The Filipino Mom Blog

I have an array of cleaning products, but my recent discovery and my most favorite of the bunch is vinegar.

I got this jug of generic white vinegar for PHP 65.00 in the supermarket, and a cheap spray bottle to make it easier to use. And I’ve been having fun counting the ways to use it at home.

- A cup of vinegar in a pail of water is perfect for cleaning a tiled floor. Never mind the smell, it will go away in seconds. And if you begin to use vinegar as often as I do, you will get used to the smell, and eventually find it pleasant and comforting.

- I use it to clean glass. I spray vinegar on the glass and give it a good scrubbing with a clean cloth.

- I mix a cup in the laundry’s last wash. The clothes are softer, easier to iron and sweet-smelling. Better than commercial fabric softener!

- Whites looking dingy? Soak them overnight in a mixture of water, powdered detergent and vinegar. I did this with my son’s school socks, and they looked new in the morning.

- Remove perspiration and deodorant stains on clothes by spraying vinegar on the problem areas. Give the vinegar at couple of minutes to work its magic before putting them in the washing machine.

This was once a problem in my husband’s shirts. We had to throw away good shirts because the deodorant stains wouldn’t come out no matter how hard I brushed and scrubbed. Haven’t had that problem since I used vinegar.

- Food stains? Spray the area with vinegar, then a little scrub.

- It’s a great refrigerator cleaner. Tough on grime, but gentle on the shelves and walls.

- I also use it to disinfect the whole bathroom.

- To clean stoves, saturate the grease with vinegar, then wipe.

- I wash fresh vegetables with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of vinegar and a quart of water. Dirt comes off easily than when I use plain water.

- Remove crayon and pencil marks on the wall with a mixture of vinegar and water. Scrub with a clean cloth. Now you can say goodbye to your children’s “artwork.”

- Wipe smelly lunch boxes with cloth soaked in vinegar. When my son’s lunch box smells a little too horrid, I leave the cloth overnight.

- Attack ants by spraying them with vinegar. One time, I saw an army of ants making their way through the kitchen window. I was chopping vegetables so insecticide was a no-no. So I sprayed them and the window sill with vinegar. I think the ants got paralyzed, and before I knew it, they were gone.

- Remove candle wax on cloth by soaking the wax in vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then remove the wax with a blunt object. I use my fingernails. The vinegar softens the wax and makes it easier to scrape off.

I know these are but a few of the many uses of vinegar at home. There are many more that I will soon discover, which is why most of my cleaners have taken a back seat. There are thousands of possibilities, it’s environment-friendly, and most of all, it’s cheap!