White vinegar and lemon are great natural cleaners, that are safe and effective in many different cleaning applications around the home. However, it's important to remember that both lemon and vinegar are acidic. Several surfaces around your home should never be cleaned with acid-based cleaning products.
You can mix vinegar and lemon juice for cleaning without any problems. In fact, this mixture provides a nice fragrance, is cost-effective, and deep-cleans your home in all its nooks and corners.
Lemons are acidic and therefore contain antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties, plus they cut grease, dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits and can be mixed with baking soda and vinegar to make a nifty cleaning paste.
Don't overuse it, though—too much will create a slightly sticky film. Here are two different recipes to try: Mix 1/4 cup mild dish soap and 3 cups warm water. Mix 1/4 cup dish soap, 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups warm water, and 1/2 cup lemon juice.
Acetic acid (a.k.a. white vinegar) can act as a disinfectant that can destroy some bacteria and viruses. Studies confirming vinegar's antibacterial properties: Household natural sanitizers like lemon juice and vinegar reduced the number of pathogens to undetectable levels.
1. Water + Vinegar. The classic household hero, white vinegar, strikes again. One common ratio is half a cup of white vinegar per gallon of water, though other sources recommend equal parts of each—the decision will hinge on how your specific floor material handles the acid in vinegar.
Unfortunately, there's no way to eliminate the white vinegar smell completely if you use it as a cleaner. It's one tradeoff of going the natural route. However, there are a lot of ways to reduce and even mask the smell. So, don't take cleaning with vinegar off the table until you've given these a try.
Mix one gallon of hot water, one cup of vinegar, and a few drops of dish soap. Mop the floor with the solution, using the scrub brush to remove stubborn dirt, or in high-traffic areas. Once the entire floor has been cleaned, mop once more using clean water to remove any remaining traces of baking soda or soap residue.
Vinegar is acidic and basic soda is basic, so the by-products are sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water that are not toxic. The mixing reaction causes the baking soda to foam up and produce carbon dioxide gas.
Which natural detergent comes out on top? Well, that would depend on its intended use. For instance, vinegar is potent at fighting mold while baking soda is great at fighting wine and coffee stains. The former is a better disinfectant but the latter is a phenomenal deodorizer.
The citric acid in the lemon will swiftly eliminate the stains. If you do not have fresh lemons, bottled lemon juice for cleaning can be just as effective.
Isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol, is even better than vinegar for most things! While vinegar is a great acid that can clean build up like coffee makers, steam clean the microwave, or loosen up carpet stains, it is not a registered disinfectant.
Best of all, you probably have everything you need to remove limescale in your home already. The citric acid in lemon or acetic acid in vinegar is your best weapon, ensuring a limescale-free bathroom without the need for abrasive chemicals that can damage the finish on your bathroom fittings.
Apple cider vinegar and lemon juice offer a multitude of health benefits. They can help improve digestion, boost energy levels, and even help with skin problems.
'Leave a bowl of vinegar out overnight,' advises Saskia Gregson-Williams, cookbook author and founder of Naturally Sassy. 'In the morning, the vinegar will have absorbed all the unsavory smells and your kitchen will be as fresh as a daisy. '
White vinegar can damage natural stone like granite or marble and can harm grout. Don't use white vinegar to clean waxed or unfinished wood floors. Vinegar is also too harsh to use on natural carpet fibers such as silk or wool. Without extra tools or wasted storage space, you'll get the clean floors you dream of.
Mix it with water (and soap, depending on the use), wring a dish towel in the mixture, and you have an all-purpose homemade solution to tackle those spots of neglect. Don't worry about the odor; it's never long lasting since vinegar evaporates once it dries.
Rinsing is not necessary! If you're simply using a vinegar and water solution to wipe and disinfect, you won't need to rinse. However, if there's also plenty of dirt and grime you're wiping away, you may also want to rinse with some extra water.
Favorites include pine oil mixed with water for disinfecting properties or a simple mixture of water and vinegar and lemon for that clean smell. There are many different types of mops that pros use, such as the sponge mop or a traditional cotton string style mop.
Substitute white vinegar for lemon juice at 1/2:1 ratio. ½ part white vinegar for every 1 part lemon juice. Substitute lemon extract for lemon juice at a 1/2:1 ratio and replace the rest with water.
Transfer lemon peels into glass jar. Pour white vinegar into the jar, seal jar. Set jar aside for 2-3 weeks. Strain the lemon peels out of the vinegar.
To make a spray that will clean just about anything—countertops, the sink, light fixtures, and more—mix 13 ounces of hot water, ½ cup of white vinegar, 15 drops of grapefruit essential oil, 10 drops of lavender essential oil, and seven drops of lemon essential oil in a spray bottle, says Kimberly Button, a certified ...