How to clean with vinegar
I was originally looking for a product to clean my stainless steel refrigerator. I had put furniture polish (according to the geniuses on Pinterest) on my fridge. while it did keep hand prints to a minimum it did n’t do well when a drop of water fell on it. The water would cut the polish on the furniture and drip a huge drop onto the fridge. Not even that drop could be wiped away. Because it was waxed and the only way to get rid of it was to apply another coat of furniture polish. #neverhappens
So, as always, I was stuck with a stainless steel refrigerator with eternal water stains and drips with the occasional reapplication of furniture polish in desperation. I’ve tried just about everything out there to firstly get the furniture polish off my stainless fridge AND secondly keep it relatively shiny.
Then the clouds parted and I discovered how to clean stainless steel with Vinegar cleaner . Note: You’ll also need a microfiber cloth for the polishing part of this method because cotton doesn’t work as well and will leave streaks. More on that later. Right now I want to sing the praises of vinegar cleaning.
Here’s why Cleaning Vinegar is so amazing!
Basically, cleaning vinegar has 6% acidity, while regular vinegar has 5% acidity. This doesn’t seem to make much of a difference, however, that 1% bump in acidity really changes the cleaning power of the vinegar – making it somewhere in the neighborhood of 15-20% stronger! I think the added boost of cleaning power is what makes it ideal for keeping stainless steel so clean. It cuts right through those greasy hand prints. And, it’s still mild enough to handle without wearing gloves.
I wish I had some before photos to show you of my handprint/dripping stainless steel cooler, but {holla’} there aren’t any. #thankyoucleaning vinegar
However, I have this disgusting toaster oven that gets used a lot. It sits close to the stove so it has plenty of opportunities for greasy splatters and spots. I wipe it from time to time with soap and water, but the greasy stains remain.
I was recently introduced to Swedish dish cloths as another alternative for this process. I have found them to be particularly effective when heavier cleaning is called for. They are ideal for cleaning something like an oven door with food and oil splatters.
These unique sponge-like flattened sheets are super absorbent. Because of this, they allow you to distribute the vinegar evenly and avoid drips.
They also have a textured surface that makes cleaning up baked-on food stains a little easier. If used correctly, they won’t scratch your device, but will allow you to gently remove drops and splashes.
I’ve found the best way to use them is to put the vinegar cleaner on the Swedish dish towel and then apply it to the surface of the appliance. Wipe with a microfiber cloth following the instructions below.
Click the blue button below to learn more about Swedish dish cloths.
Kitchen and Bathroom
So once the stainless problem was solved (and it’s never coming back), I started using it cleaning vinegar and swedish dishtowel everywhere. Yes, I splash some on my stainless steel kitchen sink and it makes it so clean and shiny. I use this method to clean bathroom sinks, bathtubs, tile floors, mirrors, you name it. It even gets rid of hard water spots on the shower glass.
Cutting through grease
Cleaning vinegar is especially awesome at cutting grease. I found this out the hard way when I spilled an entire jar of ghee on my tiled floor. It was like the mistletoe wanted to marry the tile and stay together forever . Soap and water didn’t cut it, but a little cleaning vinegar made it all disappear—including the mistletoe that wanted to live forever in the grout.
Where to find Cleaning Vinegar
So, where do you find Cleaning Vinegar? I find mine in the vinegar aisle at Walmart. I actually started using Four Monks because I can pick it up at Walmart or order it online. And, I love the spray bottle. Spray some on a Swedish dishcloth and go to town.
Best of all, it’s cheap. I’m sure regular vinegar will give you similar results, but it will probably take a little more elbow grease – that’s why I use Cleaning Vinegar.
A word of caution – when cleaning with vinegar there are some Vinegar Don’ts.
Use white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar can stain!
Marble and granite are porous and can be eroded by acid such as vinegar . Instead, use a gentle cleaner specially formulated for stone to avoid corroding the surface.
Do not wash natural stone floor tiles with vinegar . The acidic nature of the vinegar could damage the stone.
Do not add vinegar to an egg stain . It can cause the egg to coagulate and make it more difficult to clean.
Do not mix bleach and vinegar . These two common cleaners should never be used at the same time as they will emit toxic fumes.
Do not use vinegar to clean your smartphone and laptop screens . Both have a thin layer of oleophobic coating that limits fingerprints and smudges, and acidic vinegar can remove this coating, exposing the layers below.