While everyone has gone into lockdown, now is a prime opportunity to deep clean the house. After all, we’re all trying to minimize exposure to germs and bacteria anyway, right? But not all cleaning products are readily available these days. So we all need to find creative ways to clean and disinfect. And if a product can be used in more that one way, so much the better! Continuing our series on household cleaning hacks, today let’s talk about white distilled vinegar. Vinegar is a mild acid that can be used for cleaning, polishing, and deodorizing around your home. Read on for 7 ways to clean with vinegar.

  1. Sticker Remover

Ever buy an item with a price sticker on the bottom that just won’t come off? You scrub and scrape at it, but that stubborn adhesive residue just won’t budge. Fret no more, because a little spritz of vinegar will break down the adhesive and allow the remaining residue to be wiped away. For really tough stickers, let the item soak in vinegar for a few minutes to really loosen the glue, then wipe away as before.

  1. Dishwasher, Kettle, Coffee Pot

Have a smelly dishwasher or kettle? Is your coffee not as good as it used to be? There’s a quick and easy fix for that. Add some vinegar to the reservoir or soap dispenser and run like normal. The vinegar breaks down any build up and removes any smelly odors that may linger in your appliances. Run your dishwasher while empty to deep clean the machine. Run it full to also boost the shine and remove water spots from your dishes. For your kettle and coffee pot, after the vinegar cycle, run a cycle with plain water to clean out any remnants.

  1. Microwave

Ever have a roommate or coworker who reheats their stinky, saucy food in the microwave without covering it first? What a splattered mess! And if they don’t clean up after themselves, that splatter becomes a hard crust that’s such a pain to try to scrape off. Luckily, vinegar can make quick work of it. Add a small bowl of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water to the microwave and run it for 7 minutes at full power. The vinegar will loosen up any dirt, grime, and smelly food remnants. Then you can easily wipe it away with a paper towel or cleaning cloth. Optionally add a squirt of lemon juice to really freshen up the smell inside.

  1. Stainless, chrome cleaner and polish

If you have stainless steel appliances, then you are familiar with the fingerprint battle they come with. Fortunately, vinegar can help you win that battle. Add 1 part vinegar to 1 part water in a spray bottle and clean your stainless steel with ease. Vinegar can even cut through any additional foodstuff that may be left behind by dirty fingers too.

The Smell

One thing that prevents some people from cleaning with vinegar is the smell. It can be quite strong for sure. But an easy way to combat that is it add some essential oil or lemon juice to the mixture. A few drops won’t be enough, so you’ll need about 20 to really beat the funk. But with essential oils you can mix and match the scents to your personal preference.