If you were to open a fresh browser and search for ‘handy household cleaning tips’, or ‘lifehacks’, it wouldn’t be long before you come across Vinegar as the holy grail for DIY cleaning around the home or office. Vinegar is, after all, great at lifting stains, freshening laundry, cleaning windows and much more. Plus, it’s inexpensive and often available at the drop of a hat!
But it’s important to remember that vinegar is an acid at the end of the day, which means it can majorly damage some materials. That’s why Belle Casa have identified all the places you should — and shouldn’t — be using this around the house.
Places you definitely SHOULD use Vinegar:
- WINDOWS
Why spend money on expensive window cleaners when you can simply make your own?! Simply mix two tablespoons of white vinegar with 2-3 litres of tap water and empty into a spray bottle. Squirt onto your window and wipe off with a dry cloth. .
- DISHWASHERS
Just as you might descale a stubborn kettle or coffee pot, you need to clean your dishwasher regular to keep in good shape! Place a large measuring jug filled with two cups of vinegar on the top rack and run the machine as usual – no detergent, no heat dry. The vinegar will mix with the water as it circulates and will leave your machine sparkling clean.
- CARPET
Carpets are always getting stained and it can be an absolute pain to keep them clean. Mix one tablespoon of white vinegar with two cups of warm water. Use a clean white cloth or sponge to apply and blot frequently with a dry cloth – that stain should come right up!
- SUPERMARKET PRODUCE
There is a lot of concern right now that the pesticides and additions to fresh fruit and vegetables could be harmful. Mix three parts water to one part white vinegar and spray over the veggies in question before rinsing them. The mixture will be strong enough to break down harmful pesticides, but will not leave your dinner tasting like vinegar.!
Places you absolutely SHOULD NOT use Vinegar:
- STONE FLOOR TILES
Just like countertops, the natural stone in your bathroom doesn’t take kindly to acidic cleaners, like vinegar and lemon. Avoid ammonia too, and stick to cleaning with special stone soap, like Simple Green Stone Cleaner and Polish or a mild liquid dish detergent and water.
- IRONS
“Vinegar can damage the internal parts of an iron,” says Forte. “So don’t pour it through to freshen and clean it out. To keep irons from clogging, empty them completely after use, and follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.”
- HARDWOOD FLOORS
The jury’s still out on this one: Some homeowners find that vinegar solutions clean their sealed hardwoods beautifully, but others report that it damages the finish. Our advice: Use a cleaner specifically formulated for hardwood. But if you want to try vinegar, always dilute with water and test it on an inconspicuous spot before you tackle an entire room!
- TRULY STUBBORN STAINS
Blot, sponge and try as you might, grass stains, ink, ice cream and blood won’t come out with vinegar alone. They tend to set into the fabric quickly or just don’t respond to acid, so treat them with a prewash stain remover.
Vinegar makers, Sarsons, also have some great tips on their own website about how to use their product around the home! Although, at Belle Casa, we also recommend you use them on chips!
Using these tips and tricks will help you keep going day-to-day, but bringing in the professionals to keep your home or office tidy would save you time and money. What could you do with that spare time? How about a nice family day out at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.
Buckinghamshire Railway Centre occupies an extensive site in the rolling Buckinghamshire countryside. There is so much to see and do! Exhibits range from large express passenger locomotives to the humble shunting engine together with a host of smaller items recreating the golden age of steam, and there is an extensive calendar of special events throughout the year.
Check out their events programme to see what is happening on the day of your planned visit – steam trains operate on certain days and others are devoted to various special events.
For the purists, they have locomotives and carriages from the later 1800’s such as the Beattie well tank of 1874, and Metropolitan Railway no 1 (1898), a unique London Chatham & Dover Railway coach (1880) and a Great Northern Rly brake third of 1890 through to BR era stock which is used for passenger rides in the Up Yard. There is also a wide range of other locomotives.
Keep in touch with Belle Casa for more top cleaning tips and local activities on a monthly basis. Belle Casa is proud to be Buckinghamshire and Berkshires premier Domestic Cleaning Service. Get in touch today to see how we could help you!
