So, I’ve been on a mission to clean smarter and not harder. As much as I love bleach, sometimes I really don’t need to use it and let’s face it, it’s not something I want to use often. However, I have become a huge fan of vinegar.
The one thing about vinegar, however, is that it smells. It smells really bad, actually. Yes, it can clean like a mofo, but at the risk of your nose hating you for the rest of the day. So, what’s a solution?
Apple Cider Vinegar.
Now, could you hear me out? It’s not like I’m replacing a hard vinegar with another hard vinegar. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is sweet to the taste (though it can be a hard pill to swallow – more on that later), but it boosts the same cleaning properties as its cousin, regular vinegar.
Hard Water Stains
For example, if you use a 1:1 solution of ACV and water, you can tackle those hard water stains. If you use a cup of ACV on your shower head, you just might be able to unclog it! (I think I need to try this!)
Cleaning the Washer (if applicable)
I personally use it to clean my washer. Instead of buying those expensive washer treatments, I use a cup of ACV and run the washer as I would if I were doing a load of laundry. Just pour it, set it, and forget about it! Make sure you leave the washer open so it can breathe!
Cleaning the Floors
Use a cup of ACV per one gallon of warm water. No rinsing is needed.
Window washing
Mix one cup of ACV with distilled water to clean your windows. No rinsing is needed. I also recommend to dry the windows with newspaper instead of an old rag.
Cleaning the Microwave
Now, I haven’t personally tried this but some people swear up and down that if you combine a cup of ACV with water in a microwave-safe bowl, then turn on the microwave to high for two minutes, the steam from the solution will loosen, and make it easier to clean by simply wiping it down as you use the remnants of the solution. Again, this is another thing I need to try!
Mold Killer
Now, for all intents and purposes of being transparent, I personally have not used ACV to kill mold. However, after reading about it, I just might try it. It’s less harsh than bleach and safer to use on surfaces. I need to check it out!
Fly Trap
I really should’ve tried this during the summer when it was a fly party house in our home. Take a small mixture of soap (like Dawn) and ACV and put it in a small uncovered container. The flies will be attracted to the scent and will get stuck in the solution. Heh. How about that!
Room Spray
Mix 1 part ACV with one part water to create your own room spray. You can also add essential oils like lavender, peppermint, and sweet orange to soften the smell.
As an added addition to washing dishes
Again, I haven’t tried this one but I’m rather curious since I don’t have a dishwasher yet. If you add some ACV to either your dishwasher or the dishwater, it’ll help kill bacteria on the dishes! How about that?!
Weed killer
I’m getting back into my gardening game, so I have a few weeds. Not a whole lot, but enough where I need to fix this. Just use a cup of undiluted ACV and spray it on weeds to kill them and make them more manageable to deal with.
I found quite a few great uses! Did you see anything you like? Sound off in the comments!