Vinegar in the household and for cleaning

Removing limescale

If vinegar is applied to calcified surfaces, easily soluble calcium acetate and carbonic acid are formed from the limescale (calcium carbonate), which can be easily washed off. If the water contains limescale, it is advisable to add a dash of vinegar to the cleaning water to ensure streak-free cleaning.

Cleaning together with other substances

Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda are a perfect combination for removing strongly adhering protective residues.

The reason is that baking soda is an alkali and vinegar is an acid. If you use both substances together, a violent reaction occurs with the formation of bubbles. First sprinkle the baking soda on the surface and then carefully pour the vinegar over it.

Clear blocked drains

Drains contain grease, limescale, soap residue, hair and other mostly organic dirt. Over time, deposits build up on the walls inside the pipes and obstruct drainage. The drain can be cleaned with the help of vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.

First, pile a small amount of baking soda over the drain and then pour vinegar over it to flush this mixture inside. Then cover the drain with a cloth and after 30 minutes, pour in about a litre of hot water to rinse away the dissolved protective particles. The drain is now clear again.

Universal cleaner for kitchens, bathrooms, windows and floors

Add a dash of vinegar to the wiping water and you have an effective, environmentally friendly universal cleaner. The smell of vinegar evaporates quickly, but you can also simply add a few drops of an essential oil as an alternative.

Windows can be cleaned very well with vinegar in combination with white spirit. Add a dash of each of the two agents to the wiping water to clean windows without streaks and with a sparkling clean finish. Other smooth surfaces in the bathroom or on furniture can also be cleaned in this way.

The best remedy for limescale stains is vinegar together with citric acid and a dash of washing-up liquid. Add a good dash of vinegar to the water together with a small amount of citric acid and washing-up liquid. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and you have a first-class limescale remover for the kitchen, bathroom, taps, bath and shower.

Cleaning the washing machine, washing laundry and fabric softener

Removing unpleasant odours

Vinegar is an excellent way to remove unpleasant odours from the washing machine and keep them away. The reason for the odours is the accumulation of dirt in the washing machine. Vinegar can be used to wipe out all easily accessible areas of the washing machine, such as the detergent compartments, drum, seal and drain cleaning sieves. You can also do a wash cycle with vinegar using about ½ litre of vinegar. Pour this into the washing powder compartment and use the machine without laundry at a low temperature.

Vinegar as a detergent

You can even wash laundry with vinegar. Only colourless vinegar should be used and the concentration should be around 5% (table vinegar). Normal to lightly soiled laundry can be cleaned well with about 125 ml per wash cycle. It also removes unpleasant odours, protects the colours of the laundry and cleans the machine. Vinegar is also very environmentally friendly as it is completely biodegradable and also reduces allergens.

Sterilise laundry

Textiles that should not be washed above 60 °C can be easily sterilised with vinegar. Socks, underwear or cloth nappies can be pretreated with vinegar by soaking the garments in a vinegar/water solution (mixing ratio 1:4) for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse briefly and add to the laundry.

Vinegar as a fabric softener substitute

Vinegar can also replace fabric softener, as it dissolves limescale deposits from the fibres and makes the laundry soft and supple. Instead of fabric softener, add a strong dash of vinegar to the fabric softener compartment of the washing machine. No vinegar odour remains in the laundry as it evaporates during the wash cycle.