Vinegar is one of the simplest, most affordable staples that can “do it all” — clean your home, boost flavor in your cooking, naturally disinfect and deodorize, repel bugs, kill weeds, and more! It’s a powerhouse worth keeping on hand in the pantry (and most other rooms in your home!)
Vinegar is one of those simple pantry staples that quietly does a lot around your home.
Its usefulness comes mainly from acetic acid, which gives it antimicrobial properties, tanginess, and amazing cleaning power.
If you want to cut out some of the chemicals in your cleaning cabinet, try a more natural beauty routine, or enhance your baking, vinegar might be the place to start.
It’s super frugal, and you likely already have it in your pantry!
Vinegar is great for:
Cleaning — it cuts grease, naturally deodorizes, disinfects, removes mineral deposits, and it’s streak-free.
Cooking — it brightens flavors, tenderizes meats, prevents bacterial growth, and enhances freshness.
And SO much more! There are literally hundreds of ways you can use vinegar around your home. I’m sharing a handful of favorites today!
But What About the Smell?
The comment I always, ALWAYS get whenever I mention vinegar is the smell. No one likes that strong, vinegar smell — I get it!
However, the smell dissipates in just a few minutes, so if you can handle it while you’re cleaning or cooking, it won’t last much longer!
You can add a few drops of essential oils to the vinegar when cleaning (not cooking!), and while you’ll still smell the vinegar, you will also smell the essential oils.
They also sell cleaning vinegars with lemon, lavender, or orange scents. I don’t buy it, but it could be an option if the smell really bothers you.
My Favorite Uses for Vinegar:
- Remove gunky buildup from my hair once a month.
- Descale my Keurig a few times per year.
- Wash fruits and veggies (they last so much longer when rinsed with a little vinegar water).
- Marinate meat (it’s so tender when you add vinegar to the marinade).
- Deodorize lots of smelly sports gear!
I’ll elaborate more on each of these below.
Basic Vinegar Ratios:
Unless otherwise noted, the basic ratio I use when mixing up vinegar for cleaning in and around my home is:
- 1 part white distilled vinegar (the kind you cook and bake with)
- 1 part water
For example, if you use 1 cup of vinegar, you’d use 1 cup of water. If you use 5 Tablespoons of vinegar, you’d mix that with 5 Tablespoons of water.
Simple!
There are a bunch of stronger “cleaning vinegars” on the market these days — geared towards home/garden uses. These ARE more powerful for stuck-on stains, hard water issues, or killing tough weeds, but I’ve always had good luck with the basic white vinegar in my pantry cabinet.
I recommend using glass spray bottles to store vinegar cleaner in — I keep one in the kitchen and one in each bathroom.
Caution! Don’t Use Vinegar on This!
Before we get too far into the myriad of ways vinegar can simplify and improve your home life, I want to mention a couple of ways you should NOT use vinegar.
- Don’t mix vinegar with bleach – it creates a toxic gas.
- Don’t use vinegar on natural stone like granite or marble – it can etch.
- Don’t use straight vinegar for skin or internal use – always dilute it 50/50 with water.
- Don’t use “cleaning vinegar” for any skin or internal uses — it is usually 20-30% more potent than cooking vinegar, and also isn’t intended for consumption.
And one more caution… while vinegar does have antimicrobial properties (it can serve as a great natural disinfectant), vinegar can’t compare with hospital-grade disinfectants for cleaning Norovirus, bloodborne pathogens, or raw meat prep areas.
Other than that, you should be able to successfully use vinegar on almost everything else!
How to Clean Your Kitchen with Vinegar
1. Naturally disinfect most surfaces (mix 1 part vinegar with 1 part water, spray, let sit for 5 minutes, and wipe).
2. Scrub stuck-on stains (make a paste with vinegar and baking soda and scrub with a sponge).
3. Clean your dishwasher (pour 1 cup into the bottom of the dishwasher and run it with no dishes inside).
4. In place of “Jet Dry” (fill the Jet Dry cup on your dishwasher with vinegar instead).
5. Descale your coffee maker, electric tea kettle, and Keurig (pour 2 c. white vinegar and 1 c. water into the appliance and run a full brew cycle. Remove and run 2 cycles with fresh water).
6. Disinfect cutting boards by soaking in vinegar for 5 minutes, then washing as normal (possibly not cutting boards that have been saturated in raw meat juice).
