More tips for cleaning safely and frugally with vinegar

1. White vinegar can also be used to clean raw wood, such as a wooden cutting board. Pour straight vinegar onto the wood and then use a sponge to literally push the dirt away. Be sure to wipe in the direction of the wood grain, starting at one end and working to the other. This way the dirt you are trying to get rid of won’t be pushed back into the wood grain.
2. I was advised to pour 1 gallon of white vinegar into the water of our whirlpool tub, once a year and run it. This will keep the jets from clogging up from soap scum, etc.
3. Cheap solution to replace those expensive PERGO flooring cleaners (got this from a PERGO Distributor)

   1/3 part white vinegar
   1/3 part rubbing alcohol
   1/3 part water
   3 drops diswashing liquid

   Mix this into a (recycled) spray bottle and you have the equivalent of the Pergo floor cleaner.

   Just spray and mop; also great for deodorizing a room and for a fast cleanup. I also use this on my tile floors with great results. Pergo is better off when water doesn’t sit on it too long, the alcohol is added to make it dry faster.

4. I use vinegar to get rid of the hard water deposits around my sink and it’s so simple. Soak a paper towel(s) with vinegar and place them around the area that needs to be cleaned or for cleaning the faucet you can soak the towel and wrap it around and then rubberband it in place. I do this overnight and the next morning it’s a cinch to wipe clean. This has been safe on my brass faucets as well.
5. To clean my microwave, I put 1 Tablespoon of vinegar, one cup of warm water and 1 or 2 drops of dish soap in a smal microwave safe bowl. Put it in the microwave on high for 3-4 minutes and let stand for 15 minutes. Then wipe the microwave out with a damp sponge. The steam and use of vinegar loosens up the build up in the microwave.
6. Make your own very frugal furniture polish using equal parts of white vinegar and vegetable oil. Wipe it on and buff with a soft cloth.
7. To clean brassware to like-new condition without scrubbing, soak in 1:10 parts of white vinegar:water. To clean brass lamps, unscrew sections, soak in bucket. All green and black tarnish comes off in no time. Learned this from a band director who uses vinegar to clean student’s brass instruments.
8. I use vinegar full strength on a clean white cloth to clean spots from my carpeting. This will dissolve most substances except for waxy stains. With young kids and a husband we have plenty of food spots.
9. To clean grout pour white vinager full strength let sit and scrub with a tooth brush. This works great!
10. I discovered that vinegar works great to remove tempera paint like you use when you decorate your windows for the holidays. It takes it right off almost immediately, sponge vinegar over paint then wipe off finish removing residual with paper toweling, or, as I prefer, reusable terry cloth towel:)
11. I put it in my steam vac to rinse my carpets with after shampooing. The carpet will stay fresh longer, because it removes any detergent residue. I use a quarter of a cup, per gallon of water.
12. This reader got this from a column in a newspaper in 1953 and has used it to clean walls ever since.

    1 GALLON OF WATER
    1 CUP BOTTLED AMMONIA
    1/2 CUP BOTTLED VINEGAR
    1/4 CUP BAKING SODA.
    Put the ammonia, vinegar and baking soda into the bucket of water. STIR TO MIX THOROUGHLY. Wash the walls from the bottom up for if you get drips on the uncleaned surface,(any other cleaner used will do the same) it will leave marks that are very difficult if not impossible to remove. (This caution was printed in the paper along with the recipe for the solution.)

13. To remove food residue, mineral deposits, soap scum and chemical residues caused by water from your dishwasher:
    Set TIMER to WASH CYCLE (to prevent any water from being added to vinegar). Pour 1 gallon of white vinegar into bottom of dishwasher. Activate washer and allow to complete cycle to wash with vinegar and rinse with clean water.
14. I was recently told to buy a product to clean the white deposits on the tray in my refrigerator’s water/ice dispenser. I boiled vinegar and let it set for one minute and poured it (while still hot) into the tray, waited just a little and wiped it clean.
15. White vinegar removes winter salt stains from leather and suede. First make sure you’ve used a leather/suede cleaner to get the dirt and dust off. Mix 2 parts vinegar and 1 part water in a plastic container. Dip an old rag in and rub it on the salt stains. Rinse the vinegar off with a clean wet rag and let boots dry.
16. I used straight vinegar in a spray bottle to clean water spots off our aluminum boat. I left it on a few minute and re-sprayed it and wiped it off with a soft cloth, and it shines like it did when it was new. Doesn’t hurt the paint job either.

Pat Veretto

http://frugalliving.about.com/cs/tips/a/vinclean_2.htm