The best all-purpose kitchen cleaner is probably in your cabinet right now. That is White Vinegar. Yes, you should be cleaning everything in your kitchen with white vinegar. White vinegar is kind of a miracle ingredient, and although you might have hated the smell as a kid or think it’s only good for scrubbing gnarly and sticky pans, a bottle of the stuff is definitely a necessity in your kitchen. But what’s the deal with this stuff? What is white vinegar made of, anyway?
White vinegar is comprised of 5-10% of acetic acid and about 90-95% water, which yields a vinegar that’s incredibly clean, crisp and strong. The acetic acid used is the result of a fermentation process where tons of little microorganisms eat and process alcohol/ethanol, dispensing the tart, pungent liquid vinegar. Vinegar is made of acetic acid, which is a natural disinfectant for killing some common germs like salmonella and E. coli, but is best when used in tandem with antibacterial soap and water to guarantee all germs are killed.
You can also make vinegar out of anything that has alcohol in it—wine, hard apple cider, and even beer.
For cleaning dilute 1 to 1 ratio with water and it is like a “miracle cleaner” that can be used for almost everything in your kitchen. You may add some citrus peels or essential oils to enhance the smell. It can be stored in a jar or a spray bottle for easy access. White vinegar is food-safe and can be used as a disinfectant.
Use white vinegar to clean 16 things in your kitchen:
1. Kitchen Sink
To counteract the vinegar smell, you can use soapy water to rinse the sink afterward.
2. Floors
Will help lift off any grease or dirt.
3. Greasy Stovetop
Vinegar’s acidity helps cut through grease easily. Spray onto a splattered stovetop, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then scrub down with soapy water.
4. Sheet Pans
Just mix ½ cup baking soda and ½ cup white vinegar with hot water in the sink. Soak in sink for 30 minutes to an hour before scrubbing away with a scoring pad, the scrubby side of your sponge, or steel wool.
5. Stainless, Enamel, Cast Iron Steel Pots and Pans
3/1 ratio of vinegar/water then boil pots and pans for a few minutes. It will dissolve grease and get rid of any weird stains or water spots. Then dump the vinegar mixture and wash as normal with soap and water! Also works on Instant Pot or Pressure Cookers.
6. Blender or Food Processor
Spray on to stuck food and stains, then wash as normal. It will also remove weird smells.
7. Cloudy Glasses and Jars
If minerals in hard water are causing your wine or drinking glasses to get cloudy, soak them in the sink with some non-diluted vinegar for a few minutes and wash as normal.
8. Microwave
Just wipe clean. If you have some sticky masses use a toothbrush or sponge to scrub.
9. Coffee Makers and Tea Kettles
Run it through the coffee maker or simply boil the water in the kettle, then rinse thoroughly with water.
10. Spice Grinder
Use vinegar to get the scent out and disinfectant it.
11. Plastic Cutting Board
Use vinegar to disinfect it.
12. Dishwasher
Pour a cup of vinegar in your dishwasher and let it run one cycle while it’s empty.
13. Refrigerator, Freezer and Fridge Water Dispenser
Scrub the inside of your fridge and freezer, including those often neglected crisper drawers! You can also use a clean, new toothbrush to scrub, removing any mold, yeast, calcification, and mineral deposits. After you clean, run the dispenser once to make sure any vinegar is flushed out.
14. Knife Block
Add white vinegar on a paper towel, wrap it around a table knife, and slide it into each knife slot to clean them thoroughly.
15. Windows
Just wipe clean until you see it shine.
16. Garbage Can
Wipe it down including the lid and outside of the can. This will eliminate all orders so do it every time you take out the trash and before you adding you garbage bag.
Happy Cleaning!
