The Miracle of Vinegar

But don’t wait until the kitchen sink gets blocked – treat your waste pipe to a monthly clear-out with a handful of bicarbonate of soda plus a cup of vinegar. Leave it to fizz for a minute or two, then follow through with a kettle of boiling water.

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HARD-TO-GET-TO STAINS

To shift stubborn marks from a narrow-mouthed glass container (such as a decanter), mix 200–300ml warm water with the same of vinegar (any type) and pour it in. Add a handful of sand or uncooked rice, give it a good few swirls for around 30 seconds, then leave to stand for about an hour before pouring the mix away (but not down your sink or loo). Rinse well and the glass will sparkle like new.

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SOMETHING SMELL FISHY?

If you’ve cooked fish and it’s left a bad smell in the pan, half fill it with hot water plus a couple of tablespoons of clear vinegar, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. You might want to open a window to avoid being overpowered by the smell of vinegar!

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REFRESH YOUR MICROWAVE

Put a good slug of clear vinegar into a bowl of very hot water and heat in the microwave on High for around five minutes. The acidic steam will pass through the vents and loosen any food particles clinging to the sides. It’ll now be easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth.

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A GRILLE’S BEST FRIEND

The metal grilles in a cooker hood get greasy very quickly, particularly if you’re a fan of the frying pan. Most grilles nowadays are designed to go into the dishwasher, but if yours isn’t one of those, give it a good soak overnight in a sink full of hot water with a cup each of clear vinegar and washing soda crystals. If your grilles won’t easily fit into the sink, the bath is a good alternative (but first line the bottom with a large towel to avoid scratches to the surface). Afterwards, rinse the grille well and towel dry before putting it back into the hood.

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STEEL THE SHOW

If your stainless-steel sink has lost its shine or is covered with rusty stains, squirt a bit of washing-up liquid over the surface then scrub with a dampened pot scourer. Rinse and wipe down with a cloth dipped in clear vinegar then buff dry with either scrunched-up kitchen paper or newspaper. You’ll need sunglasses to admire the shine.

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CUPBOARD LOVE

Wooden kitchen cupboard doors have a tendency to become sticky and then look unsightly and feel nasty. Stop this happening by regularly wiping them down with a cloth soaked in a warm solution of washing-up liquid with a capful of vinegar – take care not to overwet the wood, though. Rinse with another clean cloth wrung out with plain water, then buff dry.

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BACK TO THE CHOPPING BOARD

A chopping board can become notoriously smelly, particularly if you like cooking with onions and garlic. To freshen it up, rub the surface with any type of vinegar mixed with a little mustard powder, leave overnight, then scrub under a hot tap, rinse, and leave it to dry on its side.

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TOP BRASS

Vinegar and salt work very well on brass that’s badly in need of cleaning. Pour any type of vinegar onto a damp cloth, sprinkle with salt and get rubbing the tarnished brass (tip: if you have any cuts to your fingers, wear rubber gloves). The metal will instantly take on a lovely shine. Rinse under the tap and buff dry with a soft cotton cloth to finish.

BATHROOM

SHOWER WITH COMPLIMENTS

Take a look at your shower screen, which was once clear and sparkling. Is it now opaque and covered with drip marks, soap scum and grotty bits of limescale? Bring it back to its pristine past: mix some bicarbonate of soda and clear vinegar to a smooth paste and then, using a nylon scourer, apply a layer of the mixture to the shower screen (as well as to any ceramic tiles); you’ll need to exercise a little elbow grease, too, which won’t do any harm to the screen. Leave for a few minutes then rinse off and buff dry to a gleaming shine using a microfibre cloth for glass/mirrors (the smooth, slinky type that’s similar to what you have in your glasses case for specs-cleaning) or, if you don’t have one of those, a few sheets of scrunched-up kitchen paper will do just as well.

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BRILLIANT BATH AND BASIN

Here’s a very effective, mildly abrasive but definitely non-scratchy cleaner for your bath and washbasins. In a bowl, mix together a loose paste of washing-up liquid, bicarbonate of soda and clear vinegar. Apply the mixture to the surface with a damp cloth, rubbing gently to clean away the dirt, then rinse down.

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PUT THE SPARKLE BACK INTO YOUR SHOWERHEAD

Is your chrome showerhead caked with limescale and the water flow really poor? Unscrew it and steep it overnight in a bowl filled with equal quantities of clear vinegar and water. By morning the scale will have miraculously softened and can be peeled off easily. Use a nylon scourer to remove any last stubborn bits. Note: don’t use this on special metal finishes, as the acid in the vinegar can easily damage the surface.

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TAKE THE GROT OUT OF YOUR GROUT

Grouting lines between tiles are absorbent and so latch onto scum and mildew – not a great look! Scrub these areas clean with a damp toothbrush dipped in a paste made of bicarbonate of soda with a few drops of vinegar and bleach, then rinse and buff dry.

