24 Household Uses for White Vinegar: The Go-To Ingredient for Natural Cleaning

You use it for making a science fair volcano or for whipping up dishes in the kitchen. But did you know white vinegar has a lot more uses? Check out our 24 incredible uses for white vinegar.

1. Clean your computer.

Reader’s Digest recommends turning off your computer, then using a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar to clean it. Make sure to use a cloth and carefully wipe down the areas that see the most dirt, like the keyboard. Let dry completely before turning on. Can also use on your printer and other electronics that get lots of dirty hands on them.

2. Peel off wallpaper.

If you’ve moved into a place with weird old wallpaper, never fear! Removing it isn’t as hard as you think. Make a vinegar/water solution according to instructions on Apartment Therapy, and spray and peel. You’ll be ready to paint in no time.

3. Remove hard water stains.

If you have hard water at your house, then you’ve probably notice build up anywhere that water goes, and you know that almost nothing—even scrubbing—will take it off. According to wikiHow, there is an easy answer. Vinegar! Depending on what the hard water is on, follow the instructions for removal. It’s pretty amazing how well it works.

4. Kill weeds.

All you need is vinegar and a spray bottle. Get it on those weeds, and then say goodbye! Just be careful not to hit any plants you want to keep. Check out the before and after pictures at A Garden for the House.

5. Clean lawn mower blades.

Survival Kit has a great tip for cleaning lawn mower blades—vinegar! After repeated use, lawn mower blades tend to get grass build up, and even bugs. Vinegar will clean it off and keep any pests from coming back.

6. Clean your carpet.

If you’ve got pet stains or anything else looming in your carpet, vinegar will take out the smell and clean the dirt. Life Hacker says to add baking soda for an extra boost.

7. Get rid of bugs.

It may not kill them all, but bugs seriously do not like vinegar. To get them out of your house, follow the directions on eHow.

8. Wash blinds.

Cleaning window blinds are probably one of the worst household chores; make it a little easier and all natural by using vinegar. Keeping Home Simple recommends grabbing an old sock and sticking it on your hand; then dip in a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar and wiping each slat. Presto! An easy way to clean.

9. Clean rusty tools.

No need to shell out money to buy new tools; simply clean the rust off the ones you already have and make them as good as new. Fine Woodworking recommends starting off by putting the item in a vinegar bath, then adding salt. Let it sit for 12 hours. Scrub with a 3M pad, then put it in a water and baking soda bath. Remove then scrub with steel wool, and finally rub with denatured alcohol.

10. Make your own all purpose cleaner.

Vinegar is great for cleaning just about anything. With a few other ingredients, you’ll have your own all purpose cleaner. The best parts? It is cheap, easy, and non-toxic. Check out instructions on Earth Easy.

11. Disinfect toilet bowl brush.

There isn’t anything much nastier than a toilet bowl brush that’s been sitting around. How often do you clean that thing, anyway? Disinfect it now with vinegar. It’s pretty easy. How to Clean Stuff offers step by step instructions. Grab on old (but clean) milk jug to make the job easier.

12. Disinfect thrift store clothes.

Thrift store clothes are pretty awesome, but they tend to smell a little funky. Never fear! Vinegar can help. Racked says just spray vinegar on the clothes. The acid in the vinegar will counteract smells, and the vinegar smell will dissipate.

13. Clean your washing machine.

DIY Natural says to run the washer (without clothes) as usual, but add vinegar. Let it agitate for a bit, then stop it and add baking soda. Check out all the instructions on the site.

14. Remove candle wax.

Scraping away dried candle wax is easy enough, but how do you get rid of the greasy residue that is leftover? Use vinegar and wipe it clean. Check it out at Today.

15. Clean lunchboxes.

Good Housekeeping gives a super easy way to clean lunchboxes—wipe clean with a cloth dipped in vinegar. Let dry overnight and smell the freshness!

16. Clean your brick fireplace.

Cleaning a fireplace is a big job; Pop Sugar gives great step by step instructions, which include vinegar! After clearing out the ashes, scrub with a wire brush, wipe with a rag, then spray with vinegar and scrub.

17. Soak your showerhead.

Is your showerhead not spitting out water as quickly or efficiently as it could? Clean My Space gives the easiest way to clean your showerhead—fill a bag with vinegar, place it at the shower head so it is submerged, then secure with a rubber band. Let it sit overnight and then pour down the drain. The crusties on your showerhead will be gone!

18. Clean your car wiper blades and prevent frost.

The Huffington Post says just soak a rag in vinegar, then wipe down the blades. Not only does it clean the blades, but also it makes it harder for frost to form when it’s cold. You can do the same thing with the windows to prevent them from frosting.

19. Unstick scissors.

If you have a pair of gummed up scissors, all it takes is a little vinegar to get them fresh and clean again. Simply Shellie says to just soak a rag or sponge in vinegar and carefully wipe the blades. Sounds easy!

20. Clean piano keys.

You may not think about it, but piano keys are touched a lot and need to be disinfected. Use a vinegar solution and follow the directions on Hints from Heloise.

21. Unclog drains.

How Stuff Works recommends dumping a bit of baking soda down the clogged drain, then pouring vinegar on it. As you guessed, the two will react and break up the clog. Let that sit for about three hours, then run water down the drain.

22. Clean terracotta pots.

Over time, terracotta pots really start to show their age; according to Get Busy Gardening they absorb soil and everything that touches them. But cleaning is a breeze with vinegar! First, scrub off all loose soil, then soak in a vinegar solution. Check out all the instructions on the website.

23. Clean soot off fireplace doors.

Have a woodstove or glass fireplace doors? The black soot sure does block the beautiful view of the the fire. Try mixing a 50/50 ratio of vinegar and water. Spray on the glass, let it soak, and then wipe it off with a newspaper.

24. Remove iron scorch marks.

Did you scorch your favorite linen napkins or favorite dress shirt? Don’t worry. You can use white vinegar to remove scorch marks. Gently rub the scorch mark with vinegar, and dab with a clean cloth. Now, if you totally burn your outfit, this won’t work. This fix is for lightly scorched items. If your iron is scorched, you can clean it with white vinegar and salt. Clean the COOL iron with the mixture and get a fresh, clean iron.