Things You Should Never Clean with Vinegar

You don’t have to introduce harmful chemicals to your home to enjoy a deep-down clean. Chemicals found in some commercial cleaning products can have harmful effects to human health, pet health and the environment. Vinegar is a powerful, all-natural and safe cleaner that has numerous applications throughout your home.

In fact, it can be used as a replacement for your multi-purpose cleaners, window cleaners, floor cleaners, bathroom cleaners and more. While it is an excellent cleaner for many areas of the house, there are a few things that you should never clean with vinegar.

What Is Vinegar?

White vinegar is the best type of vinegar to use for cleaning projects. It is made through a double fermentation process. The first fermentation step uses yeast to transform simple sugars to ethanol. The second fermentation step uses acetic acid bacteria to convert the ethanol to acetic acid.

Vinegar usually has between 5% to 18% acetic acid. Vinegar is used for everything from cooking to treatment for jellyfish stings. In the home, it can clean counters, appliances, floors, windows, mirrors, tubs and more.

Things You Should Never Clean with Vinegar

While vinegar can be used to clean many areas, it can damage some types of floors as well as materials in the kitchen, laundry room and other areas.

Flooring

Hardwood

Pure vinegar can strip away the protective sealant or finish on hardwood floors. While you should never clean hardwood with pure vinegar, you can clean it with highly diluted vinegar.

Combine 10 parts water with one part vinegar and one part liquid soap. After mopping the floor with this cleaning solution, remove the vinegar and soap with a clean, damp mop. To avoid streaks, dry the floor with a microfiber mop.

Natural Stone

The acetic acid in vinegar will etch natural stone. It should not be used on granite, limestone, marble, travertine or other types of natural stone. This includes the floor, countertops and other areas.

In the Kitchen

Rubber

When rubber is exposed to vinegar, it weakens and breaks down. Vinegar is an excellent cleaning product for appliances like your fridge and dishwasher. However, you should take care to keep vinegar off of the rubber seals.

Cast Iron, Copper and Aluminum

Because vinegar is highly acetic, it can corrode metal. While it can be used to clean aluminum, copper and cast iron, only a small amount of vinegar should be used. The vinegar should be cleaned off the pot or pan as soon as possible. Do not allow vinegar to sit in your dishes.

Kitchen Knives

Vinegar can remove rust stains and water marks on kitchen knives. However, it can also dull the blades and cause corrosion. As with cast iron, copper and aluminum pots and pans, do not allow vinegar to remain on the knives for more than a few minutes.

In the Laundry Room

Clothing Irons

Your clothes iron’s water canister can get gunky over time, but you should not clean it with vinegar.

This can ultimately ruin the iron. In addition, because vinegar ruins metal, you should not use it to clean the iron’s heated plate.

Elastic Clothing

Vinegar can be used to clean, soften and deodorize your clothes, and it is an effective stain lifter. However, the acetic acid in vinegar will break down elastic. Because of this, it should not be used on laundry with elastic waistbands. It is also not suitable for washing undergarments, swimwear and workout clothes.

Other Areas of the Home

Electronic

Vinegar is rightfully known for its ability to leave a streak-free shine on mirrors and windows. Because of this, it is easy to assume that it can be used on electronics’ screens as well.

However, straight vinegar will make touch display screens less responsive, and it will strip off the anti-glare coating.

Waxed Furniture

Just as vinegar can strip the wax or seal off of hardwood floors, it can remove the protective coating on waxed furniture. While diluted vinegar can be used to clean unwaxed furniture, you should ensure that your wood does not have a sealant on it before using vinegar to clean it.

Knowing the right way to clean the many materials and surfaces in your home can be confusing. While you want your home to be as clean as possible, you don’t want to risk damaging the materials.

At Cleanzen, we offer the full range of cleaning services you need. From regular house cleaning service and deep cleaning to move-out cleaning and more, we can do it all. Schedule your next service with us today.