Cleaning With Vinegar

Vinegar gets such a bad rep. Sure, it tastes funny, smells horrid and you're still blaming it for that bad malted fish recipe you tried last summer. Chances are, though, you've rarely considered vinegar beyond the occasional salad dressing, and I can almost guarantee you've never wiped your fridge down with the solution.

Until now, of course. Vinegar is a fantastic all-natural cleaning agent for surfaces galore in your home. I've made a list of my favorite problem areas that can be solved using vinegar alone. You (and your grocery bill!) can thank me when you find yourself replacing multiple cleaning supplies with just one ingredient: vin aigre.

Note: Surprisingly, cleaning with vinegar doesn't leave the bold, salty stench. Once you wipe a surface clean, the vinegar odor disintegrates into a sweet, fresh smell.

1. To remove soap buildup and odors from the dishwasher, pour a cup of white distilled vinegar inside the empty machine and run it through one 'rinse' cycle. Repeat this monthly.

2. Banish lime deposits in a tea kettle by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the water and letting it sit overnight. If the deposits are still in tact, boil another 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar in the kettle for a few minutes, let cool and rinse with plain water.

3. To remove a label or price tag, cover the adhesive with a cloth soaked in white distilled vinegar. Leave the cloth on overnight and the label will slide off by morning!

4. Get rid of mildew and soap scum from the tub or shower by wiping the surface with undiluted white distilled vinegar. Rinse with water.

5. To deodorize the toilet, pour three cups of white distilled vinegar into the bowl and let sit for about a half hour before flushing.

6. To remove paint from windows, doors or glass, try using hot undiluted, white distilled vinegar. Give the solution time to soften the paint before removing with a razor edge tool.

7. To clean and disinfect baby or pet toys add a generous splash of white distilled vinegar to soapy water.

8. Clean sticky scissors with a white distilled vinegar-soaked cloth.

9. Clean the grill by spraying white distilled vinegar over crumpled aluminum foil and scrubbing the grill vigorously with the foil.

10. Clean and deodorize counter tops with a cloth soaked in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

Presto! One solution used ten simple ways. For more cleaning tips and easy-to-mix cleaning agents using vinegar as a base, check out these great tips.