Home Hacks: Who Knew Vinegar Could Do All This?

If you're ready to give your home a thorough cleaning, our REALTORS® suggest you start with a bottle of distilled white vinegar. It's an affordable, natural cleaner that easily cuts through grime, bacteria, and mildew, and it's perfectly safe to use on a variety of household surfaces throughout your home.

• Make Your Kitchen Sparkle
  Your kitchen is a busy place. In addition to a buildup of grease, grime, and bacteria on appliances and surfaces, your kitchen may have lingering odors from your stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, disposal, and trash cans. Cleaning your dirty kitchen with white vinegar is easy and fast with these cleaning tips.

  • Stove and Oven – Vinegar's acidity cuts right through grease and grime. Mix ½ vinegar and ½ water in a spray bottle, spray your stovetop and the inside of your oven and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, then remove with soapy water.

  • Microwave – Clean your microwave by placing ½ cup vinegar and ½ cup water in a glass bowl. Heat the liquid for 2-3 minutes until it boils, then wipe away food spatters.

  • Refrigerator – Throw out the toxic chemical cleaners around food. Use equal parts vinegar and water on a dampened cloth to clean your refrigerator shelves, racks, and crisper drawers.

  • Dishwasher – Vinegar dissolves food debris and mineral deposits. Pour 1 cup of vinegar on the dishwasher floor (beneath the racks), then run the dishwasher through one cycle while empty.

  • Disposal – Pour vinegar onto a small scrub brush. Sprinkle baking soda on the brush and into the disposal, then scrub to remove built-up grime and stinky odors.

  • Trash Cans – Before adding a new trash bag, spritz the can and lid with a vinegar and water mixture, then wipe clean. This routine will get rid of smelly trash can odors for good.

You can even clean stainless steel and enamel pots and pans with equal parts vinegar and water. Pour the mixture in, bring it to a boil, and old stains will disappear.

• Disinfect Your Bathroom
  When cleaning your bathroom, full-strength vinegar or slightly diluted vinegar will eliminate bacteria around toilets, tub and shower drains, and fixtures.

  • Toilets – Pour 1 cup vinegar in the bowl and let sit overnight. The next morning, sprinkle the toilet bowl with baking soda or Borax powder, scrub the bowl, then flush.

  • Tub and Shower Drains – To kill bacteria, pour ½ cup distilled white vinegar down the drain and let sit for several hours. Pour hot water down the drain and clean the area with soapy water.

  • Showerheads and Faucets – If you have sediment buildup on showerheads and faucets, pour white vinegar into a plastic bag, then secure the bag to showerheads and faucets with a twist-tie or rubber band. Ensure the vinegar covers the fixture opening and leave the bag on overnight.

• Refresh Your Floors and Rugs
  Vinegar provides a natural, chemical-free solution that removes dirt, grime, and pet odors from floors and rugs.

  • Wood and Tile Floors – Add ½ cup vinegar to 1 gallon of water to clean wood, laminated, and ceramic tile floors. Vinegar should be avoided on natural stone floors and countertops due to high acidity, which will etch into the stone. 

  • Rugs and Carpets – To remove unpleasant pet odors from rugs and carpets, mix ½ cup vinegar to 1 gallon of water, spray the rug/carpet, then sprinkle it with baking soda. Let it dry overnight, then vacuum.

If you're looking for Nassau County homes for sale or Suffolk County homes for sale, contact us to help you find the perfect fit.