Vinegar is a mild acid and there are a number of times when using a mild acid is useful when cleaning around the house. There are of course a number of different kinds of vinegar. Malt vinegar, the brown stuff we Brits put on our chips, white or distilled vinegar as well as the more specialist kinds like cider vinegar and herb flavoured vinegars. Unless it says you can take it to mean you can use the cheapest sort you have around.
One very important use is removing lime deposits that develop in hard water areas. This makes use of the chemistry reaction that occurs when an alkali meets an acid. A long time ago I remember being told at school that hard water was water that had filtered through certain rocks including limestone and chalk and collected minute particles from the rocks. These particles then settle in places where they are not wanted and create a problem known as lime scale. The acid in the vinegar dissolves the lime scale and hey presto no problem with lime scale.
One example of this way of using vinegar is cleaning a coffee machine. Put vinegar in the machine instead of water and don't bother with adding the coffee. This will remove any calcium or lime deposits. Mind you to rinse away the vinegar it will be useful to run two lots of plain water through before making proper coffee. The same idea can be used to unblock the holes of a steam iron. Put equal amounts of vinegar and water into the water chamber. Turn to steam and leave the iron for 5 minutes in an upright position. Then unplug and cool. Any loose particles should come out when you empty the water. Vinegar can also be used to descale a kettle just boil a cup of vinegar in a kettle and then rinse out.
Chalky deposits of any kind can be dealt with using vinegar. This includes cleaning spotty cutlery that has come out of the dishwasher. A quick wipe over with a vinegar soaked cloth will work wonders. This also applies to plumbing fittings. A blocked shower head can be can be soaked in vinegar to remove the lime scale although it may prove more practical to wrap it in a vinegar soaked cloth overnight. Take care though as if you use full strength vinegar you might remove more than just the lime scale as the thin metal coating that gives the showerhead its colour could possibly dissolve as well. Try diluting it by adding an equal quantity of water. Vinegar can help clean the toilet as well a cup of vinegar left a while and then followed by a bit of scrubbing should remove lime scale even from there. Glass shower doors can be rubbed with a vinegar soaked cloth and soap residue will disappear. Vinegar can also be used to clean the door track of the shower, pour it in undiluted and let it rinse for a few minutes and then rinse with water. Even an electric water heater can be descaled with the judicious use of vinegar. First it needs dismantling and then the affected parts can be soaked in a vinegar solution, 1 cup to a gallon of water before scraping off the lime scale.
If vinegar dissolves limescale and calcium based deposits then using vinegar to clean anything made up of such chemicals is very risky as they will dissolve as well. That is why you need to take great care when suing vinegar to clean jewellery as pearls will dissolve. Marble and other calcium based items also dissolve in vinegar.
Another example of using the acid properties of vinegar is to clean off the rust from small objects. To clean rusty nail, screws, nuts and bolts put them in a container of vinegar so they are completely immersed and seal them up tightly and leave them for a day or two. Other uses for vinegar include cleaning car chrome. Used full strength it removes the layer of oxide that builds up and stops it shining. Unfinished aluminium such as that used in some garden furniture can also develop a layer of oxide especially in a polluted atmosphere but a solution of half vinegar and half water will remove this layer. However this layer can act as a protection to the metal below so think before you clean it off.
Another popular use for vinegar is cleaning windows. There are lots of different recipes for window cleaners some say use vinegar undiluted others say mix it with water. I suppose it is a question of trial and error and what suits you. Mix a cup of vinegar in a bucket of water and to save even more money use newspapers to wipe the windows over. Much cheaper than using proprietary cleaners like Windowlene. Mind you what works on windows and mirrors around the house will also work on glass found in other places such as the car or even on those expensive bits of glass designed to help you see better. Another way vinegar can help with windows is keeping them frost free. Wipe a solution of 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water on the windscreen to avoid the frost that stops you seeing through them. Vinegar even helps gets the salt deposits off windows if you live near the sea.
How about using vinegar for cleaning other less common items around the home. One way of cleaning leather items is to mix vinegar with linseed oil. You rub the mixture into the leather and then polish with a soft cloth. Wiping with a vinegar soaked cloth is also supposed to make patent leather shine more. Even suede can be treated with vinegar to remove grease although it needs to be done carefully with a toothbrush. The same idea is also reckoned to work with no-wax linoleum. What about soaking those dirty plant pots and saucers in a mixture of 2/3 water and 1/3 white vinegar for a couple of hours before finishing off by washing in soap and water.
Vinegar is also a useful weapon in the armoury for stain removal. Clothes can be soaked in straight vinegar. This is helpful for deodorant and antiperspirant stains, cola stains, ketchup (catsup) grass, tea, coffee, berries and some grease marks. However for other purposes like cleaning carpets counter tops chopping boards etc it is better to use a half and half solution which still deodorises and disinfects.
