Vinegar is one of the most widely used agents when it comes to home cleaning. Being an all-natural cleaner, it can be safely applied to many house areas without any risk of harming children or pets. Still, there are some spots where it is better to avoid using it.
Even though there are dependable services in Rittenhouse Square, Philly that offer professional house cleaning, you can also tackle these tasks on your own with vinegar as your ally. Read along to discover the dos and don’ts of vinegar cleaning!
Can you clean everything with vinegar?
While vinegar should be avoided on some surfaces, you can safely clean many surfaces throughout your home with it. Mix it with water (a 50/50 ratio is a good rule of thumb), and your solution is ready to use. You can also use it undiluted, depending on the situation. Here are some of the many things you can do with vinegar:
- Stainless steel – simply dampen a cloth with vinegar to remove water stains or mild fingerprints. You can also work some oil to make your stainless steel shine.
- Showerhead – submerge the showerhead into a plastic bag filled with undiluted vinegar and secure the bag using a rubber band. Leave it overnight and use a soft toothbrush to gently scrub. This will remove lime and scum.
- Toilet bowl – pour vinegar into the bowl and leave for an hour, then scrub and flush. This will remove the hard-water build-up.
- Hard-water stains – use a clean cloth to rub your glassware with undiluted vinegar.
- Windows and mirrors – mix equal parts of vinegar and water and your cleaner is ready to make your glass surfaces spot-free.
- Bath toys – fill a large bowl or a bucket with warm water and add 1/2 cup vinegar per gallon of water. Soak the toys and let sit for about 10 minutes. Rub gently and let dry. This will remove bacteria and mildew. For heavier-duty smudges/stains, try mixing a splash of dish soap into the cleaning solution.
- Stains on shoes – dampen a cloth with the vinegar solution and rub your shoes down; then wipe promptly with a dry cloth. Vinegar removes the stains caused by rain or salt. While vinegar is safe for most shoe materials, use caution not to overly dampen leather shoes; vinegar is not ideal for use on worn or especially delicate materials, nor on colors of intense hue saturation.
What should you not use vinegar on?
Vinegar is acidic and can cause damage to some surfaces. These are the things you should not clean with vinegar:
- Don’t use it to clean natural stones like marble and granite. It can cause etching.
- Don’t use it on upholstery before previously testing its effect on a less prominent area.
- Don’t use it to clean egg spills. Eggs will coagulate due to vinegar’s acidity, which will make the spill even more difficult to clean.
- Don’t mix it with bleach because it results in a toxic vapor.
Why should vinegar not be used to clean hardwood floors?
Although vinegar may appear effective at maintaining wooden surfaces, using it on wooden floors can damage the seal of your floor, especially if used in larger quantities. This will result in making the surface susceptible to further damage, which is why it is best to avoid using vinegar with hardwood floors.
Where to find dependable house cleaning service in Rittenhouse Square, Philly?
Rather than spending your time on house chores, you can take a relaxing stroll in the lovely Schuylkill River Trail while EverGreen Maids takes care of all your cleaning tasks. Thanks to our trained, insured and bonded technicians, we are always ready to provide reliable cleaning services along with best customer care. Give us a call today to schedule your first appointment and discover why we are the cleaning company you can trust!
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