Cleaning With Vinegar

I clean a lot. I used to be very proud of how much I knew about cleaning. There is a product for everything, and I had my favorites by the time I graduated high school. This cleaner is great for windows and mirrors but does NOT work on the tub, floors, or laundry. This one is only for laundry. Another one for the tub, sink and toilet, but not for the counters and floors. Also, they all smell terrible, some of them require ventilation and bleach your clothes and rags, and you should never let your kid or dog near them. I was pretty sure I knew all about it.

Now, I have kids and dogs and a small apartment that needs to be accessible to everyone. I also don't have enough space under my sink for all of that stuff. So, I found a few simple, safe things that take care of basically all of my cleaning needs. One of them is distilled white vinegar.

Things I use vinegar for:

Laundry - Over the years I've had small children, I've learned that vinegar is one great way to get pee smell out of clothes. I wish I had known that when I was paper training my mastiff. I just toss 1/2 to 1  cup of vinegar into my machine along with my usual detergent when I have something stinky to wash.

Trash Can Smell - Sometimes, when we take the trash out, our kitchen trash cans smell horrible. I spray the insides of the cans with vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe it out. Vinegar cuts the garbage smell, and don't worry... the vinegar smell goes away within minutes.

Clean Toys - Vinegar kills germs and it's safe to use on things a baby or kid might put in their mouth. The number one reason I use vinegar a lot because it is super safe to use around kids and pets.

Dog Mess - Again, vinegar kills germs and smells. I did eventually learn that it works great as weapon against dog 'accidents'. Just clean up any standing pile or puddle, then use vinegar to sanitize. I have never needed anything else, but if you need a bit more scrubbing or stain lifting power, sprinkle in a little baking soda.

Floors - My apartment is mostly carpeted and carpets do fine with vacuuming and deodorizing with baking soda, but the bathroom, kitchen and dining room need something else. On my laminate and linoleum floors, I spray diluted vinegar (1/1) and wipe it up with a towel. If your rooms are bigger, you can use a mop.

Cooking - Not what you're thinking. Although I'm sure there is a lot to be said about cooking with vinegar, I use it to clean up after cooking messes because it disinfects incredibly well. When I'm done breading chicken, I clean the table with my 1/1 vinegar spray.

Other things it does:

Shower Doors -  I don't currently have a shower door. But apparently you can clean mineral deposits from hard water with vinegar.

Dishwasher - I have never tried this, but if my dishwasher ever seems gross, I'm sure I will. To rid your dishwasher of soap build up and smells, pour 1 cup of vinegar into the empty machine and run a full cycle.

Metals - Copper, brass and pewter clean well with a mixture of vinegar and salt. (1/1)

Adhesive Labels - lay a rag soaked in vinegar over the label over night and it should slide right off in the morning.

Other Things - Vinegar gets rid of smells and mineral deposits, disinfects and is safe for kids and pets. Really, almost anything you can think of that fits in those categories is a good candidate for an attempt with vinegar. However, you should not use vinegar on marble surfaces as it can ruin the finish.