Well, clearly I have vinegar on the brain...
Thing is, it's been a staple in my routine for my entire life. So here's a quick post on how I to use it. All of these things are common practice in my home, so they're "tried & true"
Small appliances: White vinegar is GREAT for all those small appliances that need to be cleaned. Run a solution of 50/50 water & vinegar through coffee pots, irons, steam machines, humidifiers etc. For coffee pots just run it through like you would making coffee. For anything utilizing steam run it through, pressing the steam button as necessary until it's empty. Then run a couple cycles of water through until the smell of vinegar is no longer present. For microwave splatters, take a microwave safe glass, fill with water and vinegar, and "cook" the water until the steam build up is sufficient for wiping down the walls easily. Since each microwave can vary, all I can advise is that I cook my water mixture for three minutes, then CAREFULLY remove it from the microwave. If you find that the splatter isn't wiping down easily, try heating the water longer. If that doesn't work, see below for my baking soda/vinegar easy cleaning method.
Washing machines and dishwashers: Our washing machine finally died on us last year, so we switched to a front loading, energy efficient machine. Of course you get that person who constantly forgets to leave the door open to allow the whole machine to dry, so I run a cup of vinegar through the clean cycle, and it's all set for reuse. I also do this for both my washing machine and dishwasher (when we had one) Just do this once a month, along with wiping down all the grooves of the seals, to prevent any buildup of residues etc. No need to buy a cleaner specifically for these machines.
Laundry: I know some people use vinegar as a wash boost for their clothes. I don't tend to do this because I have an all natural, all encompassing detergent that I love, and it doesn't need any boosting. However, my husband is a mechanic, so his clothes come home caked in grease, dirt, and who knows what else. I use a cup of vinegar as a pre wash and this seems to have cut the grease much more, leaving me only needing to run one extra rinse instead of two for his clothes. Also I have noticed that, where conventional detergents left a residue of grease that I wiped down after each of his loads of laundry, the vinegar has cut enough out that I see no grease on the cloth, so no transfer of grease to the other house member's clothing.
Basic Cleaning: Oh my, how this stuff is amazing. I love mopping with the vinegar, though my kids can't stand it so sometimes I'll revert to store bought stuff.. just to give their noses a break ;) Again, not used by me, but a lot of people I know swear by it as a window cleaner. Also it is great as an all purpose cleaner. I go between a health food store's all natural cleaner and straight vinegar, just to change up my routine, but I have great results from the vinegar.
However, my all time favorite trick is vinegar's food grease-busting superpowers. You know those meals that spill over on the stove, leaving a wake of gunk behind? That grime that builds up on the stove hood, or the fan's vent? The trick is to sprinkle baking soda onto the spots, then spritz vinegar onto the baking soda. Once the fizzing has stopped, I take a basic sponge or cloth and just wipe away. If the spots are still being stubborn I repeat the process. Very, very rarely do I need to put even the slightest bit of elbow grease into it. Most of the time it literally just swipes away. I found this out on accident once, when I tried using just vinegar spray, got agitated, and pulled out the baking soda to scrub. Even though the process was reversed, the effects were instantaneous and I can still remember being positively giddy at how easy it was.
What are your uses for this amazing product? What have I missed out on all these years that could save me time, money, and what little shreds of sanity my housework and kids haven't stolen?
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