Top 8 Great But Simple Household Uses For Vinegar

Vinegar is rather amazing stuff. It is a strong natural acid that has antibiotic and disinfectant properties. It is also all-natural, edible, non-poisonous, and inexpensive. Vinegar also has some really great uses around the house. Here are just 15 of them.

1.  Drip coffee pot cleaner

No matter the brand, soap leaves a residue if it is used to clean a drip coffee maker, carafes, coffee pots, or teapots. This gives coffee or tea a disagreeable taste. Vinegar solves the problem.

Twice a month, run a pot of water with 1/2 cup of vinegar added, through the coffee maker. Follow this with a pot of plain water. Cleaning the inside of the coffee maker can’t be much simpler. This sequence might need to be repeated several times if the coffee maker has never been cleaned or if soap was used to clean it.

Carafes, coffee pots, and teapots should also be cleaned inside and out with vinegar and water. Never wash them with soapy water or run them through a dish machine, if you want good tasting coffee or tea.

2. Clothing deodorizer and anti-cling agent

Adding three or four tablespoons of vinegar to the rinse cycle of the wash usually removes trapped odors and greatly reduces static cling when the clothes go through the dryer. Vinegar is an excellent natural deodorizer. The vinegar also kills bacteria in the clothing.

3.  Washing machine cleaner, deodorizer, and sanitizer

Once or twice a month, run an empty load through the washer with a half-cup of vinegar added to the water. That is, don’t wash any clothing, but add the vinegar to the water. This helps to break up soap buildup, while deodorizing the washer. As an added benefit, the vinegar kills the bacteria that thrive in the moist environment of the washer. It is senseless to wash clothing that comes out of the washer dirty and stinky, full of bacteria.

4.  Clean cutting boards

Wiping cutting boards off immediately after use with a solution of one part vinegar to one part water is a great way to keep them sanitary, clean, and smelling good. Doing this also prolongs the life of the cutting board.

5.  Cleaning scissors

Instead of using soapy water to clean your scissors, use straight vinegar. This removes substances that cause the scissors to get sticky, while also sanitizing them.

6.   Wall cleaner

Put distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle, then spray it in grimy fingerprints on painted surfaces. Simply wipe away with a paper towel or clean, dry cloth. Vinegar is also excellent at removing crayon marks from painted surfaces, though you may need to spray the mark well, scrub it gently with an old toothbrush, spray again, and wipe it off.

7.  Super drain cleaner and deodorizer

Pour 1/4 cup of baking soda down your drains, then pour 1/4 cup vinegar down the drain. It will produce vigorous foam. Wait about 15 minutes, then flush the drain with hot water.

This keeps drains clean and smelling good. It can even help unplug sluggish drains without the use of caustic and dangerous chemicals, though the process may need to be repeated. This also works with garbage disposals. Best of all, this sanitizes the drain, too.

8.  Fruit and vegetable cleaner

Fruits and vegetables that are purchased at the store normally have a coating of pesticides and fertilizer on them. You can’t normally see the residue, but it is there. Washing the fruit and vegetables with a 50-50 solution of vinegar and water helps remove the chemicals.

At the same time, since vinegar destroys bacteria and mold spores, the wash leaves the fruits and vegetables far safer to eat.

These are just eight great uses for vinegar. I use it so much that I buy distilled vinegar by the gallon. It is easily the least expensive cleaner, sanitizer, deodorizer, and antibacterial agent we have in the house.