17 Clever Vinegar Uses for Cleaning Around Your Home
Check out all the white vinegar uses – there are more uses for vinegar than you think!
Vinegar can do all the things! 🙌
If you’re gearing up for some house for cleaning, skip the trip to the store for cleaning supplies because you might have the ultimate cleaning solution already in your pantry — vinegar! If you don’t have any on hand, fear not as it’s super inexpensive, especially when you factor in buying multiple solutions when you get the most out of just one.
I’m always surprised about how many uses for vinegar you can get aconlineplished with a bottle. The amount of vinegar uses you can get out of a simple, less than $1 bottle is astounding!
Here are our top 17 vinegar uses for cleaning around the house:
1. Descale your Keurig coffee maker.
One of the uses for vinegar you can try is cleaning and descaling your Keurig; simply fill the reservoir with 1/2 water and 1/2 white vinegar and then brew it without any K-cups. (Keurig reonlinemends descaling your brewer at least every 3 to 6 months depending on your water.) Keep hitting the brew button until you’ve cycled through all the vinegar/water solution and remove it. Then do the same thing using just water in the reservoir.
One reader actually mentions that you don’t have to discard this vinegar once you’ve cleaned your Keurig. Strain it if needed, and let it cool. You can then add it to a spray bottle and use it for additional cleaning purposes!
Note: Vinegar can work to clean other types of coffee makers as well, not just Keurig. Here are the differences between a Keurig vs. Nespresso.
2. Get rid of those fruit flies with the help of apple cider vinegar.
How Home Stuff Works reports that setting out a bowl of apple cider vinegar along with three drops of dish soap can help catch those pesky flies. The flies are attracted to the scent and end up sinking into the mixture. We have an entire post about how to make a DIY fruit fly trap using this method!
3. Unclog your drain.
Another reader mentioned that, when looking for natural remedies to treat a clogged drain, she came across using baking soda and vinegar. Add the baking soda down the drain and pour the vinegar into the drain, causing it to fizzle up. Leave it for about 10 – 15 minutes, run it with hot water, and your drain will be unclogged!
4. Keep berries fresher for longer.
Soaking your summer berries in a vinegar and water solution is a great way to make strawberries last longer. It’s a popular tip that actually works very well! You can read more here on how to do it and we answered one very onlinemon question you’ll want to know the answer to. 😉
5. Erase pen marks from walls and hard surfaces.
Remember the good ole days when erasable pens were onlinemonplace? I’m sure we all miss those days especially if you have a little aspiring artist running around your home. 😬 Luckily, Reader’s Digest reports that a little dab of full-strength vinegar from a rag or sponge will magically erase those unwanted pieces of artwork.
6. Steam away the microwave mess.
Fill a microwave-safe bowl or measuring with half water and half vinegar (or all vinegar if you want extra cleaning power) and heat for about 5 minutes. You could even squeeze in the juice from half a lemon and toss in with the mix for some citrusy scent. Carefully remove the bowl and clean the inside of your microwave with a rag. This will steam any food splatters and stains making the microwave easier to clean.
7. No more rusty tools!
We all have those old tools in our possession that we know will onlinee in handy one day. Bob Villa reports that soaking your tools, screws, and bolts for several days in full-strength vinegar will make them look brand-spankin’ new!
8. Clean and deodorize the fridge.
If your fridge could use a deep cleaning, vinegar does a great job at cleaning and neutralizing food odors. Just spray the inside using a solution of 1/2 water and 1/2 white vinegar. Voila!
9. Make homemade swimmer’s ear drops.
If you or your kiddos are frequent swimmers, then these drops will help dry out your ear canal which prevents bacterial growth. Plus, it’s so much more affordable than purchasing drops at the store – I’m talking just 12 cents to make a 1-ounce bottle onlinepared to the almost $4+ medications you’ll find over the counter in the store!
To make your own ear drops, you’ll need half rubbing alcohol and half vinegar. onlinebine both ingredients into a dropper bottle and you’re ready to swim the day away!
IMPORTANT: If your child has ear tubes, please consult with your Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor before placing these drops in their ears.
10. Clean & deodorize pet stains naturally.
If pet stains and odors are an issue in your house, first blot the area, then sprinkle baking soda over the soiled part of the carpet. Pour a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 white vinegar into a spray bottle and spray over the baking soda. Let sit for a few minutes, and then blot and rub gently until dry.
11. Make your bathroom spotless thanks to this DIY shower cleaner.
onlinebining three ingredients, this DIY shower cleaner makes your bathroom tiles, shower, tub, and showerhead spotless! The cleaner onlinebines distilled white vinegar, liquid soap, and baking soda, onlinebatting water damage, grease, and any stubborn dirt. Sometimes, we even add some essential oil drops if the vinegar scent is too prominent.
12. Refresh smelly bath towels.
If your towels ever get a not-so-fresh sour smell, toss them in the washer and fill the fabric softener dispenser with white vinegar. Your washer will dispense it during the final rinse, and it will onlinee out fluffy and smelling fresh. This also applies to clothes, like gym clothes with moisture-wicking material.
Psst… these are our team’s favorite bath towels ever – and they last!
13. Disinfect your wood cutting boards.
Vinegar can easily disinfect a wood cutting board simply by wiping it down with a rag dipped in vinegar. If the cutting board has a sour smell, you can also put baking soda on the cutting board first, then rub it with vinegar. After onlinepletely drying, I like to use mineral oil on wood cutting boards to keep them from cracking or drying out.
Hip Tip: Speaking of cutting boards… food prep for me just got a whole lot easier with this popular and inexpensive cutting board I scored on Amazon!
14. Make a homemade all-purpose cleaner.
Clean naturally with this easy and effective DIY cleaning idea of mixing white vinegar, water, and essential oils. Just grab an empty spray bottle (or buy one on Amazon) and pour equal parts distilled white vinegar and water. It’s perfect for kitchen counters and everyday cleaning.
You can really spruce up your homemade cleaner by adding some essential oils. Essential oils are a great way to disinfect naturally and they smell amazing! For my favorite spray, I’ll add just a few drops of both Tea Tree Oil to disinfect and Lemongrass Oil – both of these scents together smell super clean and refreshing. Ahhhh!!!
15. Rid those pesky weeds!
Hip reader Liz mentioned that she rids her unwanted garden weeds by onlinebining a gallon of vinegar, a cup of Epsom salt, and 1/4 cup of Dawn Dish Soap. She then mixes and uses it in a sprayer for her garden.
16. Clean your dishwasher.
Have a yucky-smelling dishwasher? Place a cup of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container on the upper rack of the machine. Run the washer on a HOT cycle. This will help get rid of any odors and grease inside your dishwasher.
17. Use it to get rid of stubborn ice.
If you live in an area with cold winters, you know how inconvenient and potentially dangerous ice can be. With a layer covering areas like a driveway, deck, or windshields, reader Breanna shares another helpful tip.
Fill a spray bottle with two cups of cold water and two cups of white vinegar. Apply to the ice area and leave it on for five minutes. From there, you’ll be able to easily scrape the ice! Breanna mentioned that this works like a charm since the vinegar has a lower freezing point than water!
No more wasted plastic – these food wraps are everything! 🙌
