White,Georgian,Wine,In,Big,Glass,Pitcher,As,Part,And

Cleaning with White Vinegar

Chances are, you’ve got a big bottle of vinegar stashed away in your cupboard. While you may use it for cooking and salad dressings, did you know it’s actually one of the most powerful cleaners on the market? Cleaning with vinegar is not only cheap and 100% natural, and it is extremely effective. 

Vinegar is made from acetic acid, so this makes it a natural disinfectant for so many germs including salmonella and E Coli. It can be great for some kitchen surfaces and appliances, as well as in the bathroom. It’s a brilliant product to have in the store cupboard and avoids using store-bought abrasive cleaners.

It’s strong enough to kill bacteria and dissolve mineral deposits, grease, and dirt.

White vinegar does have a smell but don’t worry it does disperse very quickly.

Lastly, it’s cheap! So you can clean to your heart’s content.

Window and Glass cleaning

Our windows can look really dirty really quickly but all they need is a homemade vinegar and water solution to get them sparkling in no time. I keep a spray bottle filled with half vinegar, half water then wipe clean windows and mirrors with a lint free cloth , don’t forget to label your bottles when you are making homemade cleaners.

Lime scale and hard water build up

Limescale and hard water build up can be a real pain to get rid off and many of the cleaning products on the market just don’t seem to work very well. 

Soak shower heads in a bag of white vinegar, if your shower head does not come off drench an old tea towel in white vinegar and wrap around the head .

Spray neat onto shower doors, draining boards and taps, leave for 15 minutes and then rinse away.

Carpet Stains

We all spill drinks or find marks on our carpet from time to time. white vinegar mixed with.a little washing up liquid can really help at removing those unwanted stains.  Simply mix together and add to a spray bottle, use a soft bristle brush to scrub away at the stain and then using a white cloth blot dry.

Repeat the process if necessary and then rinse away using a damp wet cloth.

Descaling the Kettle

To get rid of that horrible limescale inside your tea kettle or coffee maker, pour the water and vinegar solution directly into the appliance or water tank.

This is a monthly task that needs adding into your cleaning routine.

Simply fill the kettle with half water and 30ml of white vinegar then leave to sit for 30 minutes.  Once the time is up boil the kettle, empty and rinse thoroughly.

This will keep limescale at bay and eliminates the need of using harsh chemicals.

Prevent Mildew in water areas

If you have any mildew patches in the bathroom, around the shower, bath, window or on the shower curtain then spray liberally with neat White Wine Vinegar  leave to sit for a while to allow the product to work and then rinse away.

Remove odours from kitchen sink

Another task to add into your monthly routine is to pour a scoop bicarbonate of Soda and then add 20ml of white vinegar the two together will cause a chemical reaction which will free up any blockages and can get rid of those nasty sink odours. But this will not kill bacteria as the two actually cancel each others cleaning power out!

Clean and deodorise microwave

Many of us forget to give the microwave a good clean every now and then and it can quickly become a bit stinky.

Using a microwave-safe bowl, fill with 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1 cup water.  Place in the microwave pop on a high heat for 5 minutes.

Let it sit in microwave while it cools. 

You can then easily wipe down inside of microwave and  lingering odours should disappear. 

Cleaning the fridge

Mix a gallon of warm water and 2 cups of White Wine Vinegar to wipe down inside of refrigerator, including shelves, walls, and packaging. 

Your refrigerator will be clean and smelling clean without harming any food with harsh chemicals.

Freshen up laundry

If you feel your laundry is looking a little dull simply add 20ml of white vinegar into your washing machine. This will help brighten your colours and whiten your whites.

Grass stains

Make a mixture 20ml of white vinegar with 20ml of water. Apply the solution to the stain and blot with a clean cloth.

Repeat this process until you’ve removed as much green as possible, and then wash as usual.

Arm pit stains

A common stain which is so easy to remove using the power of white vinegar simply liberally spray under the arm of the garment, leave 15 minutes and then pop straight into the washing machine.

