18 Vinegar Cleaning Hacks That’ll Save You Money

Family Handyman

Clean rusty tools

There’s a much easier way to clean rusty tools than scraping and sanding them. Just pour white vinegar into a tin (or glass) can and put your rusty wood chisel in the vinegar to soak overnight. The next day, with the help of a Scotch-Brite pad, the rust should come off with little effort.

For larger tools, wrap them in a vinegar-soaked rag and leave it in a plastic bag for 24 hours. After cleaning off the rust, just rinse the tool in clear water and wipe dry.

(Related: 15 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do with Baby Shampoo)

Get rid of salt residue on shoes

You can clean off the residue quickly with a simple solution that you can make at home. Fill a spray bottle with water and add a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar. Shake it up a bit and spritz the mixture onto a clean paper towel. Gently wipe your shoes and watch the salt residue disappear. Just make sure to keep the spray bottle near your shoe collection so you can clean off your shoes throughout the winter months.

(Related: 7 Shoe Mistakes You’re Making That Hurt Your Feet)

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Disinfect your home

Try using this homemade cleaner on countertops and surfaces to disinfect and freshen your home. This homemade cleaning solution recipe includes vinegar, which removes stains and odours, and anti-microbial essential oils to keep your home germ-free. And if you’re a germaphobe, never share these 12 items.

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Clean lawn equipment

I like to keep my lawn equipment really clean. For items like my string trimmer, I simply scrub off all the muck with an old dish brush and white vinegar. It takes about 15 minutes for my string trimmer to go from drab to fab!

(Related: How to Survive Allergy Season in Canada)

DIY gnat trap

Tired of the annoying gnats around your home? Gather a few small jars and pour in 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and whirl in a few drops of liquid dish soap. With the lids off, place the jars wherever you see the most gnats. The gnats will be drawn to the smell of the apple cider, but once they land in the mixture, the soap makes it difficult for them to escape. These non-toxic traps work like a dream.

Have some bug bites? Try one of these natural home remedies to get relief.

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Make glassware sparkle

Use vinegar in your dishwasher to give your glassware an extra sparkle and prevent filmy residue from hard water. To give this trick a whirl, make sure your dishwasher is completely full—the best and most environmentally conscious way to go—then place a small bowl that’s half full of white vinegar. Make sure the bowl is dishwasher-safe, and stabilize it in the top rack. To avoid any possible damage to the dishwasher’s gaskets, don’t pour the vinegar directly into the rinse aid compartment.

Then add dishwasher soap and run a regular cycle. From its top-tier position, the vinegar should evenly distribute among both levels. Then remove and enjoy your gleaming glassware. Plus, here’s how often you should be washing your dish towels.

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Erase algae 

Forget renting a power washer! All you need to get rid of that unwanted icky green stuff on your patio is to spray it with full-strength distilled white vinegar.

(Related: How You Should Be Cleaning Your Dutch Oven)

Thin wood glue

I recently wrote to the Borden company, asking what to do when their Elmer’s wood glue gets too thick to use. They wrote me back and suggested mixing in a drop or two of vinegar. It sounded like an old wives’ tale, but I tried it and found it really works!

(Related: You Need This Pantry Staple to Properly Clean Your Coffee Maker)

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Cut through soap scum

Industrial soft scrub cleaners can contain strong chemical ingredients, but you can get your tub and shower just as clean with a homemade cleaner. This simple soft scrub recipe will clean a bathroom faster and better and uses a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, which will dissolve hard mineral deposits and easily cut through soap scum.

(Related: How to Clean Your Yoga Mat the Right Way)

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Turn pink hydrangeas blue 

Unlike baking soda, distilled white vinegar is acidic, and acidic soil is the secret to turning your pink hydrangeas blue. (Note: This doesn’t work on white hydrangeas.) Vinegar also enhances the soil of acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons and gardenias. Use a cup of white distilled vinegar to a gallon of tap water.

(Related: 11 Important Single-Use Plastic Swaps to Make for 2021)

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Vinaigrette scratch remover

Minor scratches in wood furniture don’t need to be sanded out; you can hide them. Mix one-part vinegar with three-parts canola or olive oil and wipe it on the scratch using a soft cloth. The scratch virtually disappears.

(Related: 11 Cleaning Tips Every Dog or Cat Owner Should Know)

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Natural toilet bowl cleaner

Many commercial toilet bowl cleaners use chlorine bleach, but not this natural toilet bowl cleaner. Instead, castile soap and baking soda get the job done. Plus, you won’t have to worry about accidentally exposing your pets or children to toxic toilet water. By the way, these everyday items are dirtier than your toilet seat!

Family Handyman

DIY indoor fly trap

Wonder how to get rid of annoying flies around your home? Wash a plastic beverage bottle and cut off the top. Stick the cutoff top upside down in the bottle’s bottom. Mark a line slightly below the bottle’s spout. This will serve as a “fill to” line. Fill with apple chunks, the riper the better, and 2 cups of white vinegar to deter bees from the trap. Place the cutoff top upside down in the bottle. Flies can easily get into the wide opening, but it’s difficult for them to get back out.

Note that the better the bait, the more effective these fly traps will be. Any type of decomposing fruit or vegetable will work, too. Try different ingredients to see what’s most effective in your house. Because you are using rotting food to attract and trap the flies, make sure to place the homemade fly trap in a place where the smell won’t bother you or the neighbours.

(Related: Here’s How to Get the Sweat Smell Out of Workout Clothes)

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All-purpose cleaner

Skip the expensive store-bought surface cleaners and make an all-purpose homemade cleaning solution using vinegar. Just mix one part distilled white vinegar, two parts water and a squeeze of lemon juice. This homemade cleaner works in the kitchen, bathroom and on floors. You can even add a little baking soda to help whiten grout and sinks, but just rinse with water after scrubbing.

Psst: Here’s how to properly clean your oven without harsh chemicals.

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Buff away fingerprints

Forget using chemical cleaners to wash windows. They’ll look clean as a whistle with this all-natural homemade window cleaner, which uses vinegar and cornstarch to buff those fingerprints away.

DIY wood stain

No need to buy a stain for your next woodworking project. It only takes a few common household ingredients: steel wool, coffee grounds and vinegar. Place a steel wool pad into a mason jar and add about 1/4 cup of used coffee grounds and about 1 to 2 cups of vinegar. Close the container, shake the mixture, and let it stew overnight. Open the container and gently mix the stain. Using gloves, remove the steel wool and apply the stain to the project. As the stain dries it will become darker, so let the stain set for 20 minutes before applying the second coat. Repeat until you get the desired colour.

(Related: 10 Changes You Can Make For a Healthier Home)

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Old-school remedy for wood floors

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Remove grease

Vinegar cuts grease and doesn’t streak which makes it ideal for cleaning glass. We recommend a solution of 50 percent white vinegar and 50 percent tap water.

Now that you know about these vinegar cleaning hacks, here is the best loungewear to wear at home.