When I was pregnant for the first time, I could not stand the strong odor of cleaning products. After researching alternatives to store bought cleaning products, I learned how to clean with vinegar.
I started using a vinegar and water solution to clean just about everything in my home at that time.
Vinegar does have an odor itself, but it is nothing compared to the strong smell of some store bought cleaners. Even after I had my son, I continued to use vinegar to clean.
I feel better about using vinegar around my kids, instead of having them inhale the fumes from cleaning products. Vinegar is relatively inexpensive and most stores carry a store brand version that will work just fine.
Here is a general vinegar and water solution for all purpose cleaning.
Vinegar to Water Ratio for Cleaning
As an all purpose spray:
- 3 parts distilled water
- 1 part vinegar
- a couple drops of liquid dish soap (optional)
- a couple drops of essential oil (optional)
Fill a squirt bottle 3/4 full with distilled water and the other 1/4 part with vinegar. Shake together and store with your cleaning supplies.
You will want to make sure that your water is distilled if you plan to use it as an all purpose spray. I made the mistake of using tap water the first time I made a vinegar and water cleaning solution and it got moldy.
Adding liquid dish soap is great for breaking up greasy surfaces, but is not needed. The essential oils help add a nice scent if you prefer.
As a mirror or glass cleaner:
- 3 parts distilled water
- 1 part vinegar
- a couple drops of liquid dish soap (optional)
- a couple drops of essential oil (optional)
Fill a squirt bottle 3/4 full with distilled water and the other 1/4 part with vinegar. Shake together and store with your cleaning supplies.
As a floor cleaner:
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1 gallon hot water
- (this is a 1:32 ratio)
You could also use this ratio for a one time cleaning solution by filling a small bucket with 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1 gallon of hot water. You can use simple tap water for a one time use.
This ratio is good to use on hardwoods or laminate floors with a traditional mop.
In a Refillable Spray Mop:
- 2-3 teaspoons of vinegar
- 2 cups of hot water
If you have a spray mop like Swiffer or O’Cedar, you don’t have to buy costly refill sprays. Simply add 2-3 teaspoons of vinegar to the refillable container. Then add hot water to the top.
Cleaning with Vinegar
Let’s talk about ways to use this new cleaning solution around your home. There are places that you will want to use it and places that you should never use vinegar on.
1. Glass and Mirror Cleaner
You can clean windows and mirrors with this vinegar solution. Just spray the vinegar and water solution on the glass or mirror and wipe clean with a microfiber cloth.
To keep the glass or mirror from streaking, wipe horizontally and then vertically.
This solution is great with these glass microfiber cleaners. I haven’t bought glass cleaner in years!
2. Spills and Messes
Do you go through wet wipes or Clorox wipes faster than your kids can make a mess? You can ditch the costly Clorox wipes and replace them with this vinegar and water solution and a reusable cleaning rag.
The same one part vinegar and three parts water solution for cleaning glass can also be used as an all-purpose cleaner.
3. Greasy Stove Tops
You may want to add a little liquid dish soap for extra greasy surfaces like stove tops or range hoods.
The vinegar and dish soap both help break down the grease to make it easier to wipe away.
4. Laminate Countertops
You cannot use vinegar on granite countertops, however it is great for laminate counters.
Use the all purpose ratio and a washcloth.
5. Hardwood Floors*
There is some debate on wether or not you should use vinegar on hard wood floors. The problem with using vinegar on hardwood is that the acid in the vinegar could damage the wood.
However, if you dilute the vinegar with water correctly, your hard wood floors should be fine.
Use the 1:32 ratio of vinegar to hot water. Your floors will be shiny and clean!
Be sure to not let puddles of water or vinegar pool for a long time on your hardwoods. That could also damage the wood.
6. Car Seats
My kids often eat snacks in the car, especially on road trips. Those car seat cup holders can get so gross and sticky.
A simple spray for the water and vinegar all purose spray does wonders to get that sticky mess cleaned up.
7. High Chairs
Using a vinegar cleaning solution on hight chairs is a safe alternative to Clorox wipes. Plus it gets the mess cleaned up easily.
8. Bathroom Sinks
Do you have toothpaste drops on your bathroom sink? Use the vinegar and water solution to easily wipe it clean.
9. Outside the Toilet
The outside of our toilet gets a little yucky from time to time. I’ve found that spraying it with my homemade all purpose spray helps get rid of the yuck and the stink.
10. Base Boards
Again, with wood you do want to be careful of the ratio of vinegar and water you’re using so not to damage the baseboards.
However, with painted baseboards a regular all purpose spray and a microfiber cloth work great.
11. Shower walls
Using vinegar on your shower walls will help eliminate soap scum and water spots. It’s an inexpensive alternative to shower spray cleaners.
I used to use it on the tiles in the shower of our previous home.
12. Bathtub
Along with the showers walls, you can scrub a bathtub out with a vinegar and water solution.
