Introduction
There are very few people who enjoy cleaning. Most of them are professionals and they get paid for the job. That’s why most people prefer to search for “cleaning services near me” and outsource domestic cleaning by hiring the services of a professional cleaning company. If you really need to clean your home on your own, opt for vinegar, instead of expensive “organic” organic cleaning agents. Vinegar is organic, efficient, and does a lot more than cooking and cleaning windows. Let’s check out how it can help you:
The Details
- Kitchen surfaces – Let’s start with the kitchen and look at how vinegar can help you clean most of the kitchen surfaces. Begin with the appliances. Use white vinegar to clean your refrigerator and microwave oven. You can mix equal parts of vinegar and water and fill it up in a spray bottle and use it to spray on the exterior surface of your fridge and microwave. After that, wipe down those surfaces. You can even clean spills with the same solution.
If there are hard-to-clean splatters and stubborn food stains inside the microwave, you can remove them by simply microwaving vinegar. Fill up a microwave-safe glass bowl with equal parts of water and vinegar and microwave it at high settings till the solution completely boils off. After that, the stains and splatters would be softened enough so that you can easily clean them with a wipe.
If your cutting board isn’t made of hardwood, you can also clean it with vinegar. Spray the surface with undiluted vinegar and then rinse it off with water. Let it dry and it shouldn’t have any stain or smell. You can also let the vinegar sit inside plastic containers and then wash them with the rest of the dishes for effective cleanup.
- Bathroom – White vinegar also works great for cleaning bathroom surfaces. You can use both regular and diluted vinegar to scrub away harmful bacteria and bad around the toilet. These places are usually prone to urine stains and vinegar is more than enough to clean the stains and get rid of the odor.
You can also use vinegar and baking soda to clean the toilet. Pour a large cup of regular vinegar inside the toilet bowl and use a brush to rub it across all the surfaces. Close the toilet lid and let it sit overnight. The next day, you can sprinkle baking powder on the toilet bowl and scrub it clean. After that flush it off for a sparkling clean toilet. You can also use diluted vinegar to scrub and clean tile surfaces on the bathroom floor.
The showerhead and shower accessories can also be cleaned with vinegar. To clean a showerhead, you need to fill up a plastic pouch with vinegar and secure it on the showerhead with a thick rubber band. Make sure the showerhead is submerged in vinegar and let it sit overnight. The next day you can remove the bag and the showerhead will look as good as new. You can also clean bathroom and shower accessories with vinegar. All you need is a diluted vinegar solution, a toothbrush, and a clean cloth for wiping.
- Drains – You can also use vinegar to clean clogged pipes and drains. If the pipe or drain diameter is large enough, you can pour vinegar on a small scrubbing brush and top it off with some baking soda. After that scrub the drain with the brush to get rid of most things stuck to the drain walls and also get rid of that nasty odor.
If your drain or pipe is too narrow, you can pour down half a cup of distilled vinegar. Let it sit there for a few hours. After that, you can pour some baking soda and let it rest for a while. Finally, you can fill up a piston or a turkey baster with water and rinse it all off along with the gunk and filth. This works for both bathroom and kitchen drains.
- Some surfaces are not meant for vinegar – While vinegar can clean most surfaces in your home, it isn’t meant to be used on certain surfaces and substances. They include:
- Stone – If you have stone floors or stone countertops, you shouldn’t use vinegar to clean them. Unlike ceramic tiles, natural stone tiles don’t like to come in contact with acidic cleaners like lemon and vinegar. For stone, you can use mild liquid soap. If the stain is too stubborn, you can use special stone soaps.
- Granite and marble – Granite and marble are also a kind of natural stone and they don’t like vinegar either. The acid in the vinegar can cause discoloration and leave an unsightly countertop or an ugly floor.
- Iron – Iron used for your clothes doesn’t react well when in contact with vinegar. That’s because modern irons have several small pores on the metal surface. When you pour vinegar or any liquid, it can get into the electronic components and do severe damage. It can also shock you if the iron isn’t unplugged.
- Hardwood – Hardwood surfaces like floor and furniture can easily get damaged if you try to clean them with vinegar. It won’t damage the furniture or the hardwood floor if it has proper coats of sealant. However, as your floor and furniture age, the seal becomes weak, and using vinegar can wreak havoc on the finish.
- Egg stains – If you spill an egg on the floor, countertop, or any other surface, it may leave a stain. Make sure you don’t use vinegar to clean that stain. The acidic vinegar would help the egg to coagulate and make it even more difficult to remove.
Conclusion
Now that you know about the benefits of vinegar and how it can become a powerful cleaning agent for your home, you can buy it in bulk the next time you go to the supermarket. You can also reduce your burden and save time and energy by searching for “cleaning services near me” and hiring a professional cleaning company.