Did you know that running a steam carpet cleaner with the suggested products filled with chemicals will eventually clog up the machine. I found this out the hard way but I also found out that vinegar was the simple solution. Running vinegar through the machine is a great carpet cleaner in it’s self plus it keeps the steam cleaner running clean. Why purchase the expensive products when vinegar will do the job for a fraction of the cost. This got me thinking about vinegar and all it’s other natural cleaning uses.

First question, what is it?
Well apparently vinegar has been around forever or at least since humans were making alcohol. How does alcohol come into play you ask, well any alcohol, no matter what it was made from originally (cider, beer, wine), will turn into vinegar (acetic acid) if it’s exposed to air for a length of time. So, you know those half drank beer crimes left on the coffee table after a long night of drinking, well if left long enough they’ll turn into vinegar. Very cool.

Second question, why does it clean?
Vinegar has an acid content of around 5% for most store bought products. This acetic acid concentration gives vinegar a high ph level which cuts through grease and germs. It’s ironic that the bacteria in the air that catalyzed the chemical reaction from alcohol into vinegar is now being fought by it’s own byproduct.

What else is it good for?
Well, to be honest I was pretty surprised when I found this list of uses over at the Vinegar Institute. Vinegar is the be all and end all to cleaning and that’s just the tip of the iceberg, it can be used for a ton of other things you wouldn’t think possible from bug spray and weed killer to wart remover and arthritis relief. Go figure.

Remember that Vinegar is a natural product and very cheap compared to regular cleaning products. Here are some of the cleaning highlights:

Microwave – clean and deodorize
Combine ¼ cup of vinegar and 1 cup water. Boil in microwave.

Coffee maker
Fill your drip coffee maker reservoir with vinegar and run through a cycle. Rinse and go.

Windows
Mix half and half vinegar and warm water, wash and dry. No streaks.

Wood Cutting Boards
Scrub with straight white distilled vinegar to disinfect.

Dishwasher Bonus Clean
For extra clean dishes and glasses add a cup of vinegar to your next cycle.

Leather
Mix vinegar and linseed oil and polish into the leather for extra clean and shine.

The list goes on and on so hit the jump if you want more.

» The Vinegar Institute