Distilled White Vinegar can do pretty much anything and everything around the house. It’s cheap, all-natural, and very effective. Here are 50+ uses for vinegar for everything from cleaning to laundry, pet stains, and more. Your Grandmother was right.
Ok… ok… yes it does smell a bit. But seriously, once you start regularly using vinegar as a household staple, you won’t even notice the smell any more. Make sure you get the distilled white vinegar for all of these uses.
Vinegar is hands down one of the most cost-effective and versatile items you can have in your pantry. It’s so cheap and while I’m sharing 50+ uses for vinegar, I know there are even more out there!
What are your favorite uses for vinegar?
50+ Uses for Vinegar
We start off with my own personal favorite cleaning DIYs and the links to the full recipe. After this category, it’s mostly a list of easy DIYs, along with several other links back to my favorite recipes.
I’ve divided the uses for vinegar into the following categories:
- My Favorite Cleaning DIYs
- More Cleaning DIYs
- Laundry and Clothing
- Around the House
- Food and Fridge
- Pets
- Ooey Gooey and Gross
- Beauty and Apothecary
- Outdoors
My Favorite Cleaning DIYs
1. All-Purpose Cleaner
READ: DIY All-Natural All-Purpose Cleaner
2. Glass Cleaner
READ: Homemade Glass Cleaner DIY
3. Stainless Steel
READ: Non-Toxic Stainless Steel Cleaner DIY
4. Mattress
READ: How to Clean Your Mattress in 5 Easy Steps
More Cleaning DIYs
1. Microwave
Fill a small microwave-safe bowl with a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar, along with 2 drops of lemon juice or lemon essential oil. Place the bowl on a small microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Let cool for a minute and then take a cloth and wipe away the gook.
2. Toilet
Pour a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar into the toilet bowl. Let sit for several hours and then scrub with a scrub brush.
3. Dishwasher
Run your empty dishwasher on a regular cycle using vinegar instead of detergent.
4. Showerhead
Mix together 1/3 cup baking soda to one cup vinegar and scrub.
5. Faucets
Mix together a paste of 1 tsp vinegar and 2 TBSP salt. Apply and rub with a cloth. Repeat as needed.
6. Remove Mold
READ: The Right Way to Remove Mold in Your Shower
Laundry and Clothing
** Always follow the directions on clothing and spot-clean first!**
1. Clean Your Washing Machine
READ: How to Clean Your Washing Machine
2. Remove Stains
Pour a few drops of vinegar directly on stains including grass, coffee, and fruit.
3. Soften Jeans
For brand new jeans, wash them (inside out) in the washing machine with 1/2 cup vinegar to help soften.
4. Underarm Stains
Soak t-shirts, undershirts, or other shirts with underarm stains in equal vinegar and water for 10 minutes before washing.
5. Brighten Laundry
Add 1/2 cup vinegar to the washing machine, along with your regular detergent.
6. Whiten Socks
Add 1 cup vinegar to 1+ quart water in a large pot. Boil and then turn the heat off. Soak the socks overnight.
7. Eliminate Mildew Smell From Towels
Wash your towels with 1/2 cup of vinegar in the washing machine.
8. Fluff Your Towels
Same as #7 above. Wash your towels with 1/2 cup vinegar in the washing machine to help make them fluffy again.
9. Cloth Diapers
Soak diapers in 1 part vinegar to 9 parts water.
10. Tie-Dye
READ: How to Tie Dye with Turmeric
Around the House
1. Trashcan
Fill a spray bottle with 50/50 mix of water and vinegar, along with a few drops of your favorite yummy smelling essential oils, such as citrus, lemon or grapefruit. Spray the inside of your trashcan.
2. Unclog Drains
Pour 1 TBSP of baking soda and then 1/2 cup vinegar slowly down the drain. Let it fizzle and pour a little more. Then follow up with boiling water. You will probably need to repeat 2-5 times.
3. Freshen Garbage Disposal
Pour 1/2 cup of vinegar down the kitchen sink, along with a cut-up lemon. Keeping your hands clear, turn on the garbage disposal.
4. Pots and Pans
Fill the sink with 1/3 vinegar to 2/3 water and let your pots and pans soak for an hour. Wash with soap and water.
5. Carpet Stain
Mix 2 TBSP vinegar with 1/4 cup baking soda. Make the mixture into a paste. Rub onto the stain and let it dry. Vacuum a few hours later.
6. Freshen Flowers
Add 2 TBSP vinegar and 1 tsp white sugar to your vase of fresh flowers.
7. Coffee Machine
Run a full pot of white vinegar through the coffee machine. Once it’s clean, run it through two additional cycles with plain water.
8. Coffee/Tea Cups
Scrub your coffee/tea cups with equal parts vinegar and baking soda to help remove stains.
Food and Fridge
1. Fridge
Clean your fridge shelves with equal parts vinegar and water and a couple of drops of lemon essential oil.
2. Hard-Boiled Eggs
Add 2 TBSP vinegar to boiling water while making hard-boiled eggs.
3. Poaching Eggs
Add 1 tsp vinegar to water when poaching eggs to help keep them from breaking apart.
4. Produce Rinse
Mix 1 TBSP vinegar with 1 cup of water to wash fruits and veggies.
5. Buttermilk
Add 1 tsp vinegar to every 1 cup of milk to make buttermilk. Let stand to thicken.
Psst… want easy to follow instructions on how to make all of your favorite household cleaners… the all-natural way? It’s eezy peezy! Click below…
Pets
1. Clean Litter Box
Empty litter box. Pour enough vinegar to just cover the bottom and let sit for several hours. Rinse and dry.
2. Deter Cats from Urinating
Pour or spray vinegar around the spots where cats pee that they shouldn’t.
3. Pet Urine in Carpet
Use a paper towel to blot up the urine. Repeat until dry. Soak the stained area with an equal mixture of vinegar and water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Repeat blotting and soaking. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and let sit for an hour. Vacuum up.
Oooey Gooey and Gross
1. Remove Labels
Using a cotton ball, saturate the label with vinegar and it will help to peel off.
2. Remove Melted Wax
Wipe wax with a rag dipped in vinegar until it’s gone.
3. Remove Stickers
Using a cotton ball, saturate the sticker with vinegar and it will help to peel off.
4. Clean Scissors
Wipe blades with vinegar and dry.
5. Crayon Marks on Walls
Dip a toothbrush into the vinegar and lightly scrub.
6. Remove Gum.
Dip a toothbrush into the vinegar and gently scrub.
Psst… want easy to follow instructions on how to make all of your favorite household cleaners… the all-natural way? It’s eezy peezy! Click below…
Beauty and Apothecary
1. Sunburn Relief
READ: 7 All-Natural Remedies for Sunburn Relief
2. Soften Cuticles
Soak nails in straight vinegar for 5 minutes.
3. Insect Bites
Soak a cotton ball in vinegar and apply to the bug bite to help stop the itching.
4. Whiten Teeth
Dip your toothbrush into vinegar and brush. You can do this once a week.
5. Eliminate Bad Breath
Gargle with a small amount of vinegar instead of store-bought mouthwash.
Outdoors
1. Weed Killer
READ: The Best All-Natural Weed Killer DIY
2. Remove Rust
Soak the item in vinegar for several hours or overnight.
3. Loosen a Screw
Spray vinegar onto the screw to help it unstick.
And there you have it! What are you waiting for? Grab your vinegar and start making the magic happen!
Are you Inspired?
Be sure to download your FREE Green Your Clean eBook for more all-natural home DIYs made simple and easy!
Love, hugs, and being a lean mean green cleaning machine!
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