When looking for a home cleaner, it’s easy to reach out to a basket full of chemical-based cleaners you have at home, or you can use the safer but equally efficient cleaner you already have in your pantry, like apple cider vinegar! But wait, can apple cider vinegar be used for cleaning? Absolutely!
Apple cider vinegar is a miracle worker. It is an ingredient in salad, used for skincare, relief of allergies, and reliable for making the entire house much cleaner. It is a non-toxic cleaning alternative to harsh chemicals.
Are you interested in using this magic potion and making the house fresh and clean? Here is a guide on using apple cider vinegar for home cleaning.
Is Apple Cider Vinegar Good for Cleaning?
The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar makes the solution great for cleaning. It can remove dirt, stains, grease, and grime. Although it is not as effective at disinfecting as strong chemical cleaners, its acidic properties can also disinfect or kill bacteria and germs on a cellular level.
The natural properties of apple cider vinegar are a natural scourge for those hard-to-clean areas in the house. They are effective for cleaning, whether it’s the mess in the toilet or the soap residue in the sinks.
Does Apple Cider Vinegar Eliminate Odors?
Got odor problems at home? Rather than lighting scented candles or plugging a diffuser into your electric socket, use apple cider vinegar to eliminate the bad odor. Apple cider vinegar naturally eliminates odor without requiring you to use harsh chemicals.
To use apple cider vinegar as a deodorizer, you can put diluted apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle, then spritz it around the affected area for a fresh, clean scent. Moreover, research has shown that apple cider vinegar kills bacteria, so the solution can help you improve the air quality in your house.
Is Apple Cider Vinegar Better than White Vinegar for Cleaning?
Both white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are excellent cleaners. However, in determining which one is better, a good answer would be it depends on the severity of the mess or the surfaces you want to clean.
White vinegar is slightly more acidic than apple cider vinegar. Thus, it’s a stronger cleaning agent than apple cider vinegar. However, apple cider vinegar is better for cleaning sensitive areas in the house due to its milder acetic properties. It also smells better than white vinegar.
How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Cleaning?
It’s time to wear your rubber gloves and start cleaning the house! Here’s how you can effectively use apple cider vinegar for cleaning.
Full Strength
You can use apple cider vinegar as it is. This means that you don’t need additional ingredients to use the solution. This is simply a high-powered and unadulterated solution with nothing to hold it back.
One-to-One
Unlike the full-strength method, the one-to-one method requires a combination of water and apple cider vinegar. It gives you a sweet spot between caution and power.
Diluted
This is the most popular method of using apple cider vinegar when cleaning the house. The diluted method requires a mixture of one cup of apple cider vinegar and one gallon of water. This method is used for sensitive surfaces.
Can You Use Apple Cider Vinegar to Clean the Kitchen?
You don’t need to buy a new cleaner whenever you want to clean your kitchen. Apple cider vinegar has antibacterial properties that make the sink fresh, clean, and bacteria-free. To try it yourself, use the one-to-one method to clean every surface in the kitchen, including the refrigerator, microwave, and countertops.
However, note that it is not ideal to use apple cider vinegar on marble or granite countertops. The acidity of the solution can damage the shine of the material. Use an all-natural stone cleaner instead.
Can You Use Apple Cider Vinegar to Clean the Toilet?
Apple cider vinegar is an all-around cleaner, so you can use it to clean your bathroom. Pour a diluted vinegar into a spray bottle, then spritz it in the toilet bowl. Leave the solution for about 15 minutes, scrub the toilet, and flush.
If the toilet is a mess, you can use the full-strength method. Just pour the apple cider vinegar straight into the bowl. Some homeowners like to add baking soda before scrubbing the toilet bowl.
Can You Use Apple Cider Vinegar to Clean Windows?
Let’s be honest. You don’t need a blue liquid to clean windows. Diluted apple cider vinegar does the job. Remove the dust from the windows and window sills by wiping them with a dry cloth. Then spritz apple cider vinegar and wipe it with a clean cloth.
Can You Unclog Drains with Apple Cider Vinegar?
You can definitely use apple cider vinegar to unclog the drain. However, you need baking soda to do the job perfectly. The power of a base and acid can solve clogging issues at home. Just pour at least ½ cup of baking soda into the clogged area (i.e., sink, toilet, etc.) After that, pour one cup of apple cider vinegar.
Wait until a chemical reaction happens. The apple cider vinegar and baking soda mixture in the drain will create a fizz and foam reaction. After around 15 minutes, pour boiling water down the drain.
Can You Wash Clothes with Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is a veritable powerhouse for removing stains from your clothes. As such, when washing clothes, apple cider vinegar is reliable. Here’s how you can use the solution to clean various types of fabric or clothing:
New Clothes
Most of us are used to using chemical-based laundry detergent to wash new clothes. However, these cleaners can be irritating to sensitive skin. As such, it is a lot safer to use apple cider vinegar. Simply soak your new clothing in a mixture of ½ cup of vinegar and 1 gallon of water. Rinse the clothes and wash them as usual.
Blanket
Add at least two cups of vinegar into the last rinse cycle when washing wool blankets or cotton. The solution will help remove soap residue and make the blankets fluffy and soft.
Special Fabric
If you have clothes made from delicate fabrics, washing them by hand and following the clothing’s care instructions is best. If you use the washing machine, add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the last rinse to eliminate soap residue.
Conclusion
Apple cider vinegar is a versatile cleaning agent with a plethora of cleaning uses. It’s surprising just thinking about how you can clean with apple cider vinegar around the house. It can clean the windows, bathrooms, kitchen, and even your gold jewelry.
Apple cider vinegar is a brilliant product and can be used as an alternative to store-bought abrasive cleaners. It is effective, safe, environmentally-friendly, and most of all, very affordable.
Just a warning, though – undiluted apple cider vinegar or vinegar, in general, can be damaging to certain surfaces. So, it’s best to dilute the solution well before using it for cleaning.
To learn what else you can use apple cider vinegar to clean in your home, read our article – “Can I Use Apple Cider Vinegar To Clean My Dishwasher?”
To learn what else apple cider vinegar can do for you besides cleaning, check out our article – What everyone needs to know about raw apple cider vinegar