Experts reveal how 29p vinegar is the secret to getting your pad spotless – from banishing stains to preventing mould
IF the cupboard under your sink is overflowing with various products which you never use, it’s time to chuck them all out and simplify your cleaning routine.
Rather than forking out for pricey sprays, pastes and creams, it turns out all you need to get your home spotless is some 29p vinegar.
You may already have some white vinegar in the back of your cupboard, but if not you can pick up a bottle from Asda for a few pence.
The experts at Tap Warehouse have revealed how the condiment can be used to make virtually everything sparkle, without breaking the bank.
They crunched the numbers, and revealed you could save more than £100 a year by switching to a chip’s best friend.
Tap Warehouse said: “Not only is vinegar an eco-friendly alternative to harsher cleaning products it also is a great money saving alternative.
10 ways to use vinegar to get your house sparkling
- Get rid of limescale around taps
- Clean grease from oven racks
- Descale your kettle
- Clean food stains from inside the microwave
- Banish burn-on food from pots and pans
- Eliminate unwanted smells from your dishwasher
- Abolish grease from the backsplash
- Clean your washing machine
- Remove stains and odours from chopping boards
- Clean inside kitchen cupboards
“Buying cleaning products to clean all of the things mentioned below could cost up to £15 which, if bought monthly, would total to a whopping £180 a year.
“Whereas vinegar can set you back as little as 29p, totalling to just £3.48 a year and saving you a huge £176.52.”
Clean grease from oven racks
No one likes cleaning the oven as it’s usually a lengthy task, but you can have your grills gleaming in no time - but you’ll need your bathtub.
Pop your racks in the tub, then: “Sprinkle baking soda over them and then spray with white vinegar.
“The baking soda and white vinegar will create a foam which will work to remove any grease.
“Set the oven racks in hot water overnight before scrubbing away any grime left on the racks with a sponge or towel in the morning.”
Simply rinse them in cool water before popping back in the oven.
- Distilled Malt Vinegar, Asda, 29p - buy now
Descale your kettle
Brewing the perfect cup of tea is an art form, which can be ruined by a kettle full of limescale.
The cleaning experts said: “To descale your kettle use equal parts white vinegar and water to fill your kettle and let it soak for up to an hour then boil the kettle.
“Once it has boiled unplug it and let it soak for 15-20 minutes before emptying the kettle and rinsing thoroughly with clean water.”
Just make sure you remember to pour the vinegar out before making a drink.
Clean food stains from inside the microwave
We’ve all had an accident where we’ve exploded our dinner, leaving stains all over the microwave.
If you’ve scrubbed but they still won’t shift, try this solution.
They said: “Add 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to a microwave safe bowl, put in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
“Once finished remove the bowl and wipe down any grease and dirt with a clean cloth.”
Not only is vinegar an eco-friendly alternative to harsher cleaning products it also is a great money saving alternative
Tap Warehouse
Eliminate unwanted smells from your dishwasher
No one likes a smelly dishwasher, but odours can be hard to shift as it’s a tricky appliance to clean.
But this is where the vinegar comes in, and to start the deep clean make sure it’s empty of all your crockery and cutlery.
The team said: “When your dishwasher is empty add 250ml of white vinegar into a dishwasher safe container and set the dishwasher to run for a full cycle on a high heat level.
“The vinegar should break down any food, grease, soap scum and residue stuck inside the dishwasher.”
Get rid of limescale around taps
Limescale can be unsightly in your kitchen and in your bathroom, but you don’t need to work up a sweat to get rid of it.
The experts shared an easy way to get your taps sparkling again, saying: “To remove limescale from taps mix together white vinegar and water in equal parts and submerge your cleaning cloth into the solution.
“Once saturated use the cloth to scrub away the limescale.
“Top tip: depending on how severe the limescale is you can soap the affected area in the white vinegar mixture for up to 30 minutes before scrubbing it away.”
Banish burn-on food from pots and pans
Before throwing away that burnt pan - try this cleaning tip first.
“Pour equal amounts of white vinegar and water into the pan and bring to boil,” the experts advised.
“Keep the lid on to stop any burnt smells escaping to the rest of the house.
“Remove the pan from the heat and add two tablespoons of baking soda. Empty the pan and scrub clean.”
Clean your washing machine
Your washing machine may get your clothes spotless, when was the last time you cleaned the appliance itself?
While you might think pouring detergent in it keeps it clean, mould can be lurking where you can’t see.
“Soap residue and chemicals from your laundry detergent can get stuck inside your washing machine and create a film that can trap bacteria which can clog the inner mechanisms,” Tap Warehouse revealed.
“This will stop your washing machine from reaching the temperature it should and make your detergent less strong.
“Add 2-4 cups of white vinegar to your washing machine and let the cycle run on a high heat hot water setting. You can do this weekly to keep it fresh and mould at bay.”
Remove stains and odours from chopping boards
Keeping chopping boards clean is essential to stop the spread of potentially dangerous bacteria and germs from raw food.
But they can also become stained from innocent items - such as peppers.
The experts said: “Foods such as red peppers can easily stain a wooden chopping board, to remove stains soak the wood chopping board in one-part white vinegar and four parts water.”
But they warned not to leave the mixture too long, adding: “Don’t soak for longer than a few minutes to prevent damaging the wood. Rinse off and dry afterwards.”
Kitchen cupboards
If you’re spring cleaning, don’t forget the inside of your kitchen cupboards and cabinets, both the ones which store crockery and those which house food.
The team said: “Dust and food particles can gather inside of your kitchen cupboards, which can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and moulds.
“Use equal parts white vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle to clean the inside of kitchen cupboards. Spray the inside of the cupboards and wipe clean.”
Vinegar can set you back as little as 29p
Tap Warehouse
Abolish grease from the backsplash
If you have a backsplash made entirely of metal, glass or plastic you might be able to get away with just wiping it.
But if you have tiles and grout, over time it can become discoloured after being exposed to steam, stains and grease.
To restore it to its original white shade, Tap Warehouse said: “If the backsplash is ceramic, porcelain or glass tile, white vinegar can be mixed with warm water in a spray bottle to clean away any kitchen grease or food remnants.”
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