7. Clean and disinfect wooden spoons and other utensils (soak in vinegar and water for 5 minutes, then wash as normal).
8. Rinse your hands with vinegar to remove strong onion and garlic odors.
9. Keep sponges and kitchen rags fresh by soaking them in a shallow dish of vinegar overnight. Rinse them before using again.
10. Clean “unwashable appliances” (spray white vinegar/water mix on electric griddles, George Foreman grills, etc., and wipe with a damp cloth or paper towel.)
11. Unclog Drains (here’s my recipe to quickly unclog sink and shower drains.
12. Natural Degreaser (use straight vinegar on greasy stovetops or range hoods, let sit for 5 minutes, then wipe with a soft cloth).
13. Clean stuck-on gunk in your microwave (pour 1/4 c. vinegar and 1 c water in a glass bowl; microwave on high for 5 minutes; wipe clean).
14. Disinfect icecube trays and remove build-up (soak icecube trays in vinegar overnight and then rinse with cold water).
15. Freshen your garbage disposal (here’s my recipe for garbage disposal cleaning tabs.)
16. Naturally clean your fruits and veggies by soaking them in 1 part vinegar and 1 part water
17. Clean a non-self-cleaning oven by spraying the inside with vinegar and then sprinkling with baking soda. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and then scrub with a sponge
19. Remove hard water spots from stainless steel by wiping with a cloth dipped in vinegar
20. Clean the insides of water bottles and coffee thermoses by “swishing” with vinegar — this will naturally kill any bacteria lingering at the bottom where you might not be able to reach.
How to Clean Your Bathroom with Vinegar
21. Clean counters and all surfaces with 1 part vinegar and 1 part water.
22. Scrub Toilets (pour white vinegar directly in the toilet, let it sit for a few minutes, and then scrub with a toilet brush).
23. Wipe Mirrors (try my recipe for glass cleaner).
24. Clean Showers and Bathtubs (here’s my recipe for shower cleaner).
25. Remove the small from stinky towels (here’s the step-by-step process).
26. Get rid of mold and mildew (mix 3 T. white vinegar, 1 t. Borax, and 2 c. hot water. Shake, spray, and let it soak for a few minutes, then rub the area with a soft brush or cloth).
27. Remove hard water stains from your shower nozzle by pouring 1 part vinegar and 1 part water in a plastic bag. Use a rubber band to attach the bag to the nozzle and let soak for 10-15 minutes.
28. Remove limescale buildup on your shower door or in your tub by heating a small container of vinegar to the boiling point. Pour vinegar over the problem areas and it should loosen the lime.
29. Wash your shower curtain by throwing it in the washing machine with a few old towels. Use 1/2 c. laundry detergent and 1/2 c. baking soda for the wash cycle, and then 1 c. vinegar for the rinse cycle.
30. Clean the grimy soap buildup from your soap dish by soaking it in 1 part vinegar and 1 part warm water
How to Clean Your Home with Vinegar
31. Wood floors (mix 1 c. vinegar with 1 gal. warm water; clean floors with this mixture and then dry with a clean cloth).
32. Use it in a steam mop to clean most surfaces.
33. Clean leather sofas/chairs (spray white vinegar over the surface and “buff” with a soft, clean cloth).
34. Wash Walls (wipe down pretty much any wall surface with a cloth dampened with white vinegar).
35. Disinfect kids’ toys and books (1 part vinegar and 1 part water spray — or dump some vinegar in bath water and let the toys soak for a bit).
36. Freshen your mattresses (Blot mattresses with a clean cloth dipped in vinegar. If the spot is still damp, sprinkle a little baking soda over the area and vacuum it up).
37. Clean the filters in your dehumidifier/humidifier by soaking them in vinegar for 1 hour.
38. Clean mini blinds by soaking them in a bathtub filled with warm water and a few cups of vinegar.
39. Spot clean carpets by spraying vinegar on the spot and blotting it with a damp cloth. (Note: this could cause a bit of bleaching on darker carpets and is better for lighter carpets).
40. Wipe down refrigerator shelves and drawers with vinegar as a food-safe alternative to traditional cleaners and disinfectants.
41. Wipe down electronics with a rag dipped in vinegar (computer keys, mouse, phone keypad/screen, etc).
42. Clean your washing machine (dump 2 c. of distilled vinegar and run it on the quick cycle with no clothing inside to remove residue and buildup).
