Can you believe that I am home today- for a SNOW DAY!?1? Now, don’t get me wrong, I love myself a day off, but it is the last week of March people!I think we got something around 3-4 inches of snow here last night, and LC had to go in to work. He didn’t come home until about 3:30 am. I feel like I am coming down with something and had a terrible night’s sleep, so I am actually glad for the day to rest, it was a busy weekend for us.
So, I am back today to share some more household uses for vinegar! If you want to check out the first post I did on this topic, click here. Interest in using natural products in our homes has been reawakened as a greater awareness of the harm we might be causing to our planet leads us to seek more natural products. Vinegar also appeals to the thrifty among us. You will be amazed what you can achieve with a humble bottle of vinegar in your cleaning arsenal! The best type of vinegar to use for any cleaning task is white distilled vinegar, so keep that in mind when you are reading the following list. Here are 15 more things you can do with vinegar around your house:
1. For Mildew- Wash down with a 50:50 solution of hot water and vinegar. If the problem persists mist the area with vinegar and allow to dry. The vinegar will help prevent further build up.
2. For mirrors- Clean them properly with a soft clean cloth and a spritz of 50:50 vinegar and water.
3. For laundry- Washed a tissue by mistake? Remove as much as you can by hand and then re-run the load with a cup of vinegar added to remove the smaller bits.
4. Also for laundry- Woolen and Cotton blankets fluff up beautifully if you add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle (that is the fabric softener dispenser).
5. To clean your iron- If the vent holes are built up with scale deposits pour a mix of equal parts water and white wine vinegar into the reservoir until it is full. Set the iron to its highest steam setting and allow the vinegar steam to spew forth for a few minutes. Watch out, it will be spitting out hot bits. When the steam has finished, iron an old dish towel for a few minutes to clear out any lingering muck.
6. Also to clean your iron- Allow the iron to cool completely and then scrub the base plate with a paste of equal parts salt and white vinegar. Wipe with a clean cloth dipped in vinegar and any scorch marks will disappear. Iron your trusty dish towel once more to remove any residue.
7. To iron clothes- To create sharp creases in clothes, lightly spray them with equal parts vinegar and water before ironing.
8. Carpets or rugs- Treat marks by lightly spraying with vinegar- do not soak the area, just dampen. Sprinkle with baking soda and allow to dry. Vacuum up the remains. You might want to test this on a normally covered area first.
9. Dry clean only curtains- You can freshen them up in between cleanings with a vinegar mist. Keep the solution fairly weak, about 1 part vinegar to 9 parts water. Spray with a fine mist. spray front and back and leave closed while they dry.
10. On upholstered sofas and chairs- You the same solution as for curtains and spray with a fine mist. Make sure you don’t over wet any area.
11. To clean leather furniture- mix a 50:50 solution of vinegar and linseed oil. Spray the solution onto them and wipe with a damp cloth.
12. Cleaning faucets- To clean around the base of faucets, soak up and old cotton rag in undiluted vinegar and wrap it tightly around the base. Leave overnight, and the grime will lift easily with the help of an old toothbrush.
13. Also Cleaning faucets- Scale buildup at the end of your tap? Fill a plastic cup full of vinegar, place the end of the faucet into it, and fix in place with masking tape. Leave overnight and wipe clean the next day.
14. For slow drains- First pour 2 cups of baking soda, then 1 cup vinegar down the plug hole. When it has stopped fizzing, empty a whole kettle of boiling water down the drain. Repeat until the sink drains freely.
15. For smelly drains- pour 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of white distilled vinegar down the drain. Leave for 10 minutes and then let the hot water run for 1 minute.
My last post about household uses for vinegar seemed to be pretty popular, so I hope that you will find these tips and tricks just as useful- happy cleaning!
I am linking up here:
Great article! I use vinegar for so many things! It is so inexpensive!
I didn't know the tip about the curtains! I will have to give it a try!
Cynthia at http://FeedingBIg.com
Great Cynthia! Stay tuned becaue I will be sharing more tips eventually! Thanks for visiting my blog!
Oh yes! I love vinegar! I've just started cleaning with it and it works better on my bathtub than any commercial cleaners.
I use a combo of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 dishwashing liquid on my showers and tubs and it is awesome! Thanks for visiting!
Great post!
Would love for you to link it and your other green cleaning ideas up at my new Empty Your Archive link party – there is a focus this week on green cleaning, Alice @ Mums Make Lists x
Alice, thanks for the invite! I linked up both posts, part one and part two!
vinegar is the hardest working thing in my house. Especially now. Our behaviorist suggested spraying vinegar and water on puppy accidents to neutralize the smell so she won't go there again.