How to use vinegar as a house cleaning solution

Vinegar, the white distilled kind, is the best all-around cleaning agent you can find. Due to its level of acidiy, it can kill mold, germs and bacteria. Cleaning with vinegar is environmentally friendly, inexpensive and non-toxic to pets and people; and it’s safe to use on furniture or fabrics; however don’t use cider vinegar on any porous materials. You might want to get a couple of spray bottles since this makes it easier to apply the vinegar.

On furniture and carpet

• Use vinegar to remove any kind of sticky substance on your furniture. All you have to do is moisten the spot with vinegar, let it sit for a few minutes and wipe it up; the stickiness should be gone. This works for labels, decals and price tags. Sometimes you might have to soak these overnight, but vinegar will get the job done.
• For cleaning carpet with vinegar, spray the spot with a mixture of one half vinegar, and one half water. Let this stand for a few minutes and then blot it up with a towel. This won’t work on all carpet stains.
• If it’s a stubborn stain, mix one teaspoon vinegar, one teaspoon dishwashing liquid and a cup of warm water. Spray this on the stain and let it sit for a few minutes before you blot it up.
• A mixture of 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 cups of warm water applied to a soft cloth will clean wood paneling and wood furniture. Be sure to test it out on a small, out of the way spot first.

In the laundry room

1. To keep colors from running, soak your clothes in pure vinegar for a few minutes before you wash them.
2. One half cup of vinegar added to the rinse cycle will help reduce the amount of lint on your clothes.
3. To remove stains like chocolate, wine and vinegar just rub them gently with vinegar before you wash them.
4. One half cup of vinegar added to the rinse cycle will make your whites whiter and your brights brighter.
5. Soaking smoke filled clothes in hot water with one cup of vinegar will remove the smell of smoke.
6. Cloth diapers are made fresher smelling and softer by adding one cup of  vinegar to the rinse cycle.
7. To remove soap scum from your washing machine so that it does a better overall job of cleaning, run a cycle of hot water with one cup of vinegar added.
8. All of your clothes can benefit from one cup of vinegar added to the rinse cycle. Vinegar is too mild to hurt the fabrics, but it will dissolve alkalies in soaps and detergents, thus making them work better.

For general cleaning

• Urine on a mattress can be deodorized and cleaned by spraying it with a solution of vinegar and water. and then sprinkle with baking soda. Brush this off when it’s dry.
• To take grease off of suede, dip a toothbrush in vinegar and gently rub the spot.
• Get rid of perspiration spots by mixing one part vinegar to four parts water, spray this on the spot and then wash.
• Want a sharper crease in knit fabrics? Get a cloth damp with a solution of 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water. Then put a brown paper bag over the crease and iron.
• A little vinegar mixed with linseed oil is the way our grandmothers used to clean their wood furniture; it gives a great shine.

Online Sources:

• http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/vinegar
• http://www.vinegartips.com/cleaning/
• http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/homemaking/vinegar.html

Useful Resources

• Stephanie over at Green Sahm posted a great list of eight more ways you can use vinegar as a household cleaner
• Visit the Vinegar Institute. There you’ll find vinegar lore, tips and uses for vinegar and the latest news and updates on vinegar.
• On this site, you can get information on all kinds of environmentally friendly cleaners for any household job.
• A great book to read is Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile & Very Good Uses You’ve Probably Never Thought Of by Vicki Lansky, published by Book Peddlers 15245 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka, MN 55345, telephone (952) 912-0036, Web site http://www.practicalparenting.com/household.html; distributed by Publishers Group West, Berkeley, CA.
• Great post by lifelearningtoday.com with a wealth of tips on cleaning your home with natural ingredients.