Cleaning your washing machine

Simply add two 100 ml into the detergent compartment or directly to the drum and then run a hot cycle to freshen up your machine. 

Wash fruit and veg

Vinegar will help remove bacteria and pesticide residues from fruits and vegetables, fill a bowl with water and add in 20ml of white vinegar, leave to soak for 5 minutes, remove then rinse. and dry off.

What Should You Not Clean with Vinegar?

There are many instances when you wouldn’t want to use vinegar, with such great power comes great responsibility!

Here are a few instances when you would want to avoid cleaning with vinegar.

  • Natural stone. Never use vinegar on your natural stone countertops or flooring including granite, marble, and quartz. It can react with the stone and defects in the surface, also causing the stone to become dull and lose its shine.
  • Hardwood floors. I know many people who use vinegar on their hardwood floors! In reality, over time it can dull the shine and sometimes void the warranty of newly installed hardwood floors.
  • Electronic screens. Vinegar can actually strip phones, TVs, and laptops of their protective coating which can enhance glare and even interfere with touch screens.
  • Knives and other metal utensils. Vinegar can corrode the metal and actually dull the knife edges, especially those made of stainless steel.

Poznan,,Pol,-,Jun,26,,2020:,Bottles,Of,Several,Global

Cleaning with Vodka

I love to make my own cleaning products using what I already have in the kitchen cupboards. bicarbonate of soda, salt, lemon and white wine vinegar are a few of my favorites along with a drop of essential oils but did you also know that Vodka makes a powerful disinfectant and makes a great degreaser? Plus you can use Vodka to make a great deodoriser too.

One of my favourite uses for Vodka is to tackle stains and loads of you have had great success with this across my social media channels. But I have listed below a few more ideas on how to use Vodka in your home not as a delicious cocktail martini but as a cleaning product instead.

Vodka Cleaning Tips 

Make your own line spray

Add vodka, water and your favourite essential oil to a spray bottle and then use to refreshen upholstery and fabrics within your home.  It’s always worth testing a small patch first but you should be absolutely fine.  Also don’t worry as you won’t get a horrible alcohol smell as the smell will evaporate quickly.

Room Diffuser

Using the same method as above you make a simple diffuser using an old one that has run out.

Soap scum and water marks

Use Vodka only in a spray bottle for shower doors, tiles, draining boards and taps. Allows leave for around 10 to 15 minutes before you rinse it off to allow the vodka to get to work.

Greasy cooking trays and pans

Add a few drops of vodka to greasy oven trays or pots and the vodka will cut right through the grease to make scrubbing a whole lot easier.

Sticky Labels

I always find it so frustrating when a sticky label won’t fully come off a new pair of shoes or the children have gone mad with a packet of stickers and stuck them all over their bedroom door.  Neat vodka on a cloth and a simple wipe will easily remove those left on marks.

Garden weeds

Mix vodka and water and a quick spray will kill those unwanted weeds.

Help keep your vases of flowers for longer

I always do this my Nan told me to be this years ago.  Add a drop vodka into your vase of flowers to help keep them for longer or to perk up wilting flowers.

Glass cleaning 

Neat vodka in a spray bottle will bring your glass up really shiny.

Chrome and Jewellery

Vodka works well when combined with a microfiber cloth and will shine up chrome and jewellery.

Stains

One of my favorite uses for vodka and this is why you should keep a small bottle in your laundry cupboard. Add neat vodka onto your stains, its brilliant at removing blood, grass, sick, and felt pens stains from clothing

I hope you have found this cleaning tips with Vodka useful. I have also put together some great tips on using Hair Spray in the home too

As always thank you for reading
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxox

Man,Cleans,The,Filter,In,The,Dishwasher.,Maintenance,Of,Home

Dishwasher cleaning

Your dishwasher cleans your plates and dishes so if your dishwasher isn’t clean your plates and dishes certainly aren’t going to be clean.  Lots of people forget about cleaning the dishwasher and washing machine but these items really need to be looked after.

