Vinegar is a common household ingredient that is used in a number of recipes to add tartness to the mix. In general, Chinese cuisine makes the most use of it and most people have a bottle at home to add a splash of vinegar to their cooking as needed. However, the uses of white vinegar are also versatile, much like the many uses of baking soda.
Some of the Best Uses of White Vinegar
Here are some of the best uses of this everyday ingredient:
- Streak-Free Cleaning
- Get Rid of Smoky Smells
- Remove Pet Odours
- Clean Water Rings from Wooden Furniture
- Banish Limescale from the Kitchen
- Remove Stickers from Surfaces without Glue Residue
- Make Your Bathroom Sparkle
- Get a Soft Cleaner for Your Tech
- Remove Tough Fabric Stains
- Make Your Laundry Softer and Fresher
- Do Away with Yellowed Stains
Now we’ll discuss each of these in detail.
1. Streak-Free Cleaning
Want to clean your glass windows or mirrors without leaving streaks behind? Create a vinegar solution in a spray bottle, containing equal amounts of white vinegar and water. Spray the glass surface with this mix before wiping it with a lint-free cloth. You can use a newspaper for the purpose as well. If the glass or mirrored surface is extremely dirty, wash it with a soapy water solution before you spray the vinegar solution onto its surface for the best results.
2. Get Rid of Smoky Smells
Whether you had chain-smoking guests visiting your place or whether you’ve burnt your next meal, the result is the same. Since most homes have limited ventilation, the smoky smell lingers for some time. The smell is even more prominent in air-conditioned environments. So, if you want to do away with the stench, place a half-filled bowl of vinegar in each room that is affected by the smell. The odour will be gone in less than a day.
You can even douse a clean cloth with white vinegar and waves it around the room to clear cigarette smoke smells quickly. The method is effective for any and all household smells, including food odours, paint fumes and more.
3. Remove Pet Odours
If you have pets in the house and they haven’t been house trained yet, you might be facing some unexpected and smelly accidents from time to time. Pet waste gives off a strong odour and since your furry friends have a keen sense of smell, it is necessary to eliminate the smell completely from the spot.
Wondering why? Well, if the smell persists and you’re training your pets to do their business in another part of the house, no amount of training on your part will work. The residual smell will always pull them back to the same spot, leading to more clean up required at your end.
This is why you need a strong cleaning agent that can get rid of the smell for good. You might also be looking for an option that’s friendly and safe for your pets and family members. Well, white vinegar is one alternative to consider. Firstly, clean the concerned area and then spray a vinegar solution made with equal amounts of white vinegar and water onto the spot. After leaving it on the spot for a few minutes, you can blot the area using paper towels and dry the area using a fan.
Sprinkle the area with baking soda after all this is done, for additional impact. You can sweep the remaining baking soda up after 15 to 20 minutes. This technique is best for marble and carpeted floors.
4. Clean Water Rings from Wooden Furniture
If you have water rings left behind from teacups, coffee mugs and glasses of water, do not fret! The stains are easy enough to remove if you know how. A mixture of olive oil and white vinegar in equal parts can help you here. Use a soft and clean cloth to apply the mixture onto the wooden surface you want to clean and rub gently. Use a fresh and clean cloth to then bring back the shine on your furniture.
5. Banish Limescale from the Kitchen
The area around your kitchen sink often becomes dull over time due to limescale build-up left behind by evaporated water droplets. You can return the shine to your kitchen sink and its surroundings by pouring vinegar onto a clean cloth or paper towel and using that to wipe the affected area.
If limescale deposits have gradually collected over your tea or coffee pot, a simple vinegar solution containing half-and-half of water and white vinegar can help you out. Spray the encrusted surface with the solution and wait for about 10 minutes before attempting to clean the equipment.
6. Remove Stickers from Surfaces without Glue Residue
A wave of nostalgia comes over you when you look at those stickers decorating your car’s windscreen or your wardrobe. On other days, you wish you’d never stuck them there. However, getting rid of stickers effectively is a challenge, as more often than not, it will leave behind a sticky residue. We have the solution. Dampen your sticker with white vinegar and let it sit. Then just peel the sticker away. You might need to use a credit card to pry one of the edges though.
7. Make Your Bathroom Sparkle
Have your showerheads and taps lost their sparkle? Fill a small pot or a plastic bag with white vinegar and soak your showerhead in it overnight. Rub it using a soft toothbrush in the morning to return its gleam.
For taps, you can cover them with a sheet of toilet paper and then spray that with white vinegar. Make sure that the toilet paper is soaked through. Leave it covering the tap overnight. Remove it in the morning and use a soft cloth to rub the tap and restore its shiny appearance.
8. Get a Soft Cleaner for Your Tech
Want a soft yet effective cleaner for all your technological gadgets? One of the many uses of white vinegar is that it fairly effective when you want to clear dirt and grime from a surface. Turn off and disconnect your technological devices before you attempt this though.
Once that’s done, dip a cloth into a white vinegar solution made with equal parts of water and squeeze all the residual water out of the cloth. Use the damp but no dripping cloth to gently wipe your devices. Use a cotton bud dipped in the solution for smaller areas, such as the creases between keyboard keys.
9. Remove Tough Fabric Stains
If you’re looking for an all-natural pre-wash stain treatment, then this is one of the many uses of white vinegar. If you have a fabric with fast colours, meaning that the colours will not fade after bleaching, then this trick is ideal to remove tough stains. Make a paste out of baking soda and white vinegar in equal parts and then apply it to your stain. Rub the stain with the paste and the stain should come out. Wash the fabric as usual.
For tougher stains, add 2 tablespoons of your laundry detergent and white vinegar to a bucket of water and leave your stained fabric to soak overnight. Take it out in the morning and rinse as usual.
10. Make Your Laundry Softer and Fresher
Want fresh-smelling and softer clothes coming out of your washing machine? Add a cup of white vinegar to your regular load of laundry. Once the spin cycle is complete, you’ll see the results for yourself.
11. Do Away with Yellowed Stains
Underarm stains caused by sweat will change the colour of lighter-coloured fabrics. Do away with yellowed clothing by soaking your clothes in a mix of 12 parts of warm water with 1 part of vinegar. Wash them, as usual, the next morning to restore them to their original colour.
These are some of the most amazing and most effective uses of white vinegar around the house, so always keep a bottle at home, ready for those urgent clean-ups that may crop up at any time.
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