White vinegar is one of the most overlooked household marvels. Most of us purchase boat-loads of specialty products for cleaning, stain removal, etc., when the REAL solution is sitting right in our kitchen cabinet! White vinegar is an all natural solution for accomplishing SO MANY things at home. I was shocked when I discovered some of these household uses for vinegar, so much so that I put together a handy little guide including 10 of my all time favorite uses!
White vinegar for sticker (and goo) removal…
Remove pesky stickers and glue from just about anything by dabbing with full strength white vinegar. Allow the vinegar to sit on the sticker or glue for about a minute, then simply scrape off!
White vinegar for cleaning silver jewelry…
Give your silver jewelry (and silverware!) a deep cleaning using white vinegar! Mix up 1/2 cup white vinegar with 2 tbsp. of baking soda, soak silver for up to 3 hours until desired shine is reached. Rinse silver in cold water after soaking!
White vinegar for unclogging & deodorizing drains…
White vinegar is far gentler on your drains than harsh chemical products, and it’s just as effective! To unclog and deodorize your stink or tub drain, use a funnel to pour 1/2 cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of white vinegar into the drain. The mixture will foam up, run hot water into the drain when foaming begins to slow down, flush with cold water after a couple minutes. This technique will clear any blockages in the drain and kill odor-causing bacteria.
White vinegar for removing mildew stains…
Bathrooms and other damp areas are notorious for harboring bacteria along with unsightly mildew stains. Clean up mildew stains by wiping down the surface with full strength white vinegar!
TIP– You can prevent mildew growth from forming under bathroom rugs by misting their backsides with white vinegar, using a spray bottle.
White vinegar to polish brass and copper…
There are tons of products on the market for polishing brass and copper, but one of the most effective products is actually white vinegar! Make a paste of equal parts vinegar and salt (or vinegar and baking soda), then apply to the brass or copper using a cloth or paper towel. The vinegar will buff the shine right back into your piece!
White vinegar to remove candle wax…
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve left candles too long and ended up spending the night scraping wax off table tops! I wish I’d known vinegar would remove wax a long time ago! Blot up hot wax using paper towels, or use a blow dryer to heat it up again (then blot), clean the stuck-on wax by dampening with white vinegar. Allow a damp cloth to sit on the wax for 5 minutes, then simply wipe clean!
White vinegar to remove water stains…
Water rings are notorious for making their mark on our fine wood furniture! Remove water rings and stains by mixing up equal parts white vinegar and olive oil. Buff the vinegar mixture over the water ring using a cloth and watch it vanish!
White vinegar for polishing stainless steel appliances…
Mist a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water over stainless steel appliances to clean and buff out grease and fingerprints!
White vinegar for cleaning blinds and windows…
You know that oily dust that’s constantly building up on your blinds? Banish it using white vinegar! Put on a white cotton glove, then dip your fingers in white finger, run your fingers across the blinds and watch the dust lift off instantly! The white vinegar mixture will also help to slow the dust build up, making cleanings far less frequent!
White vinegar to clean hard water stains from glasses…
You just ran them through the dishwasher, and the glasses still look foggy! Try adding 1/4 cup of white vinegar to your dishwashers rinse cycle, your glasses should come out sparkling! If you have hard water stains on glasses that have been building up for a while, try soaking them for 15-20 minutes in equal parts white vinegar and water. After soaking, use a brush to easily scrub out the pesky hard water stains!
I hope you all enjoy these white vinegar uses as much as I did! Do you have a surprising use for white vinegar? I’d love to hear! Share your white vinegar tips below!
Love your info and decorating ideas, old is better ,like me . I remember cleaning with my grandmother and she always used vinegar. Do you have newsletter or web site I can see new info and ideas ?
Hi Mary,
You’re right, there’s nothing like those old tips and tricks! You can subscribe to Picklee’s newsletter by selecting the following link and entering your email address.
Best,
Jordan
I’m so excited about the vinegar to clean jewelry! I tried it today and results were amazing! Thanks soo much =D
I was excited about this one too! I wish I had known this years ago, before all the jewelry cleaning products I purchased!
Be aware, the vinegar actually removes a very thin layer of the metal, so the more you use it on gold, sterling silver, etc, you are thinning the metal down. This applies to the retail tarnish removers too.
I use vinegar & water to soak jars/vases that have a mineral buildup from rooting house plants (such as wandering jew, airplane plant, philodendrum, swedish ivy, etc.) The strength depends on the buildup; but usually ½ and ½.
It’s also great for cleaning the pet’s water bowls! Just soak until they’re clean (usually overnight). Spray it & let it sit a while on faucets & drains to remove deposits.
Vinegar is also great for cleaning all kinds of surfaces.
Spray them on weeds & see them die!
Use a bit on your hair after shampooing, it will give it shine & be less apt to tangle. (The smell will disappear fairly quickly.)