Mar 26 2009
Rock Star Cleaner: Vinegar
While I knew you could clean the coffee-maker’s insides with vinegar, I’d never actually 
tried it. Well, this past week I gave this all-natural cleaning front-runner a try - not only in the coffeemaker, but also the dishwasher and the kitchen floor.
To sanitize the coffee maker:
- Fill with half water and half vinegar
- Run cycle halfway and then let sit for 1 hour
- Complete cycle, then flush with several cycles of plain water
To sanitize the dishwasher:
- Pour 1/2 cup vinegar in reservoir and run empty cycle
- That’s it!
To mop the floor (not to be used on marble - it can scratch; or wood floors - it can strip them!)
- Add 1/4 cup vinegar to bucket of warm water
- Mop clean
So … did it work?
This is so great! I am a big fan of the vinegar. My roommate always knows when I’ve hit the bathroom — “I can smell that you’ve been cleaning!” BUT, by contrast with nastastic (fantastically nasty) chemical cleaners…what she smells when I clean with vinegar won’t harm her or her unborn children! SO, bravo, Court, on a great post.
I will say this, though: I use vinegar on wood floors! I used to clean rental houses in the summertime on Martha’s Vineyard, and my boss only used vinegar on wood floors. She said other stuff left a residue. So, there’s my 2 cents. Here’s to acetic fermentation and the non-poisonous cleaning solutions it produces!
Thanks for the head’s up, CG! I realize that I misspoke…and while vinegar could potentially scratch marble, it could *strip* the finish from wood floors. I’d say, give it a go, but test it out in an inconspicuous spot first.
B - I’d say the vinegar worked pretty well on all counts. I floor is just as clean as any other chemical cleaner I’ve tried, the dishwasher is definitely disinfected (and we really don’t have the best dishwasher), plus I’d say my coffee tasted even more delicious post-vinegar bath for the maker! (maybe a slight exaggeration, but I feel better about a cleaner pot!). The real test will be when my mom arrives for a visit tomorrow. Will SHE notice the difference. I’ll be sure to let you know!
How has the vinegar been working out? Does the entire house smell like salad dressing, or does it disappear in a few hours (which would be no different than normal cleaning fumes). I need to get some white vinegar this weekend and try it out myself! Thanks for the tip.
The vinegar only smells when its wet. And since it’s diluted with water, it’s subtle. I think it works great! And my mom, visiting this weekend even said, “the house smells fresh!”. So, I’d say vinegar is a clear winner!
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