7 Household Areas You Can Clean With Vinegar, According to an Expert
This all-natural cleaning solution will cut through grease and grime—and it’s right in your pantry!
If you do a lot of cooking at home, you probably keep a bottle of distilled white vinegar in the pantry at all times. With its sharp, tangy taste, it makes an excellent addition to homemade dressings and marinades, and its acidic nature helps balance out overly sweet or salty recipes in a flash. But besides the pivotal role it plays in cooking, vinegar also makes a powerful cleaning agent—one that’s highly affordable, widely available, and environmentally friendly.
Whether you’re dealing with soap scum, hard water stains, sticky countertops, or a smelly kitchen sink, vinegar will get the job done. “Vinegar is acidic, which means it’s good at reacting to organic matter, dissolving it, and breaking it down,” explains Isabel Benavides, general manager of Mother Nature’s Cleaning, an eco-friendly professional cleaning company in San Francisco. Sure, you could use a store-bought solution to cut through grease and grime, but Benavides notes that most commercial cleaners are full of artificial fragrances and harsh chemicals that you probably don’t want to unleash inside your house. Vinegar, on the other hand, is a homemade cleaner that’s just as effective at tackling messes, yet it’s all-natural, nontoxic, and biodegradable. Not to mention, it’s more versatile and less expensive than a premade cleanser.
If you’re wondering how to use vinegar as a cleaning solution, we asked Benavides to share the top household spots you can clean with vinegar—and the right way to clean them. But before you start sprucing up your house, keep in mind that vinegar is an acid, which means it can damage, weaken, or discolor natural stone, untreated wood, unsealed grout, and unfinished leather, so proceed with caution!
Try these homemade cleaning solutions next:
Floors
If you have tile, vinyl, or laminate floors (not hardwood or natural stone), vinegar will successfully sop up any sticky residue. After vacuuming your floors, combine 1/2 cup of vinegar and a gallon of warm water in a mop bucket, Benavides instructs. Using a mop and your homemade vinegar solution, scrub your floors evenly. For stubborn spots like stuck-on bits or visible marks, target the area with a sponge.
Countertops
Because vinegar zaps grease, it’s a strong base for a DIY countertop cleaner—as long as the surface is laminate, stainless steel, or butcher block, not granite, marble, or quartz. To create your solution, Benavides advises pouring one cup of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar into a spray bottle. (You can also add a drop of lemon juice for a fresh-scented finish.) Clear away the crumbs, spray the area evenly, and wipe the surface with a clean cloth or sponge.
Windows and Mirrors
Surprisingly, diluted vinegar offers a streak-free solution to cloudy mirrors and windows—without leaving any chemical residue behind. First, remove dust by wiping down the mirrored surface with a dry cloth. Then, mix equal parts vinegar and water in a one-to-one ratio in a spray bottle. Lightly spray the solution onto a microfiber cloth, and wipe the glass in a zigzag pattern. With a clean cloth, buff the mirror until it sparkles.
Couches
For stubborn stains on your couch (as long as it isn’t made of leather), Benavides says a combination of 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon of liquid dish soap, and one cup of warm water will work wonders. Before you get started, vacuum the cushions and arm rests to remove dirt, dust, and debris. Once you have a clean surface, spray the solution from a spray bottle, let it sit for five to 10 minutes, dab the spot with a clean cloth, and let the section air-dry before sitting on it.
Microwaves
With a little vinegar, you can remove stuck-on food and grease in your microwave in a matter of minutes. In a microwave-safe bowl, stir one to two tablespoons of vinegar and one cup of water. Microwave the medley on high until it starts to boil (about three to five minutes), and let it sit with the door shut for five to 10 minutes. The steam will loosen all the gunk, so you can use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe the interior clean.
Faucets and Shower Heads
If your sink faucet or shower head is covered in hard water stains or limescale buildup, vinegar will easily and naturally restore these fixtures. Just fill a plastic bag halfway with vinegar, secure the bag around the faucet or shower head with a rubber band, and let the homemade solution sit for at least 30 minutes to an hour. When you return, remove the bag and scrub the debris with a small cleaning brush or an old toothbrush.
Sink Drains
Vinegar is an all-natural, highly effective home remedy for a clogged or smelly drain. To start, pour a pot of boiling water down the drain, followed by 1/2 cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar. The solution will start fizzing, which means it’s working! Let the medley work its magic for 10 to 15 minutes before flushing the drain again with more boiling water to break down any remaining residue.
Lilly Blomquist is the associate editor at The Pioneer Woman, where she writes lifestyle stories across a wide range of topics—including news, entertainment, holidays, food, and more.
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