Wondering the secret to a sparkling clean kitchen? Follow the hacks below for 5 ways to clean with vinegar that will change your cleaning routine forever!
Cleaning your kitchen can take a lot of time and a lot of products. You’re busy. Why should you break a sweat scrubbing, using five different sprays, when you can simply wipe the mess away with one product, in half the time?
Clean with vinegar. It’s non-toxic, and yet is really tough on grease and grime.
Once I added vinegar to my cleaning routine, it not only made my kitchen look amazing, but it gave me a little peace of mind knowing that I wasn’t using toxic chemicals near my food.
This post is all about cleaning hacks, and the 5 best ways to clean with vinegar that will change your cleaning routine forever!
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What kind of vinegar should I use?
To start, you need to first pick which vinegar you want to use. I like to use distilled white vinegar because it has 5% acidity and is quite multi-purpose. If you are looking for a vinegar with a bit more power and potency, then you can use actual cleaning vinegar which has 6% acidity. Just a word of caution, don’t use vinegar on any stone, rubber surfaces, or knives! It will eat away at special finishes and corrode certain stones and metals over time.
Cleaning Hack #1: Microwave
This is my favorite hack! I hate scrubbing the inside of the microwave. Food always explodes all over the inside and hardens. (Gross…) However, the thought of using chemicals to pry the food loose also makes me cringe because we heat food in there that we will then ingest. Also, it’s a literal pain to bend and reach in there to scrub.
Simply heat a small bowl of equal parts water and vinegar for about 2 minutes (or up to 4 minutes if you have a larger microwave). Once the 2 minutes are up, use gloves or mitts to remove the bowl. (Be careful because it will be HOT!) The steam should have loosened all of the gunk and you can now take a clean cloth and wipe away the mess!
Cleaning Hack #2: Sink Drain
The kitchen sink sees a lot of action. Food debris is constantly falling down the drain. Unclog the drain with this clever hack.
Start by pouring boiling hot water down the drain. Then pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain. Follow this with a solution that is a mix of 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of water. (You can cover with the drain plug now if you have one.) Wait about 5 to 10 minutes. Lastly, pour some more boiling water down the drain to dissolve.
Cleaning Hack #3: Drip Pans or Burner Caps
If you have an electric stove with metal drip pans, or a gas stove with metal burner caps, these can be cleaned using vinegar!
Start by washing them with soapy water and a sponge. This just loosens any initial buildup. Then create a mixture that is 1 part vinegar with 2 parts baking soda, and a few drops of dish soap. Pack the mixture onto the metal pieces and let them sit for about 20 minutes. Use soap, water, and a sponge to scrub any solid bits off of the metal and rinse. They will come out sparkling like new!
Cleaning Hack #4: Oven
If you have an oven that requires cleaning (a.k.a. not a self-cleaning oven) then you can use vinegar to get this job done. Just make sure it is not a self-cleaning oven because they have a special coating on them that allows them to be self-cleaning. The vinegar can remove this coating so take heed!
Start by taking a spatula or something to scrape the bottom of the oven with. Scrape up and remove as much loose debris as possible. Then create a mixture of 1 cup of baking soda and 1/3 cup of water. It should be about the consistency of glue. Using a sponge, slather this mixture all over the oven door and window, and inside, on the bottom and sides of the oven. Basically you want to cover the entire inside of the oven. Let this sit over night.
The next day, take some vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz the inside of the oven, anywhere you put the baking soda mixture. You will see the baking soda start to fizz! Once you have sprayed the whole oven, now it’s time to scrub and wipe away the baking soda and vinegar using a sponge (or scrub brush, scouring pad, or whatever you choose to scrub with) and some clean water. You can also take your spatula and scrape any bits still stuck on. Once everything has lifted and looks clean, use a warm damp cleaning cloth to wipe the oven clean.
Cleaning Hack #5: Coffee Maker
Much like the microwave, another much-loved small appliance in my kitchen is the coffee maker. It seems near impossible to clean the inside reservoir. Use this vinegar hack to clean any bacteria and mineral buildup in this hard to reach spot.
Start by filling the coffee pot with half water and half vinegar. Pour this solution into the coffee machine. Place an empty coffee filter into the basket and “brew” the solution as you would regular coffee. Brew about halfway and then turn the machine off and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then turn the machine back on and continue to “brew” the other half of the solution. Dump the vinegar water. Then rinse out the machine by “brewing” clean water only and using a new coffee filter. If the water still smells of vinegar, “brew” another pot of clean water.
This post was all about cleaning hacks, and the 5 best ways to clean with vinegar that will change your cleaning routine forever!
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