Green and Clean: 12 ways vinegar can keep your house sparkling

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Why waste time and valuable money trying to use fancy cleaning products in your home when you probably have the best one of all already in your kitchen? We're talking about vinegar! Ask any professional cleaner and they'll tell you that white vinegar is a godsend for removing any and all types of grime, but if you don't believe us, come and take a look at these terrifically handy tips and see for yourself!

1. Use it on your bathroom suite items.

Mix together a quarter cup of baking soda, a tablespoon of liquid soap and a dash of white vinegar to make a paste and you'll have a non-chemical cream that brings any bathroom up to a gleaming shine. Dab it on, leave for a few minutes and wipe off. Simple!

2. It's ideal for kitchen counters.

Use undiluted white vinegar straight out of the bottle as a naturally antibacterial counter solution!

3. Add it to your laundry.

No, we haven't gone crazy! A quarter cup of vinegar added to your normal detergent will not only soften your clothes, it will also reduce static. And no, you won't be able to smell it!

4. It's a gentle floor cleaner!

Got some gum on your hardwood floors? No problem! Heat up some white vinegar, pour it over the gum and it will dissolve before your eyes!

5. It eradicates water rings.

Combine equal parts white vinegar and olive oil in a container, rub it onto a water ring with a soft cloth and it will disappear. Go with the grain of your wood, for the best results.

6. It can freshen up your coffee maker.

Miele CVA6800 Coffee Machine Hehku Modern kitchen Electronics

Run a cycle with white vinegar instead of water and your coffee machine will be instantly refreshed. Limescale will be removed and your next cup of java will taste better than ever.

7. Pour it down the drain.

Smelly drains are such a pain, but pour a cup of baking soda, followed by the same amount of hot white vinegar, down there and the problem will be solved. Let it sit for a little while, then rise down with hot water!

8. It cuts through oven grime.

Coat a greasy oven door with undiluted vinegar and leave it to sit for 15 minutes. When you wipe it away, all the built-up scum will come away with it!

9. It makes glassware shine!

Urgh. How annoying are glass spots? Spritz glasses with white vinegar, leave to sit for a few minutes and then rinse with hot water for a crystal clear result.

10. It cuts through rust.

Soak rusty metal overnight in white vinegar, then wipe away with a hot, wet cloth. The rust will be gone and you can then polish your metal with a thin coat of olive oil, to protect it.

11. It perfects your windows.

Combine equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle and use in the place of your normal glass cleaner. For extra shine, polish with a scrunched up newspaper. Yes, this really does work!

12. It freshens up a smelly microwave.

Combine vinegar and water in a microwavable dish, set on high for a few minutes and don't open the door! The steam will make grime easy to wipe away and will remove bad odours. For extra freshness, chuck a slice of fresh lemon into the bowl too!

For more handy cleaning tips, take a look at this Ideabook: The essential (Canadian) spring cleaning guide.

Are you planning to put these great ideas to the test?

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