White Vinegar, the Miracle Cleaner

White Vinegar is truly an all around cleaner and conditioner which leaves a nice fresh scent after use. It can be used for a myriad of purposes and replaces harsh and harmful toxic chemicals if used as an alternative to most commercial household cleaners and can stand in for some health/beauty products.

This can be especially beneficial if a family member has asthma or allergies. White vinegar will not trigger asthma or allergy attacks like harsh commercial chemical cleaners and beauty products with dyes and perfumes can. 

Even better, white vinegar is very inexpensive, color/dye free, and readily available at any supermarket. It neutralizes odors instead of covering them up, and, once dried, does not leave any odor of its own.

1. Mix half and half in a spray bottle with water to create a great glass cleaner. This same vinegar/water mix can be used as a general purpose cleaner on countertops, in sinks, and on stoves.
2. Use one cup in a bucket of water for floor cleaning. Safe for all floors, including varnished wood.
3. Pour a bucket of water in the toilet to get rid of the standing water. Spray straight white vinegar into the toilet. Scrub with a toilet brush. Flush.
4. 100% white vinegar will eventually dissolve hard water deposits if given time to do so. Overnight is good. A baggie filled with white vinegar and attached to the shower head with a rubber band is a great way to get the lime crusties off the showerhead.
5. An equal mix of white vinegar and salt will clean copper to a luster, but be careful to rinse thoroughly with water afterward to remove the residue. Dry and polish with a clean soft rag.
6. For tough soap scum use undiluted white vinegar. Spray generously and scrub. Will not stain or harm grout.
7. A cup of white vinegar added to the rinse cycle is a great alternative to fabric softener when washing clothes, especially for those allergic to all the perfumes and dyes in commercial fabric softeners. White vinegar dissolves the soap residue and leaves clothes smelling nice and fresh with no perfumes.
8. When you go to wash, are your whites dingy? Soak them in a solution of 1/2 cup of white vinegar to each gallon of water for a couple hours. Rinse. Hang in the sun to dry.
9. Make your coffee taste better. Putting a pot of white vinegar through as if making coffee will decrust your coffeemaker  innards of hard water and coffee residue. Put a pot of water through afterward to rinse the innards out. Soak the coffeepot parts in a basin with 1/2 cup white vinegar to every gallon of water. Rinse thoroughly. I do this once a month.
10. As an alternative to hair conditioners which contain dyes, perfumes and chemicals, try a tablespoon of white vinegar in a pint of warm water as a final rinse. Do not rinse out after doing this. Your hair will be wonderfully shiny and easy to comb with this treatment.
11. Soak dentures overnight in undiluted white vinegar. Brush and rinse in the morning.
12. Make your own furniture polish from one part white vinegar and three parts lemon or orange oil.
13. Undiluted white vinegar removes the stickies such as price tags, tape, etc. Spray liberally.
14. Putting white vinegar in the iron and allowing it to steam out will clean out the hard water residue, but be sure to rinse out thoroughly, and steam out with plain water afterward.
15. Boiling a solution of half white vinegar and half water in the microwave will loosen caked on foods within your microwave, and make it easy to clean with a half and half solution and a scrubby sponge.
16. White vinegar removes grease spots from suede. Use an old toothbrush to gently brush it in.