clockwork 0 Report post Posted May 19, 2009 I love vinegar. Don't get me wrong. It's as close to a miracle cleaner as anything I've ever found. But sometimes, people go a little far in their expectations of vinegars abilities. Believe it or not, there are a few things that vinegar should not be used to clean. Answer: Diluted vinegar works great on a lot of surfaces. It's an amazing cleaner. But here are some things that vinegar shouldn't be used to clean... 1. Hardwood Floors-Vinegar is acidic and will dull and damage the finish on hardwood floors. Opt instead for a hardwood floor cleaner that will enhance and protect the shine and surface of your floor. 2. No Wax Floors- Vinegar's acidity will take away the shine and sheen here as well. 3. Carpet Odors- Often vinegar is suggested to be used on pet stains on carpet, but it doesn't work as well as an enzymatic carpet cleaner. Vinegar might mask the odor, but it won't eliminate the reason for the odor. 4. Unsealed Grout- Grout that hasn't been sealed, or needs to be resealed should not have vinegar used on it. Over time, vinegar can deteriorate the condition of your grout. 5. Stone Surfaces- Stone surfaces can be etched and damaged by vinegar. For best results check with your stone supplier for guidance on vinegar and the best cleaners. Often, all that is needed is water and a soft cloth to keep your stone looking great. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cheap Grease Remover Grease build up on the stovetop or counter top can be a bear to remove – unless you’re using the right cleaner. So what is the right cleaner? Vinegar! Just soak a sponge or rag in vinegar, and use it to wipe down the greasy surface. It’ll cut through the grease and grime in one easy step. Why This Works The acetic acid in vinegar eats through the grease, saving you scrubbing time and frustrations. Benefits of Cleaning with Vinegar inexpensive no harsh chemicals or fumes safe for most surfaces safe for use around pets and kids Warnings 1) Do not use on marble 2) Test on a small area before using on finished wood surfaces or tile 3) As with any cleaner, you should avoid all contact with the eyes and prolonged contact with the skin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner Cleaners don't have to be pricey or chemical-laden to be effective. In fact, they don't even have to be store-bought. Create your own all-purpose cleaner by filling a spray bottle with equal parts white vinegar and water. Then, shake up the mixture, and you're ready for your next cleaning spree. Why This Works The acetic acid in vinegar kills viruses, germs, bacteria and mold. It also dissolves tough mineral deposits and stains like those found in sinks, toilets and tubs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Microwave Oven Cleaning Made Easy Tired of battling all of the baked on food in your microwave? Well, guess what? You can finally put away all of the cleaners and elbow grease. Vinegar is the answer ! Just fill a microwave-safe bowl with a mixture of half vinegar and half water, and nuke it for two minutes. Then, dip a sponge into the vinegar-water solution, and use it to wipe the food off of the walls of the microwave. It'll fall right off – no strong-arming required. Why This Works Heating the vinegar and water steams all of the food off, while the acetic acid in the vinegar sanitizes and deodorizes your microwave. Think of it as science at its frugal best. Warnings 1) The vinegar-water solution will be very hot after heating. Wear gloves to protect your hands. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Homemade Stainless Steel Cleaner Fed up with fingerprints on your stainless steel appliances? Skip the pricey stainless steel cleaners, and head to your pantry for an easy fix: What You Need: White vinegar An empty spray bottle A cleaning cloth What You Do: Fill a spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar. Then, spray on all of your stainless steel surfaces, and wipe dry with a soft cleaning cloth. Simple and effective! Why This Works: The acetic acid in the vinegar cuts through the oil left behind by fingertips, rather than smearing it around like a lot of other cleaners. Warnings: 1) Do not reuse empty cleaner bottles. Buy a new bottle to use for your vinegar spray 2) As with any cleaner, you should avoid all contact with the eyes and prolonged contact with the skin 3) Keep out of the reach of children Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
