Home cleaning solutions - with more uses of distilled white vinegar, lemons, baking soda

More Ideas On The Use's Of Vinegar

Vinegar is a wonderful easy solution to many problems around the home but it is also useful for more then just environmentally friendly cleaning.

Having been using vinegar in my home as a cheaper option to chemical cleaners, I am always on the look out for other ways to use this great safe option. The following are some great ideas and uses for vinegar that I didn’t include in a previous post. Hope you find them useful.

1. Pest Control

A useful tip for vinegar, especially during the spring and summer months, is a form of pest control. By spraying undiluted white distilled Vinegar outside your doors and windows and other appliance you will create a natural barrier against ants and other small insects.

2. Control Weeds

To kill weeds and grass growing though your concrete walkway or drive, spray with undiluted white Vinegar.

3. Clean And Sanitize Hands

Remove the smell of onion and the stain of berries from your hands by rubbing them with white distilled Vinegar. Vinegar is also consider a disinfectant so you are also removing any germs and the like a the same time.

4. Soothe insects bites

Have no sting gone in the medicine cabinet? Use White distilled Vinegar dabbed onto a cotton ball for a natural remedy to insect bites and stings

5. Dental Care

Stop Bad breath and whiten teeth by brushing a couple of times a week with white distilled Vinegar

6. Nail polish

Interesting fact, if you use a cotton ball dipped with white distilled Vinegar and wipes it over your fingernails before applying nail polish; your colour will last longer, with less chipping.

7. Washing The Car

Washing your car? Throw in some white distilled vinegar into the bucket of a crisp extra shine

8. Extend The Life Of Your Flowers

Prolong the life of your flowers in vases. Add Two teaspoons of Vinegar and three teaspoons of sugar per quart of warm water

7. Deodorize

Deodorize a room, by placing a small bowl of vinegar in the corner of the room, great for smoke filled rooms or helping clear paint fumes quicker.

8. Oven Cleaning

After cleaning out your oven, wipe with a clean cloth dipped in a mix of equal parts white distilled Vinegar and water. This will help prevent grease build up, making it easier to clean next time.

9. Hair Care

Dandruff? Not a problem Vinegar will help with this too. After shampooing your hair like normal. Rinse it with Vinegar and rinse out with 2 cups of warm water.

10. Cat Repellent    

To keep a cat of window sills, or from any other surfacing like scratching your leather sofa. Spray undiluted White distilled Vinegar onto the site; your cat will hate the smell. Also test for colour fade first, some fabrics may discolour slightly.

11. Cleaning Taps 

remove soap grime around taps and faucet using 1 part salt to 3 parts white distilled vinegar

12. Deodorize toilet

Deodorize toilet bowl by leaving 3 cups to sit it in if for about 40 minutes before flushing

13. Kill fleas

Kill fleas by adding a little white distilled vinegar to your cat or dogs drinking water

14. Remove warts

Remove warts by making a lotion made out of half cider vinegar and half glycerine, apply daily till warts disappear

15. Carpet Cleaning

Remove oily stains from carpets, using a mixture of I teaspoon of liquid detergent teaspoon of distilled vinegar in a pint of lukewarm water, Apply with a soft brush or towel and rub gently. Rinse with a fresh towel and blot dry. Repeat until stain is gone.

Note; this should be done as quickly as the stain appears for best results

Uses for lemons

I find lemons are great in cleaning, and in health. But the below are just are few interesting ideas that you may not know.

1. Fridge Hygiene

Half a lemon stored in an out of the way part of your fridge will help control unpleasant odours.

2. Lighten Hair

To lighten hair dampen with lemon juice and sit out in the sun for an hour

3. Lemons And First Aid

Lemon juice can be used on small wounds to help stop bleeding and disinfect. It’s also said to be good on, itches; rashes insect stings (wasp) relive discomfort.

4. Lemons Instead Of Moth Balls

Lemon peels left to dry out make a great natural alternative to moth balls simply toss the dried peels into a clothes chest or tie in cheesecloth or similar material and hang in wardrobe.

5. Lime And Rust

Although not lemon I thought I would add this last one anyway. To remove rust, cover with salt Squeeze a Lime over the salt until thoroughly wet, leave for a few hours then scrub down with the left over Lime rind.

6. Use Lemon With Vinegar

Add a small of amount of lemon juice to vinegar cleaning solutions to help neutralize the strong odour of Vinegar

7.Remove lime scale

Remove lime scale from your bathroom fixtures, squeeze lemon juice over effected area, and let it set for 10 or so minutes before wiping clean with a fresh cloth.

8. Toilet Cleaner Using Lemons

Make your own toilet cleaner by mixing 1/2 cup of borax with a cup of lemon for a powerful fresh toilet cleaner

9. Home Made Lemon Cleanser

make your own bathroom and kitchen spray by adding equal parts of lemon juice and water for a great smelling cleaner, good on walls as well (good idea to spot test first)

10. Clean Windows With Lemon Juice

A great simple window cleaner is to use 4 tablespoons of lemon juice mixed with half a gallon of water, is quite effective

11. Natural Bleach

Pour lemon juice on your whites, and them to dry in the sun for a great natural way to bleach away the stains

Uses for baking soda

Baking soda is very like vinegar, it’s very versatile in its many uses. To give just a quick idea here are a few ideas that work a treat.

1. Remove Kids Crayon From Walls

Removing crayon drawings from your wall is easy, simply dip a damp cloth in some baking soda and scrub clean.

2. Fresh Smelling Kitty Litter

Kitty litter, sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of your kitty litter tray before filling, mix some more baking soda through the litter itself, and it absorbs both moisture and odours. Keeping the litter fresh and not harming to your cat in anyway.

3.whiten teeth using baking soda,

To whiten teeth using baking soda, mix one part baking soda on part iodized salt, mix to a paste with a bit of water and apply to your toothbrush, this will whiten teeth and remove plaque build up. Do not over use this solution as it can be a bit rough on your gums, once a day is enough, and if your gums are sensitive to it, knock it down to once every two days.

4. Clean Copper Using Lemons

Clean copper easily by using baking soda mixed with enough lemon juice to make a paste. Clean with a soft cloth and paste.

5. Revive Out Paint Brushes

Tough and hardened paint brushes can be revived by soaking them in a quart of hot water, a quart a cup of vinegar and a cup of baking soda leave them overnight rinsing them off for a paint brush ready to be used again.

6. Home Made Mouth Wash

Freshen your mouth, add one teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water and use like mouth wash. Odours are neutralized, not simply covered up.

Also for a boost to your toothpaste, tip your toothbrush with toothpaste into baking soda for an extra clean and shine to your teeth.

7. Washing Dishes Without Detergent 

Wash your dishes with a sink full of hot water add a sprinkling of baking soda and 1/4 cup of vinegar to cut through the grease on your dishes.

8. Wooded Floors

Using a solution of 3 tablespoons in a litre of water you can removed water stains from wooden floors.

9. Home Made Wall Filler

A clever way of filling nail holes in your walls is to simply mix baking soda and white toothpaste, use a couple of drops of food colouring to match wall colour. Fill and leave to dry.

10. Remove Dog Smell

Freshen your dogs coat in between washes, by sprinkling with baking soda, rub into coat and brush out for a great natural deodorizer that won’t harm your pet, great for a quick fix against the wet dog smell.