43. Remove water rings from wood furniture (here’s my step-by-step process).
How to Use Vinegar With Your Laundry
Simply add about 1/2 c. of distilled vinegar to your rinse cycle or to the fabric softener dispenser to help with the following:
44. Remove built-up soap residue
45. Reduce static cling (learn more about how to reduce static cling here).
46. Naturally soften your clothes, towels, blankets, etc.
47. Stop colors from running
48. Whiten whites (remember, don’t mix vinegar with bleach!)
49. Reduce irritation for those with sensitive skin
50. Prolong the life of your tights and nylons (crazy!)
51. Remove lingering odors (cigarette smell, smoke, gas, urine)
52. Eliminate that “musty” smell from damp towels and work-out clothes
You can also soak/scrub items in white vinegar to help with the following:
53. Remove yellow stains from sweat
54. Remove blood stains (let soak for 10 minutes)
55. Remove ink stains (mix 2 parts vinegar and 3 parts cornstarch, rub on stain, let dry, wash).
When ironing, use vinegar to help with the following:
56. Removing wrinkles (mist clothing with 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water).
57. Clean the inside of your iron (fill the water reservoir with white vinegar).
58. Clean the metal plate of your iron (mix 1 part vinegar and 1 part salt, scrub the plate with this paste).
59. Eliminate scorch marks (rub the scorched area with a cloth dipped in white vinegar and then blot with a clean towel).
Health and Wellness Uses For Vinegar:
60. Remove gunky build-up in your hair (pour 1/2 c. over your hair after you wash it and before you use conditioner. Rinse well.) Here’s
61. Clean your children’s retainers or Invisalign braces (soak them in vinegar for a few minutes each night).
62. Strengthen your nails (regularly dip nails in vinegar).
63. Soften your cuticles (soak fingers in a bowl of vinegar for 5 minutes).
64. Reduce Hair Snarls with my DIY Hair Detangling spray (made with vinegar).
65. Dry up a cold sore (dab it with a cotton ball soaked in vinegar).
66. Get rid of blemishes (mix 1 part vinegar with 10 parts water and dab the solution on your freshly-washed face with a clean cotton ball).
67. Relieve constipation and heartburn (drink 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar).
68. Kill lice (spray warm apple cider vinegar onto the scalp just before the final rinse. This will break down the “glue” the nits/lice use to attach to the hair).
69. Prevent infections (spray or dab small cuts with vinegar – it will sting a bit!)
70. Soothe sunburned skin (soak a towel in vinegar and then lay it over the burned areas).
71. Eliminate warts (put apple cider vinegar on the pad of a bandage and cover your warts. Replace with a fresh bandage every night and the warts should be gone within a week).
72. Soothe diaper rash (mix a few tablespoons of vinegar in your baby’s bath water).
73. Naturally whiten your teeth (once a week, dip a toothbrush in white vinegar and brush your teeth. Rinse thoroughly with water after you are finished).
74. Remove the hairspray residue from your flat iron or curling iron (wipe them with a rag dipped in vinegar).
75. Clean brushes and combs (here’s my simple recipe that gets rid of all that gunk!)
Ways to Use Vinegar Around Your Home and Garden
76. Clean your windshield wipers with vinegar to keep them functioning properly.
77. Loosen rusted-on screws or rusty patio furniture by soaking the areas in vinegar.
78. Keep flying bugs away from your outdoor parties by putting cider vinegar in a shallow dish away from your food. By the end of the night, your dish will be full of “floating bugs”!
79. Make a fly trap for your kitchen by filling a mason jar half full of cider vinegar. Then punch holes in the lid and put the lid back on. The flies will crawl through, but won’t be able to get out again.
80. DIY mosquito spray (pour vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spritz on your skin. The vinegar smell will go away after a few minutes, but you should be bug-free all night!)
81. Clean the grill by scrubbing the grates with vinegar and scrubbing with a grill brush.
82. Kill weeds (spray straight vinegar on all weeds — but not on grass as it will kill it too!)
83. Clean patio furniture with 1 part vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle.
84. Clean lawn mower blades (spray vinegar on the blades and scrub off).
85. Keep cats out of your sandbox by pouring vinegar around the outside of the box
86. Neutralize dog urine and eliminate brown/yellow patches in your grass (put a few drops of vinegar in your dog’s water bowl).
87. Keep flies away from your pool by pouring vinegar around the outside edges of the pool
88. Prolong the life of garden veggies (spray melons and pumpkins with vinegar to prevent mold from growing on the skin).
