetation. Reapply as needed.
5. Keep cut flowers fresh
Fresh flowers last longer if you add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the water in a 1-quart vase. Trim stems and change the water every few days or when water starts to get cloudy.
6. Microwave
Boil a solution of ¼ cup of white distilled vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave until steam forms on the window. Wipe away food residue.
7. Hair rinse
After every few washings, remove shampoo buildup by rinsing hair with a solution of 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar (either white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar) and 1 cup of water. Adjust the amount of vinegar to suit your hair type — using less vinegar for dry hair and more vinegar for oily hair. A second rinse with plain water is optional. Hair will be silky and shiny.
8. Cleaner dishes and glasses
For sparkling results, add 1½ to 2 cups white distilled vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher. Wash on a regular cycle using the usual amount of detergent.
9. Bathtub film
Remove bathtub film by wiping it first with white distilled vinegar, then with baking soda. Rinse away grime with clean water.
10. Shower doors
To prevent soap scum buildup, wipe shower doors with a sponge soaked in white distilled vinegar. There’s no need to rinse.
11. Clogged showerhead
Use vinegar to dissolve mineral buildup in showerheads. Add a cup of vinegar to a plastic storage bag. Position the bag so the showerhead sits in the vinegar. Allow it to soak overnight. In the morning, remove the bag and turn on the shower to rinse.
12. Boiling a cracked egg
When boiling a cracked egg, add some vinegar to the water — about 2 teaspoons to a quart of water. This will keep the white from seeping out.
13. Bumper sticker removal
To remove bumper sticker residue, saturate the area with distilled white vinegar. Bumper sticker pieces should peel off easily. Test first on an inconspicuous area of the car to make sure it doesn’t damage the paint.
14. To soften a paintbrush
Soak the paintbrush in hot white distilled vinegar until brush softens. Then wash with warm, soapy water.
15. Wine stains
To remove wine stains from cotton, cotton/polyester and permanent press fabrics, it’s important to treat the stain within 24 hours. Sponge white distilled vinegar directly onto the area until the stain disappears. Launder according to directions on care label.
16. Clothes rinse
Remove dingy soap and detergent residue in clothes by adding a cup of white distilled vinegar to the final rinse. To remove soap residue from heavier blankets and quilts, add 2 cups of vinegar to the final rinse.
17. Deodorant and antiperspirant stains
Rub the underarm areas of white or light-coloured clothing with white distilled vinegar, and then launder as usual. If the stain remains after washing, do not machine dry. Re-treat the area with vinegar and place garment in the sun to bleach.
18. Keep colours from running and setting colours
To keep coloured fabrics from running in the wash, first, soak them for a few minutes in white distilled vinegar.
When dying fabric, help set the colour by adding a cup of white distilled vinegar to the water during the last rinse.
19. Unclog a steam iron
To dissolve the mineral residue in steam irons, pour equal amounts of white distilled vinegar and water into the water reservoir. Turn the iron to the steam-setting and allow it to steam for five minutes in an upright position. Unplug and cool the iron. Empty the reservoir — and the dissolved minerals.
20. Clean a scorched iron bottom
Heat equal parts of white distilled vinegar and salt in a small pan. Rub mixture onto the bottom of a cooled iron to remove scorch marks.
