I have a confession. I'm obsessed with vinegar. I first discovered my love for vinegar when it came to cleaning our wall-to-wall white carpet. Vinegar has helped me maintain my sanity (while living with white carpet and two hot-mess-cats) until we can finally rip our carpet up for good. Over time, I discovered so many more uses for vinegar. I thought I would share some of my fave vinegar tips with you today. Although the majority of our house is filled with annoying carpet, we also have a lot of tile. I used to use my beloved Swiffer on them, but about 6 months ago I somehow snapped it in half. Apparently I'm an aggressive mopper. Rather than replace it, I decided to bust out my old sponge mop and try something new. All I do is mix 1/2 cup of vinegar in 1 gallon of warm water and then use my sponge mop to clean the floors. And now I can never go back....the vinegar just works so well and makes the floors so shiny. We have a sink that was painted white by the previous homeowners  (with the same stuff I painted our tile with) and it gets seriously disgusting really quick.

So does the drain. I daydream about a life without a white sink. Anyways, I clean and deodorize the whole thing by pouring a cup of baking soda in the drain followed by one cup of vinegar. I let it sit for 5 minutes and then run hot water down the drain. diy carpet cleaning fluidThen, I soak a sponge in vinegar and clean the sink. dolphin pool cleaner with remoteIt makes it sparkly clean and gets rid of any grossness.best way to clean rv siding This little tip is actually what inspired this entire post. carpet cleaning prices in hertfordshireMy sweet Mama read my paint tricks post and told me she really loved the vinegar tip. carpet cleaning machines dry foam

It got me thinking about how I use vinegar for a bazillion different things, and that it would be fun to share some of them with you. You can see the vinegar paintbrush tip here. A great idea for the holidays.robotic pool cleaner sale 10 thrift store furniture makeovers. Follow my blog with Follow my blog onIf you rent a steam or hot water extraction carpet cleaner you may be tempted to buy the expensive branded cleaning solutions offered by the rental company but white vinegar also works quite well and for a fraction of the cost. Household weblog Hostess with the Motzes used a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water with a few optional drops of lavender essential oil to counteract the odor of vinegar (liquid fabric softener can also be used for this purpose) in a Rug Doctor cleaner with no problems. At first she was concerned with damaging the cleaner but their website simply states that other products aren't recommended because they don't clean as well as the official commercial product.

After caring for my mother-in-law's not-quite-housebroken puppy for a week we had a few stains in the front room of our house that didn't want to come out with regular spray stain removers. We decided to rent a Rug Doctor hot water extraction cleaner since we haven't done a deep cleaning of the carpets since we bought our home. When you rent one of these machines it is customary to also buy the branded cleaning solutions and most people never think about alternatives mostly for fear of damaging the cleaner. We bought the cleaners that time because we had two coupons that combined to make them free with the rental but next time we rent one of these cleaners you can bet I'll try the vinegar method. Using Vinegar in a Rug Doctor to Clean Carpets | Hostess with the MotzesUser ReviewedHow to Clean Rugs With Vinegar Three Methods:Scrub Rugs with a Vinegar SolutionSteam Clean Rugs with VinegarDirect Spot-Cleaning SprayCommunity Q&A Vinegar is liquid product comprised of acetic acid and water.

With a pH of approximately 2.4, the acetic acid in vinegar makes it a natural and versatile household cleaning agent, ideal for killing germs, removing stains, eliminating odors and softening fabrics. Vinegar is also an eco-friendly cleaning alternative that is safe to use around pets and small children. Vinegar leaves rugs clean and bright, and does not leave behind any residue so rugs stay clean longer. Use these tips to clean rugs with vinegar. Create a vinegar-based cleaning solution. Dip a soft cloth, soft brush or non-shedding sponge into the vinegar solution. Scrub the pile of the rug gently, using linear motions in the direction of the nap. Clean the fringes of the rug as applicable. If the rug has fringes along the edges, gently scrub them using a laundry brush and the vinegar solution. Remove the excess water. Squeeze out the excess water from the rug. Use a window squeegee to remove excess water if the rug is too large or heavy to lift. Press the squeegee against the rug and pull in the direction of the nap until most of the water is removed.

Allow the rug to dry outside in the sunshine. When the nap feels dry, turn the rug over to allow the other side to dry. Allow the rug to dry under a fan If the weather doesn't permit outdoor drying. Replace steam cleaning solutions with vinegar. Steam cleaning solutions can be expensive and are typically made of harsh chemicals. Fill the steam cleaner's tank with full-strength vinegar. If the steam cleaner has a dedicated tank for the cleaning solution, use full-strength vinegar instead of the commercial steam cleaning solution. Substitute vinegar for the steam cleaning solution. If the cleanser is combined with hot water in a single tank in the steam cleaner, use vinegar instead of the cleanser. Whatever the amount of cleanser recommended, substitute the same amount of vinegar. If the manual indicates 4 ounces (113.4 g) of cleaning solution, use 4 ounces (113.4 g) of vinegar. Clean the carpet with the steam cleaning machine. Create a spot-cleaning solution.

Remove stains from rugs. Spray the spot-cleaning solution on the stain. Blot the stain with a clean cloth. Do not rub the stain into the carpet fibers. Reapply the vinegar solution and blot the stain until it is no longer visible. Some stains may need to be treated more than once. Use a spot-removing paste for stubborn stains. Mix baking soda and white vinegar together to form a paste. Work the paste into the stain, using any soft brush or an old toothbrush. Allow the spot-removing paste to dry and then vacuum the spot. If a rug is machine washable, add 1 cup (.24 l) of vinegar to the rinse cycle of your washing machine. After scrubbing a rug with the vinegar solution, the pile may feel stiff. If this occurs, vacuum the rug on a light setting. Treat stains immediately, before they set into the carpet fibers. Over time, the stain can bond to the rug fibers, and old stains will be difficult to remove. When using a spray bottle for spot cleaning, always use a new spray bottle.