You won’t find it in the baking aisle of your local grocery store, but cleaning vinegar should be a staple for any household that likes to use nontoxic, homemade cleaning solutions.
Read on to learn why cleaning vinegar is great to have in the home, and why it makes a powerful, all-natural DIY cleaning solution.
First, What Is Vinegar?
Vinegar is mostly water, but the active ingredient is acetic acid, which is a natural byproduct of the fermentation process.
The normal distilled white vinegar we use in cooking, pickling, and to make DIY all-purpose cleaner, is composed of 5% acetic acid and 95% water. It’s this gentle acidity that makes household vinegar great for cleaning household surfaces.
So, What Is White Vinegar vs. Cleaning Vinegar?
At 6% acetic acid, cleaning vinegar is stronger than the distilled white vinegar you’re already familiar with.
That 1% higher acetic acid content may not seem too different from the distilled white vinegar millions of Americans already use as a natural cleaning product. However, there are three important differences: 1) cleaning vinegar is more potent, 2) it can’t be ingested or used in cooking, and 3) it’s not recommended for natural stone or metal surfaces.
Where You Can Find Cleaning Vinegar
Because it’s not made for human consumption, cleaning vinegar will be in the “cleaning supplies” aisle of your local grocery store. If they don’t carry it, box stores like Walmart, The Home Depot, and Lowe’s, or maybe your local mom-and-pop hardware store, will have it. It can also be ordered online.
When to Use Cleaning Vinegar Over White Vinegar
Homeowners who love nontoxic products love using white vinegar to make DIY all-purpose cleaners. And why not? It’s free of toxins like dyes or artificial ingredients, and cleans surfaces while protecting indoor air quality. So, when should you swap white vinegar for its cleaning powerhouse cousin? Here’s when you should make your cleaning solution with cleaning vinegar:
- When tackling tough messes. A natural cleaning solution made specifically from cleaning vinegar does a better job of cutting grime, grease, soap scum, and hard water stains.
- In the bathroom. Cleaning vinegar is a superior product for attacking dirty showers, tubs, toilets, and the occasional moldy bathroom drywall.
- When you spot mold. For treating mold, it’s best to use cleaning vinegar in its undiluted form. (That is, use it straight out of the bottle without adding water to it.) Spray the cleaning vinegar directly onto the moldy surface and let it sit for an hour or so before scouring clean.
- On laundry day. Cleaning vinegar makes a great laundry additive for whitening, removing odors, and fighting static.
What Not to Clean with Vinegar
Cleaning vinegar is great for toilets, tubs, and sinks, but its higher acidity makes it likely to damage certain surfaces.
These include natural stone and metal surfaces, including marble, granite, limestone, hardwood floors, knives, cast iron or aluminum cookware. It’s also bad for computer and TV screens.
Your New Go-To Homemade Vinegar Cleaner Recipe
To make your own extra-powerful all-natural cleaning solution with cleaning vinegar, you can follow this general vinegar cleaner recipe:
- Fill a spray bottle with one part cleaning vinegar and two parts water.
- Optional: add a squirt of dye-free dish soap.
- Optional: add a drop or three of your favorite essential oil, if you prefer, to give it a friendly scent.
We recommend wearing rubber gloves when using this vinegar cleaning spray, as well as opening windows and turning on bathroom or kitchen fans to help vent the smell.
Also, be sure to store the remaining cleaning vinegar in a place where it would not be confused with regular distilled white vinegar. If you store it in the kitchen, put it under the sink with other cleaning materials, rather than in the pantry.
The Best Heavy-Duty Cleaner Is The Cleaning Authority
Adding a homemade cleaning vinegar solution to your house cleaning arsenal is a great idea. But for cleaning of your home where:
- Satisfaction is guaranteed
- Cleaning experts use a time-tested Detail-Clean Rotation System®
- And environmentally responsible and sustainable cleaning products are always on hand …
Get a free estimate or call (888) 658-0659 today.