89. Clean bird droppings by spraying the area with vinegar and then wiping with a cloth/sponge.
90. Protect veggie garden (soak several rags in vinegar and place them around your garden. Repeat the process every 7-10 days.)
91. Remove the “skunk smell” from dogs or anything else (wash with 1 part vinegar and 1 part water and then rinse thoroughly with warm water.)
92. Wipe down walls with vinegar before you paint to ensure that all the dirt and grease is removed and the paint will adhere properly.
Tips to Use Vinegar in the Kitchen
Along with cleaning the kitchen, vinegar is a great pantry staple for cooking/baking too!
93. Make your favorite vinaigrette or salad dressing.
94. Tenderize tough cuts of meat (add a couple of Tablespoons to your favorite meat marinade).
95. “Pickle” almost anything (here’s my recipe for easy refrigerator dill pickles).
96. Freshen smelly shoes or sports gear by spraying the insides with vinegar, placing them in a paper bag, and then putting the bag in the freezer overnight.
97. Stop a poached egg from spreading (add 2 Tbs vinegar to the water)
98. Prevent hard-boiled yolks from turning brown (add 2 Tbs. vinegar to the water when boiling). Here’s my recipe for how to hard-boil eggs in the oven.
99. Naturally sanitize baby bottles/nipples (wash with vinegar and warm water, then store in the freezer).
100. Remove sticky residue from labels, stickers, and gum (rub the area with a rag dipped in vinegar).
101. As a substitute for eggs in vegan recipes (for every one egg called for, mix 1 Tbs. vinegar with 1 tsp baking soda).
102. Polish silver (soak silver pieces in a mixture of 1/2 c. white vinegar and 2 tablespoons baking soda for 2-3 hours, rinse with cool water, and dry immediately.)
Who knew you could do so many things with vinegar!!
Did I miss anything? What do you use vinegar for?
Connie Ritsema says
As we get into spring /summer season .We always seem to deal with ants.I am just wondering what you would recommend for dealing with them.
Andrea says
Hi Connie, have you tried Pesties? They might have a solution for your specific area. We use their service and our issue with box elder bugs is SO much better!
Otherwise, maybe just ask around at your local hardware store for ant products.
Grace Sullivan says
This is all terrific information!
is there hard copies available.
Milagros says
When my daughter got chicken pox, she had to stay away from her learning center, She also had assignments to keep her updated. In one of the novels that she was assigned, the son of the family had measles. The mother prepared a concoction of salt and vinegar to apply to his skin. It dried all the itching and sores. My daughter asked me to do the same thing to her because the calamine was not effective. At the beginning, I refused; but, she insisted so much, that I decided to do it so that she will stop pestering me. She asked me the concoction in her body but not on her face. The following morning all the sores in the body were dried and she did not have any itching! Immediately, she asked me to put it on her face. Within ten hours her face was free of any itching or sores. Because there was an epidemy, I recommended it to several mothers and it worked as well.
Andrea says
This is so helpful — thanks for sharing. Hopefully it will help another family who is suffering from itchiness!
Nancy Kennedy says
I used vinegar to clean our a REALLY cruddy fountain – great job! Can I use it in the water without harming bird?
Andrea says
Hmmm… I’m not 100% sure on this, but considering the fact that vinegar won’t harm people, I’d think it should be OK for birds too.
That said, I know it’s NOT ok for grass — it will kill the grass, so it might be worth a bit more research 🙂
Colleen says
It’s not environmentally safe and costs a lot of money to use wipes and paper towels. The wipes aren’t all cotton and has plastic within them. A good old cloth and even sponges do the same thing as those do anyway. Sponges are great for cleaning windows and mirrors.
acv vinegar says
Apple cider vinegar, better known as cider vinegar or apple cider vinegar, is made from the fermentation of sugars, either apple juice or cider. In addition to its culinary utilities, it has other properties that will serve you to look better. First, it can be used to improve the condition of your skin, but since it has a high acid content, it must be diluted with water. Thisis very important because if applied pure it could damage it. The ratio to be used is three parts of water for each part of vinegar, i.e. one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (10 ml) for every three tablespoons of water (30 ml in total). Then, you should soup it in a clean cotton or gauze and apply it to the face. Another key recommendation is to perform this treatment overnight before bedtime, wash your face thoroughly the next day with plenty of warm water and then apply cream to your face. Washing well the worked area as soon as we get out of bed is paramount as it could be harmful to the skin exposed to the sun.
