While household vinegar has countless applications in home cleaning, using this versatile substance is not appropriate in many different situations. Because vinegar is acidic, it can corrode wood and stone, it can destroy wax, kill plants, and cause other damage.
Vinegar is one of those incredible all-around house cleaners that seems to be able to do anything. In the case of cleaning wood, the acetic acid in it cleans quickly and without any heavy scrubbing, leaving your wood safe and its surface clean.
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.
It is a bad idea to clean wood furniture with pure, undiluted vinegar. Aside from leaving water stains on the wood, undiluted vinegar can harm or "eat" some of the wood furniture finishes. To make vinegar safe for cleaning wood furniture, mix it with olive oil or coconut oil.
Surfaces that Should Not Be Cleaned with Vinegar
hardwood floors, wood furniture, and other word surfaces – due to its acidic nature, vinegar can damage hardwood floor finishes, causing them to look dingy. Use either a cleaner specifically made for hardwood floors or a mix of soap and water.
Diluted vinegar can dissolve the finish that protects the wood and leave it looking cloudy, dull, or scratched. (The same goes for wood furniture.) Follow the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations or pick a cleaner that's made specifically for hardwood flooring.
Vinegar does not damage untreated wood when diluted with olive oil or water before applying it. Applying undiluted vinegar on untreated wood can damage the wood due to the acidity of the vinegar. Use white vinegar on untreated wood after mixing it with olive oil or coconut oil or water.
Say no to H2O.
When it comes to cleaning, skipping chemicals and going straight to plain water may seem like a safe bet, but environmental toxin expert Tonya Harris says you should never use water on wood.
The only difference between cleaning vinegar and the distilled white vinegar is their levels of acidity. White vinegar is usually 95 percent water and 5 percent acid. By contrast, cleaning vinegar contains up to six percent acid and is around 20 percent stronger than regular white vinegar.
In a large bucket or sink, combine 1 gallon of water with 1 cup of distilled white vinegar or 1/2 cup of cleaning vinegar. If you decide to use a commercial hardwood floor cleaner, follow the product instructions carefully. Only use the amount as directed to avoid waxy buildup, which can make wood floors look dull.
Pour enough white vinegar into the container that it will submerge the steel wool. Put the top on and shake it up good then let it sit for 24 hrs. You can get different levels of aging if you let is sit longer or shorter periods, but for most of my purposes 24 hrs is perfect.
Wipe wood furniture with a barely damp microfiber cloth to remove dust and grime. (Use a cotton cloth to avoid damaging the wood.) Quickly wipe it dry with another microfiber cloth. Don't let water sit on wood since it can warp the surface.
Keeping your varnished wood clean
To stop a build-up of dust and dirt gathering on top of the varnish, you should wipe your wood regularly with a dry, lint-free cloth. If you do find a particularly stubborn or sticky substance on your varnish, you can wipe this with a damp cloth.
Adding vinegar and baking soda together creates a fizzy chemical reaction that can help dissolve stains and loosen up gunky messes. This makes them a handy cleaning combo, even though the actual solution left behind is basically salt water!
Create a mopping solution of ½ cup of vinegar and one gallon of warm water. Proper dilution is important, since vinegar's acidic, abrasive properties can have a stronger effect on some materials than others—tile being one of those. When mopping, less is more; make sure to wring out your mop thoroughly after each dip.
Both ACV and white vinegar are effective natural cleaners. ACV doesn't smell as harsh as white vinegar, but since white vinegar is slightly more acidic than ACV, it's a stronger cleaning agent.
Cleaning wood with water is not recommended either unless you are dealing with a sticky film on its surface. You should dip a cloth in water mixed with mild detergent or soap, wring off excess water, and wipe the sticky area. Use a circular motion to remove any dirt or dust.
Yes, but only in small amounts. When using water to clean wood, only use a lightly damp, not wet, cloth or sponge and dry the wood afterward. Water is best used to dilute other cleaners to make gentle cleaning solutions. Wood should never be cleaned with harsh chemicals.
homemade oil & vinegar furniture cleaner recipe
(Example: if you use 3/4 cup of oil, add 1/4 cup vinegar.) 2.) Mix it in a jar, dip a clean cloth into the mixture, then rub it into the wood. You don't need to wipe it off; the wood just soaks it in.
Wood. The ammonia in original Windex can damage wood, so if there's a mess on your backyard deck, keep the Windex inside. “Wood is a natural surface that can dry out and crack, like your skin,” says Glickman.