If you ever get soap scum ring around the walls of your tub, spray your vinegar cleaning solution on, let it sit, and scrub away. The best scrub sponges I’ve found are the Scotch-brite heavy duty one.
13. Faucets
Do you get hard water build up on your faucets? Spray some vinegar on the faucets, let it sit, and then scrub it off.
14. Tile Floors
Vinegar is a safe cleaning solution for tile floors and gets them clean!
15. Vinyl Floors
Vinegar and water are such a great floor cleaning solution. Yes, they work on vinyl floors too.
16. Microwave
Do you ever get tough stuck on food in your microwave? Fill a microwavable safe bowl with 1/4 cup of vinager and 3/4 cp of water. Mircowave for a minute.
Once the minute is over, leave the door closed for 5 minutes. Let the steam loosen up the dried on food. Then wipe clean with a damp cloth.
17. Stainless Steel Appliances
This solution also works well on finger prints that are often left on stainless steel appliances. For my evening routine, I spray down the refrigerator, stove, and microwave with the vinegar and water solution and wipe the appliances with a clean rag.
It never leaves streaks and gets all of the fingerprints and other yuck cleaned up. This is so much cheaper than buying specific stainless steel cleaning solutions.
18. Shower head
Does your shower head get hard water build up? If it is made out of steel, you can add equal parts vinager and water to a plastic bag.
Attach the bag around the shower head with a rubber band and allow to sit for an hour. After an hour run the water and wipe the shower head clean.
19. Walls
Walls are a magnet for fingerprints. We tend to get a lot around our light switches and door handles.
But they can easily be wiped clean with vinegar and water..
20. Outside washing machine
The lid to washing machines can easily gather dust, grime, and spilled soap. Spray a little vinegar and water and wipe clean.
21. Outside Dryer
Dryers are also huge magnets for dust coming from the lint trap. Keep on track of the dust with your vinegar all purpose spray.
22. Washing Towels
Do your towels ever get a mildewy smell? Try adding a cup of vineage to your washing machine.
23. Coffee Pot
It is a good idea to clean your coffee pot about once a month or every other month.
Simply fill your coffee pot about 1/4 to 1/2 full of vinegar and the rest of the way with water. Then pour into your coffee maker. If your pot has a cleaning cycle run that, otherwise just turn on your pot.
After it has gone through one cycle, dump the hot vinegar and water down your kitchen drain. (This will help clean out your kitchen drain too!) Next, use a clean rag to wipe out the interior and exterior of the pot along with the rest of the coffee maker.
Finally, fill your coffee maker with a full pot of water. Turn on your coffee maker one last time to rid it of any vinegar flavor. Throw out the water and filter. Now you are ready to make a pot of coffee with your clean coffee pot!
Here’s an in depth tutorial with pictures to clean your coffee maker with vinegar.
24. Inside the Washing Machine
Your washing machine cleans your clothes, but it also needs cleaned out in order to function effectively.
You can do a quick clean out of your washing machine by adding a cup of vinegar to an empty washing machine. Run your washing machine on the biggest and hottest levels.
You can also deep clean your washing machine with vinegar.
25. Toys
Babies and toddlers love putting their toys in their mouths. Keep them safe by cleaning their toys with vinegar instead of toxic cleaners.
26. Carpet
Using undiluted vinegar on carpet can damage the carpets, so be sure to dilute it with a 1:4 ratio of vinegar to water.
Spray with the cleaning solution, gently scrub with a soft bristle brush (toothbrush works well), and blot dry with a towel.
27. Plastic Cutting Boards
To disinfect your wooden and plastic cutting boards, spray with vinegar and wipe clean. The vinegar will kill bacteria and remove stains.
28. Refrigerator Shelves
It’s good to clean out your fridge often since it holds your food. You want to use a safe nontoxic cleaner around your food so vinegar is a great option.
29. Produce
I was just talking to a friend about washing produce. She told me that she started washing her produce regularly after someone she knew got really sick from e-coli that came from unwashed produce.
Most produce can be washed with a vinegar and water rinse to kill bacteria. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to a gallon of cool water and let your produce sit in the water and vinegar for a few minutes.
30. Sink Drain
A great nontoxic drain cleaner is baking soda and vinegar. This combination will break down gunk that is stuck to the sides of the pipes. This is part of the process I use to clean my garbage disposal.
To clean your sink drain, add 1/2 cup baking soda to your drain opening. Then slowly add 1 cup of vinegar to the drain.
Let the baking soda and vinegar activate and fizzle. The acid will break down the gunk. Once it is done fizzling, pour about gallon of hot water down the drain to rinse the sludge down the drain.
What not to clean with vinegar.
There are some things that should not be cleaned with vinegar. It will cause the finish of these surface to rub off or deteriorate.
- granite
- marble
- ceramic
- cast iron
- wood
- never mix vinegar with bleach