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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Using Vinegar to clean?

20 replies

Cosmosis · 08/04/2009 10:35

I've seen this mentioned several times, but am curious as to how you actually use it - do you dilute in water, use neat? or what? Doesn't it smell?

Help the clueless please

OP posts:
belgo · 08/04/2009 10:39

I use white vinegar for some cleaning. I use it neat, it's very good for getting rid of limescale. It can also be mixed neat with sodium bicarconate - it fisses - and you can use that to clean the sink. It is smelly, but I don't mind the smell. My dh can't stand the smell.

JimmyMcNulty · 08/04/2009 10:54

Is this the transparent malt vinegar that you put on chips? I've heard of using vinegar but can't seem to find anything called white vinegar, except white wine vinegar which seems a bit nice to scrub on taps!

shinyshoes · 08/04/2009 10:57

regular malt vinegar (that you put on chips) cleans glass and plastic doors.

I used to work in a chippy years ago and that's waht we cleaned the cabinets with. Brilliantly shiny.
don't see why it wouldnt work on taps,

MrsTittleMouse · 08/04/2009 10:59

I use white vinegar too - just looked at the lable and it's called distilled malt vinegar. I soak cotton wool in it and attach it to the taps to dissolve the limescale, I scrub the bathroom tiles with neat vinegar to get rid of limescale. Can you tell the I'm a bit obsessed with limescale? DH makes his own kitchen cleaner too - water, vinegar and washing up liquid.

dittany · 08/04/2009 11:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Cosmosis · 08/04/2009 11:06

Brilliant, thanks for all the ideas!

OP posts:
AnnieLobePassoverSeder · 09/04/2009 15:10

I clean my entire house with a spray bottle made up with a generous glug of vinegar (maybe 1/4 of the bottle), a good squirt of eco washing-up liquid, a splash of bleach, a couple of drops of lavender/tea tree oil and fill to the top with water.

It cleans everything brilliantly.

gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 15:13

use white vinegar in the dishwasher instead of rinse aid. glasses sparkling

Tangle · 09/04/2009 15:55

Please Please PLEASE don't mix bleach with acid (ie vinegar) - the reaction between the two will release chlorine gas, and if you're exposed to chlorine at a sufficiently high concentration you'll get chemical burns on the mucous membranes exposed (so your lungs and eyes, amongst others).

Seriously, its not worth the risk.

belgo · 09/04/2009 16:24

that's interesting Tangle.

Tangle · 09/04/2009 17:01

hmmm - in the abstract. But get a really high concentration and your lungs will be burnt away. And hospitals aren't much use to you once that's happened.

bronze · 09/04/2009 17:03

half and half with water is great for thinks like pee and sick smells.

gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 17:03

thanks tangle, i never knew that.
these cleaning shows are always harping on about vinegar as well, surprised there are not more accidents.
will keep your tip in mind

Countingthegreyhairs · 09/04/2009 17:29

Um I use clear vinegar (looks like water or vodka) but I don't live in UK and am not sure what is in the shops ...

Anyway, it's sold on the continent in huge plastic bottles. It's brilliant for cleaning windows (put a dollop in rinse water to get rid of soap and to add shine), making your wine glasses sparkly, declogging kettles and irons of limescale, shining tiles in bathrooms for same reason and also very good to add to last rinse for wool wash to brightening colour, maintain softness and eliminate soap residues.

Every so often I run my washing machine and dishwasher empty on their highest temperature settings and fill the detergent receptacles with full strength white vinegar and it gets rid of all the claggy soap and limescale and musty smells that can sometimes build up.

You kind of get to know how much to dilute by trial and error but it's not harmful at full strength.

Oh & I also use it as a mild, natural disinfectant as an alternative to dilute bleach when cleaning out pet cages ...

As you can tell, I love the stuff ...

Countingthegreyhairs · 09/04/2009 17:32

When I was young, my ma used to add some malt vinegar to the water when she rinsed my hair as well - it makes it all shiny

runningmonkey · 09/04/2009 17:37

I have just become a convert after moving into a new but v dirty house - soaked a minging shower head in 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 hot water for a couple of ours - limescale and grot all gone, looks like new.

Also put a glug in the washing machine in the fabric softener drawer - the washing comes out really soft, not smelling of vinegar at all and the bonus is the washing machine even looks clean.

Am sure the local supermarket think I'm mental as I bought 6 bottles at once (they only do small ones!) It is the distilled malt vinegar.

Also good for descaling kettle and irons too.

I'm such a saddo

runningmonkey · 09/04/2009 17:37

oh dear, hours not ours!

pointydog · 09/04/2009 17:49

I put a capful or two in water and use to clean mirrors and windows

MrsTittleMouse · 10/04/2009 11:43

I do a hot wash with a ball full of vinegar to clean our washing machine occasionally. I've never tried it in the conditioner drawer though - that's a really good idea!

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