Madonna Vance says
I also use vinegar as a safe alternative to fabric softener in my pets laundry….It takes the static out of their blankets as well as gives the laundry detergent a cleaning boost.
josh says
what cool ways to use vinegar!!!!
judy says
look-up essential oils – Miracle essential oils is what I use
Holly says
Tried everything, even prescription stuff to get rid of that “derma” odor my dog gets between baths so today when he got his bath I poured a cup.of white vinager thru his fur to see if it would help. I’ll have to get back to you to let you know if it worked tho.
Jamie says
Is it safe to use mixture from the baking soda, vinegar & alcohol for gold & gold-plated jewelry?
Andrea says
sorry Jamie, I have no idea. You’d probably want to ask a jeweler.
Ron Westcott says
I use apple cider vinegar and green tea 50/50 and apply to any skin problem or infection, acne and pimples, even a fatty cyst disappeared after this was repeated for several weeks, twice a week. even kills skin cancer BCC as I had one on my nose and it went away after several weeks. I have been to skin specialist and he said I didn’t need any spots frozen off and concidering I am 56 years and have fair skin is such a relief, as before I would go every year and get things frozen off as normal routein. I have also had many fatty cyst treated with anti-biotics but this time I put some ACV&tea on it and it soon srunk in size and wasn’t hot and infected,after a few weeks it was gone.I have a friend who suffered with acne so I gave her some ACV& tea and told her to apply it twice a week and in two weeks she looked so much better !
Thanks Ron.
Marion says
You forgot the medicinal uses of Vinegar. Vinegar is better than any prescription medicine for the treatment of psoriasis. It is also the best antiseptic I have ever used and I also use it for anti itch.
Millie says
Will vinegar harm any of your pool equipment if used to clean the hard water stains off your tile?
Jilian Monro says
I use white vinegar in the bathroom cleaning almost every day but I had no idea that I can use it even for the garden! I have a little veggie garden at the backyard. Thanks for the advices! I will try your hints!
Latoya Roman says
I use vinegar for cleaning at home, but I really had no idea that there are so many different purposes it can be used for. Thank you for the cleaning solutions recipes, I have new ideas to try. And thank you for the beauty and health section, there are so many things I learned about vinegar’s useful properties. Greets!
Leone's Building Service says
I don’t think I saw this on on the list, so I’ll share here! For those of you who experience cold and snow: Wipe or spray a solution of three parts white vinegar and one part water to the outside of your windows to keep them from frosting up. This doesn’t last forever, but it should for a few weeks.
Andrea says
Thanks Leone. That’s a great tip!
Tasha says
Laundry Rinse Cycle – This is actually the one that I use the most often. I stopped using a commercial liquid fabric softener and have been using vinegar in its place. It gets rid of odors, softens fabrics, and helps to get rid of static.
web site says
Vinegar rocks! I love it on everything (ok, well, almost everything) – but I never thought to clean with it though! Thank you for opened my eyes!
website says
The mixture of vinegar and water makes the best windows cleaner. I should tell you that my windows and mirrors have never been so shiny!
Nancy says
I recently saw an article about using distilled white vinegar on your vegetable plants to keep away bugs. Yesterday I did it, and today everything in my garden is pretty much dead. I am one unhappy person.
kim says
vinegar KILLS weeds and does not discriminate between good plants or bad plants… ONLY spray on the weed and it will kill it to the root.
kim says
Vinegar as an Insect Garden Spray | Garden Guides
http://www.gardenguides.com/99364-vinegar-insect-garden-spray.html
Landscape Design · Dry Gardens · Edible Gardens · Flower Gardens · Garden Styles · Wet Gardens … Not being able to use pesticides on a garden, however, can present a challenge to organic … A vinegar spray can ward off several different species of insect. … Avoid spraying vinegar directly on your vegetables or flowers.
Sandra says
Hi Andrea,
I used vinegar to clean my bathroom floors and I LOVE the fresh smell!
Sandra
Micki says
Thank you so much for all these white vinegar uses. I live where we have Apartment Inspections (2 days from now). I read this just in time for clean mirrors, floors, carpet, throw rugs, laundry, wood, venetian blinds, walls & leather furniture. I’m sure I will find several more ideas too.
I can’t wait to share this information with 100 other residents!!
Micki T