Dabl at Home
Deep Clean This Spring with Homemade Vinegar-Based Solutions
Vinegar is a natural way to clean your home in an economically sound and environmentally safe way.
Vinegar is known for its sharp and acidic flavor profile, and it is often used in cooking to punch up your dishes - some of our favorites being balsamic, red wine and sherry. Vinegar is composed of acetic acid, which occurs naturally as a ferment, and surprisingly, on top of being a key ingredient in some of your favorite dishes, is an amazing cleaning solution.
We value vinegar as a cleaning solution due to its wide availability, affordable price point, and the fact that it is all natural - no need to worry if your pets are going to accidentally lick the floors and bathroom surfaces while you scrub away.
We’ve gathered our 7 favorite uses of vinegar around your home below.
1) Window Cleaner
Probably the most common and well known use of vinegar is for cleaning windows. In fact, popular brands like Windex are actually made from vinegar-based cleaners. The natural acidity of vinegar helps to break down any buildup and film on windows, and leaves a streak-free shine. Mix equal parts water and vinegar to create a homemade window cleaning formula.
2) Coffee Pot and Machine Cleaning
Many coffee companies sell cleaning solutions in the form of liquids and tablets, when oftentimes, all you need is an equal parts water and vinegar mixture to do the work. Coffee machines start to clog up due to calcium and water buildup, known as calcification. The acidity of the vinegar will break down this buildup and get your coffee machine up and running in no time. Simply run a pot of the water and vinegar mixture through your coffee machine, and follow up with a run of water to rinse the machine and pot of the vinegar taste.
3) Keeping Flowers Fresh
One of our favorite uses, add a couple teaspoons of vinegar and sugar to your vase with water, and watch your flowers stay perkier and healthier much longer.
4) Floor Cleaner
Though it sounds odd and may smell for a moment, using a gallon of warm water and 1 cup of vinegar is a great way to mop your floors. Affordability and safety are both added bonuses of this method. If you have kids or pets, you don’t have to worry about them getting this chemical-free solution in their mouths.
5) Microwaves
If you’re anything like us, you cannot stand a crusty and dirty microwave. Luckily, vinegar is a great way to give your microwave a scrub down. We love this trick of placing a 4:1 mixture of water to vinegar in a bowl in your microwave, and then heating it up until you start to see the solution steaming. Then, simply take a paper towel to the inner surfaces of your microwave and scrub all of that grime away.
6) Showers and Bathtubs
Vinegar is a perfect way to clean your shower and bathtub. For the bathtub, use a mix of baking powder and vinegar to scrub away any dirt and product buildup . For those pesky shower doors, use a sponge with pure vinegar to clean up and prevent any buildup of grime.
7) Clogged Shower Heads
Our lives are forever changed after discovering this next one -- you can unclog your shower head with vinegar! We hate when the holes in your shower head get clogged with hard water buildup, and the spray goes wayward and sideways, resulting in uneven water pressure and potentially wasted water. Ideally, you’ll want to remove your shower head and submerge it i a water and vinegar solution. If you are unable to remove the shower head, you can also fill a plastic bag with the solution and tie it over the shower head. Leave it overnight to let the formula soak in and unclog those little holes.
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