5 Easy Ways to Use It in Your Home
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Why Vinegar is a Thrifty Cleaning Superpower
Are you tired of spending too much on cleaning products that barely work? Distilled vinegar has been my go-to thrifty miracle in my cleaning routine for many years. It’s natural, safe, and versatile enough to replace dozens of pricey sprays, wipes, and other store-bought products, all while saving you money and reducing toxin overload in your home.
White vinegar is simply grain alcohol fermented into acetic acid (around 5–6%). That mild acidity dissolves grime, deodorises, and breaks down build-up, giving you sparkling surfaces for a fraction of the cost.
💡 Pro Tip: “Cleaning vinegar” is slightly stronger (6% acid vs 5%), but since you’ll dilute it anyway, go with whichever is more affordable.
What Makes It So Cost-Effective
A $6 gallon of vinegar lasts me months. Compare that to the $10 bottles of fancy floor cleaner that disappear in weeks, and it’s clear why vinegar earns its keep in a thrifty household.
✨ 5 Smart Ways to Clean With Vinegar
1. Sparkling Windows & Blinds
Forget streaky sprays. Blend vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio in a spray bottle, then spritz your windows, mirrors, or sills. Wipe with a paper towel, a clean cotton rag, or paper for that streak-free shine. For a deeper clean, swipe across your blinds or window tracks; it cuts dust and leaves everything deodorised and fresh.
2. Dust & Deodorise Surfaces
Lightly mist a dry cloth with your vinegar mix to dust shelves, counters, and sticky kid zones. It lifts fingerprints, neutralises musty smells, and freshens the air in seconds.
3. Mop Hard Floors
For tile or vinyl floors, add ½ cup of vinegar to a bucket of warm water or your spray mop (I personally use a spray bottle). Avoid using it on wood or natural stone — vinegar’s acidity can dull those finishes over time.
In a bucket, add ½ cup of vinegar and warm water or use a spray mop. Avoid hardwood or natural stone (vinegar’s acidity can damage finishes).
4. Refresh Sinks, Faucets & Showerheads
Soak clogged showerheads or faucets in a 1:1 vinegar-water mix for 20 minutes to dissolve build-up. If any limescale or soap build-up is still clinging on, sprinkle a bit of baking soda over the area. Let it fizz for a minute or two, then rinse. It’s the old-fashioned trick that still works wonders.
5. Descale Your Coffee Maker & Carafe
Run a vinegar-water cycle through your coffee maker to remove mineral deposits (scale). If your carafe has gone cloudy, fill it with the same solution, leave it to soak for about 20 minutes, then give it a gentle wash and it’s good as new.
Pro Tip: You can also soak the carafe in the same mix for 20 minutes before washing.
DIY All-Purpose Vinegar Cleaner
Ingredients:
- 1 part white vinegar
- 1 part water
- 1 tablespoon mild dish soap
- Optional: citrus peels or herbs for scent (lemon, rosemary, pine, eucalyptus)
Instructions:
Add the mixture to your favourite spray bottle. Before each use, give it a shake, and you’re ready to clean just about everything. For an all-natural fragrance, infuse a jar full of vinegar with citrus peels or pine sprigs for 3–4 weeks before mixing.
Get Fancy!
You can get fancy with your vinegar solution. I often fill a jar with leftover lemon, orange, or lime peels, add distilled white vinegar, and let it sit under the counter for 3-4 weeks, or longer if you like.
In the photo below, I snipped some of my Christmas Tree branches before we tossed it out, and after about 5 weeks of letting it sit in vinegar, I was left with a delicious pine & citrus-scented vinegar! You could do this with a ton of natural items, such as;
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Other types of Balsam or Pine Tree
- Eucalyptus Tree
- Rosemary Sprigs
- Thyme
- Basil
- All citrus peels… grapefruit would be incredible to try!
The list is endless, and it’s a beautiful way to turn kitchen scraps into something useful and naturally fragrant.
⚠️ Where Not to Use Vinegar
- Natural stone (granite, marble, quartz)
- Finished hardwood
- Electronics or screens (I’ve personally done this without any issue)
- Rubber seals in appliances (dishwasher, washing machine)
- Never mix with bleach, ammonia or harsh chemicals
Final Thrifty Tip
Once you start cleaning with vinegar, you’ll realise how many products you can stop buying. It’s practical, eco-friendly, and part of a long line of home-grown wisdom that’s been working for generations.
Free Printable
Grab your Vinegar Cleaning Cheat Sheet — a 1-page guide with five uses, safe surfaces, and a simple DIY recipe you can keep on hand.