I have covered washing machine care before so todays it’s the turn of the dishwasher.

Cleaning the dishwasher is something I aim to do fortnightly.  I have shown this on my instastoriesbefore so  a lot of you will already know my process.

Before using my dishwasher I always ensure the dishwasher is fully filled and then I  set it on an overnight setting using the ecological wash option.

To clean here is what I do using all natural products.

Empty the filter of your dishwasher (mine simply twists and pulls). You can find how to do this in your instruction manual or on your washer manufactures website.

Wipe down all your seals and around the door with a solution of 50% white vinegar, 20% neat lemon juice and 30% water. I put the solution in a spray bottle as it can be used for other household cleaning jobs. I use Lemon juice as this leaves a fresh clean smell and lemons are also great for breaking down dirt and grim.

Place a cup of white vinegar mixed with lemon juice in the top of your dishwasher and run it on a hot cycle this will help break down any grease and gunk.

Once cycle has completed sprinkle the bottom of your dishwasher with bicarbonate of soda, bicarbonate of soda is great at eliminating any nasty smells.

You do not have to rinse this from your dishwasher just leave until the next time you use.

I hope you have enjoyed this post, this really is a simple cleaning method that takes no time at all.  I love cleaning with natural products especially lemons. Take a look at other ideas I have for cleaning with lemons.

Buying white wine vinegar and neat lemon juice in supermarkets can be expensive or not always easy to find so I have found some cheaper options for you.

White wine vinegar – CLICK HERE

Lemon Juice – CLICK HERE

As Always thank you for reading
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo

This post contains affiliate links 

book 3

Cleaning your home with Lemons

When life gives you lemons clean with them.

I love having a bowl full of lemons in my house, not only do they help brighten up my kitchen but they can be really handy and help out with the cleaning with their sweet scent and antiseptic properties.

Making changes to your home cleaning and cleaning with lemons uses less toxins is so good for you and the environment plus you will spend money.

 Lemons leave your house sparkling and spotless.

Wooden Chopping Board

You can clean your wooden cutting board with half a lemon and a little coarse salt. All you have to do is cut a lemon in half and sprinkle the salt over the chopping board. Then with the lemon facing downwards simply scour the surface of the chopping board, squeezing slightly to release the lemon juice as you go. Let sit for about 15 minutes to give the lemon and salt some time to work. Then scrap away any lemon bits and rinse with warm water and a clean sponge or cloth.

Limescale

Lemon is great at tackling limescale. For limescale that is on your taps, very simply cut your lemon in half and run the lemon all over the tap where the limescale is present. Leave the lemon on the tap for a while so that it can get to work and then rinse away. You may need to repeat this process.

For your kettle just pop a few used lemon halves into the kettle, fill with water and boil. Leave 30 minutes and boil again before emptying.

Give it a quick rinse to remove any bits.

Microwave

Put a few lemon halves in a bowl of clean cold water in the microwave and then put the microwave on full power for 5 minutes.  

The lemon will release the grease which will make it really easy to wipe off with a cloth.

Rust

To remove rust mix lemon with salt and make a paste, apply this paste to the rust and scrub. Leave for a few minutes and rinse with warm water.

Hard water marks

Hard water marks can be a real pain but simply rubbing the mark with a half a lemon and some added bicarbonate of soda they can be easily removed.

Position onto the end of your taps to remove limescale.

Fridge Odours 

Soak a clean sponge in lemon juice, put it on a saucer or in an open tub and leave in the fridge. By the morning your fridge will smell lovely and zesty fresh.

Dishwasher

Pour lemon juice into the sealed tablet section and then run on a rinse cycle.

A few more ideas for cleaning with lemons:

  • Polish up chrome
  • Help keep insects at bay
  • Tackle grease stains
  • Remove perspiration marks
  • Restore grout
  • Degrease pans
  • Remove plastic container stains

Want to learn more cleaning tips then grab a copy of one of my books and I will show you how to clean your house and tidy up your life