To clean the microwave you heat equal quantities of vinegar and water so the steam gets all over the inside and then wipe it off. The vinegar helps to cut through the grease. Another advantage of using vinegar for cleaning plastic things is that it helps to reduce the static that attracts the dust. Put these two properties of vinegar together and you have a cleaner that removes grease and cuts down static that is very useful for cleaning exhaust fans, air conditioning blades and grills.
Vinegar can dissolve glue and some other sticky stuff, very useful if you want to repair wooden items with joints that are kept solid with glue. Another use for this property is removing stubborn wallpaper and excess glue left on the wall by the wallpaper. It will even work on chewing gum where it works even faster if it is heated. To remove a stick on hook saturate a cloth of sponge and squeeze the vinegar behind the hook so it comes into contact with the glue. It also works on price labels on washable materials. Dirty paintbrushes can be improved by soaking in vinegar overnight however take care not to dissolve the glue holding them together. Another suggestion is to use hot vinegar to remove paint from glass.
Another aspect of cleaning is taking away odours. Apparently saucers of vinegar left around the house overcome various smells. When I tried it I could smell the vinegar but supposedly the air will smell fresher after the smell of vinegar has dissipated. A smelly lunchbox can be dealt with by leaving a piece of bread soaked in vinegar sealed in it over night. Some recommend pouring vinegar down the drain regularly to freshen that up or even freezing vinegar as little cubes and then putting them in the thingy in the sink that is supposed to chew up all the soft stuff.
Cleaning can also mean dealing with the critters that make the place unclean. How about using vinegar to deter ants and cats from going where you don't want them to be. Try spraying around door and window frames, under appliances and along other known ant trials. I have heard of someone who used vinegar to clean the kitchen floor for a while but had to stop because the cat would not walk across the floor to where its food was. That would also be one way of discouraging cats from walking all over work tops or counter tops them carrying who knows what on their feet.
One use for vinegar is cleaning up after pets. Vinegar acts as a cleaner and disinfectant so after you have tested the carpet for colour fastness somewhere where it will not be seen if something goes wrong you can sprinkle vinegar where the clean up is needed. Wait a few minutes and sponge from the centre outwards then blot up with a clean cloth. Stubborn stains may need more than one treatment. I have no pets so cannot try this but it sounds a lot cheaper than proprietary cleaners. While on the subject of animals vinegar is useful for cleaning other things used by animals. How about cleaning the fish bowl by rubbing it with a vinegar soaked cloth then rinsing it well. Or cleaning the fountain on the fish pond by soaking the parts in one to one solution of vinegar and water and scrubbing with a nylon brush to deal with both scale and algae. Or cleaning the bird bath by rinsing it with vinegar.
Vinegar can also be useful to clean your hands. It can counteract the effects of working with limestone or clay or bleach, or fruit. Vinegar will also counteract problems caused by bleach going on fabric where it should not go if it is used quickly enough. A small amount of chlorine gas will be produced but not enough to be harmful to your health.
Vinegar can also be used with other things to clean items. How about using 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon of salt to clean pots and pans. A mixture of one part salt and one part vinegar will also remove the burn stains on an electric iron.
Another common mixture is bicarbonate of soda (also known as baking soda or abbreviated to bicarb) and vinegar. First of all vinegar can be used to test the effectiveness of bicarb as when bicarb is still effective adding vinegar makes it fizz. Yes we are back to the basic chemistry I for one did many years ago at school. Of course this fizzing action can be used to great effect in cleaning. Examples are when cleaning drains, or rubbish bins. Put some bicarb down the drain and add some vinegar let it sit awhile and fizz away happily for a few minutes before rinsing it away with water. Cover an area that needs cleaning such as the bottom of the bin with bicarb and add vinegar and they will do the cleaning for you. Sounds a very useful idea for those hard to reach places on bins with lids. This mixture is not just for the really smelly areas it can also be used for other things like degreasing a stovetop or removing stubborn stains on dishes or even as an alternative to scrubbing shirt collars.
Vinegar, salt and flour is another mixture a lot of folk recommend to clean brass pewter and copper. Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of distilled vinegar and then stir in enough flour to make a paste. Spread the paste on the metal and let it stand for 15 minutes. Rinse with clean warm water and polish until dry.
Phew what a versatile liquid vinegar is and so many of us let this cheap liquid sit in the cupboard while we go out and buy more expensive bottles of stuff to do the things that it could do. These other chemicals are probably more dangerous to our health than this liquid that has been safely used in cooking for centuries. No wonder God put the idea into my head to do some research on alternative ways of using vinegar. Mind you notice that I have only written about the cleaning properties of vinegar. There is more that could be written, and hopefully will be written about its role in the laundry room, its medicinal uses never mind how it can be used in the kitchen or even used to make some beautiful gifts.
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