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KEEP LIMESCALE IN THE LOO AT BAY

It’s one thing having limescale in your loo, but when it turns brown it’s a step too far. Salts and iron in water cause this, so you need to treat the limescale itself. One good way is to dissolve 250g citric acid powder (available from the chemist or a DIY shop) in a 5-litre bucket of hot water and pour slowly into the bowl. It’ll start to fizz as it dissolves the limescale, so swish it around with a loo brush to help. When the fizzing stops, flush. Repeat if necessary. Keep the scale at bay by pouring a bottle of clear vinegar into the bowl about once a month; leave overnight before flushing away.

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DECLOG THE BATH WASTE

Are you a fan of bath oil? If so, you could be in danger of clogging up the plughole as the oil attracts and collects hair, which eventually bungs up pipes and drains. If you notice that your bath is emptying more slowly than usual, pour a cup each of washing soda crystals and salt down the plughole, then add a cup of clear vinegar followed by a kettle of boiling water. Simultaneously have a go with the plunger – you might be horrified at what could emerge… but far better out than in. Rubber gloves are always a good idea if you’re a bit squeamish.

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A WEE PROBLEM SOLVED

As the mum of two males, I know that if you have small (or even big) boys living with you, you can be sure that some pee will land on the wall behind the cistern, leading to nasty niffs. To zap it immediately, wash with a 50:50 solution of vinegar and warm water. In the long run, it’s best to ensure boys are aiming properly (why can’t they just sit on the loo like the rest of us?). Supervise your small men, and make sure they press down every time… and actually look at what they’re doing! Also, get them into the habit of wiping the rim of the pan afterwards – it’ll soon become automatic.

LAUNDRY

SWEET-SMELLING BABY CLOTHES

Do you have a baby or small child at home? Add a cup of clear vinegar to each washload of baby clothes during the rinse cycle. This will break down the uric acid and leave the clothes lovely and soft as well as smelling fresh.

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KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY

If your washing machine isn’t taking all the powder from the detergent drawer, check you’re storing it properly – the powder will be sticky or hard if it’s in a damp place. If the detergent isn’t damp, it may be that the drawer’s water jets are blocked. A water softener such as Calgon will help protect the heating element and other parts of your washing machine, but it won’t stop limescale forming on the jets if you live in a hard-water area. To clean the jets, mix equal parts clear vinegar and water. Remove the drawer, then scrub the solution onto the roof of the empty compartment. Now run an idle wash – have the drum empty, set the machine to the hottest programme and add the maximum dose of detergent.

SOFT TOWELS GUARANTEED

Overusing fabric conditioner will actually make towels less absorbent and hard. If there’s a build-up it never actually gets rinsed out, and every time you use the washing machine, more and more is added and gets left behind. This will eventually make coloured fabrics look dull and whites grey. To keep the fluff factor in your towels, check you’re using enough detergent and include softener only every second or third time you wash them. Other times, use the same amount of clear vinegar as you would conditioner – add half a cup to the first rinse (tip it into the detergent drawer while the machine is filling with water). This is how they launder them commercially, which is probably why hotel towels stay so fluffy (and no – they won’t smell vinegary). Finally, rinse and spin well (this way you’ll eject more hard-water impurities). Line-drying helps to keep fibres fluffy; radiators do the opposite.

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IT’S THE PITS

How annoying is it when the armpits of your favourite shirts turn yellow and hard from sweat, and after a while normal washing just won’t hack it? Soak the stained area overnight in a solution of half clear vinegar, half water, then machine-wash as normal.

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BACK TO BLACK

When a black item turns an unappealing shade of grey over a number of washes, chances are this is because of a build-up of detergent left in the fabric, rather than actual loss of black dye. To sort this, soak the item for a few hours in a sink filled with warm water with a little clear vinegar. Afterwards, rinse thoroughly and machine-wash as normal.

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SMOKE GETS UP YOUR NOSE

Admittedly this is not an everyday occurrence, but house fires do happen. If you’re in the unfortunate position of trying to rescue smoke-damaged clothes, bedlinen and towels that are stinking, first sprinkle everything with bicarbonate of soda, then machine-wash twice, adding a cupful of vinegar to the drum for each cycle. If possible, hang everything outside on a washing line (which will help to get rid of the smell).

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SEAL WITH A SPRITZ

Nasty germs and smelly mould can lurk in your washing-machine seal. Mix equal quantities of water and clear vinegar in a spray bottle and squirt onto the inside of the seal. Leave for a few minutes then wipe clean.

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LOOK AFTER YOUR IRON AND IT WILL LOOK AFTER YOU

Most steam irons nowadays have some type of self-cleaning or anti-calc system – use these once a month according to the instructions on the packet and from the manufacturer. If your iron doesn’t have this feature, pour equal parts clear vinegar and tap water into the reservoir until it’s about one-third full. Turn the heat to medium and allow the iron to steam for 5–10 minutes until all the vinegar evaporates. Switch off the iron, then fill the reservoir with fresh water. Turn on the iron again to flush through any leftover mineral deposits and vinegar. Switch off, allow to cool, then wipe the base with a soft clean cloth. If you think the steam vents are still clogged, clear with a cotton bud dipped in water with a little vinegar added. To help stop any future build-up of limescale, pour away excess water when you’ve finished ironing.

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