Cleaning With Vinegar: 9 Eco-Friendly, Inexpensive, Multipurpose ...

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HealthlineSubscribeVinegar: The Multipurpose, Chemical-Free Household Cleaner You Should Know About

Medically reviewed by Meera Patel, PA-C — Written by Valencia Higuera — Updated on July 11, 2025

Benefits
Glass
Countertops
Faucets
Showers and tubs
Toilets
Floors
Dishwasher
Appliances
Laundry
Takeaway

Vinegar is a powerful multipurpose cleaner that you probably already have sitting in the pantry. Learn more about its benefits as a household cleaner and common uses around the home.

Multipurpose cleaners are convenient because they’re usable on many different surfaces. But while effective, some of these cleaners aren’t exactly healthy or environmentally friendly.

Vinegar, on the other hand, is nontoxic and eco-friendly, making it the ultimate multipurpose cleaning solution. And the best part? It’s super cheap.

Keep reading to learn what types of vinegar to use, along with nine ways vinegar can be used to clean and disinfect your home.

Benefits of vinegar as a household cleaner

You probably have a bottle of vinegar sitting in your cupboard right now. But like so many, you might only use it as a salad dressing or a marinade for vegetables, meat, poultry, or fish.

Made from acetic acid

Vinegar isn’t only useful for cooking — it also makes a great cleaner and disinfectant because it’s made from acetic acid.

Acetic acid is a colorless organic compound that gives vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell. It’s also an ingredient in some store-bought household cleaners.

The acidic nature of vinegar is so powerful that it can dissolve mineral deposits, dirt, grease, and grime. It’s also strong enough to kill bacteria.

Different types of vinegar include:

apple cider vinegar
white distilled vinegar
balsamic vinegar
red or white wine vinegar

Best type of vinegar to use

White distilled vinegar is considered the best vinegar for cleaning because it doesn’t contain a coloring agent. Therefore, it won’t stain surfaces, which can occur when cleaning with a darker-colored vinegar.

Plus, distilled white vinegar has about 5% acidity, which is also similar to the acidity level in many everyday multipurpose cleaners.

About that vinegar smell

The strong odor of white vinegar can be unpleasant, so you can use apple cider vinegar instead.

It has the same cleaning properties as white distilled vinegar, but since it’s made by fermenting apple juice, it also has a slightly sweet scent.

Apple cider vinegar is darker in color, so dilute it in water before using it as a cleaning agent.

If you’re using vinegar as a cleaner, the scent may linger for about an hour or so. However, this might be a small price to pay for a cleaner that’s nontoxic, natural, and environmentally friendly.

You can mask the smell by adding a few drops of essential oil, such as lemon oil, lavender oil, or peppermint oil, to a spray bottle containing a vinegar-water solution.

Or, open a window and let some fresh air in to help remove the scent quicker.

Here’s a look at a few common uses for vinegar around the home.

1. Glass

Consider using vinegar to make your own glass cleaner. Combine 1 part water with 2 parts vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the solution on glass surfaces and wipe clean for a streak-free finish.

2. Countertops

Because vinegar is a natural disinfectant, it can clean and disinfect countertops after food preparation. For tough stains, try adding a few drops of soap to 1 part water and 2 parts vinegar.

Vinegar can also remove odors from countertops, but it shouldn’t be used on granite or marble. Use a natural stone cleaner instead, as the acid in vinegar can diminish the luster of natural stone.

Vinegar can also deter ants that may scour countertops at night in search of food scraps.

3. Faucets

Combine 2 teaspoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt to remove calcium deposits on faucets and fixtures. This solution can also remove hard water stains from showerheads.

To get rid of stubborn stains, try spraying fixtures and faucets with vinegar and then tying a bag around them overnight. Scrub and rinse the next morning.

4. Showers and tubs

Thick soap scum and mildew can be challenging to remove. Spray undiluted white vinegar over tub and shower walls. Let the vinegar sit for several minutes, then scrub and rinse away.

Or, combine baking soda and vinegar to create a paste and scrub away tough grime.

5. Toilets

Pour 2 to 3 cups of undiluted vinegar into the toilet bowl and let it sit for up to 3 hours. Scrub with a toilet brush and flush. This helps eliminate rings around the bowl and deodorizes the toilet.

6. Floors

Vinegar also makes a great floor cleaner, but only on certain types of floors.

You shouldn’t use it on hardwood floors because it can dissolve the finish and leave watermarks. The natural acid in vinegar can also damage natural stone floors.

However, you can use vinegar on no-wax linoleum.

Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to 1/2 gallon of water. To clean ceramic tile, add 1/2 cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of water.

7. Dishwasher

To break through soap scum in a dishwasher, add 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse compartment and let the dishwasher run for an entire cycle.

8. Appliances

To eliminate odors in your microwave, place a bowl containing a 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water inside the microwave and heat for a couple of minutes. This solution can also loosen any stubborn stains.

Vinegar is also great for cleaning the inside and outside of appliances, including stainless steel. Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle, then spray down appliances.

Use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe away the solution. Don’t use abrasive pads, which can scratch the surface of appliances.

9. Laundry

Distilled white vinegar is also a great choice for removing fabric odor and stains. Don’t use dark vinegar, or you might stain your clothes. Add 1 cup of vinegar to the wash cycle.

Takeaway

Vinegar isn’t only for cooking — it’s also an eco-friendly and inexpensive household cleaner. And in most cases, you only need to mix vinegar with water.

That said, you can add salt and baking soda to create a more abrasive cleaner or a few drops of essential oil for a lighter scent.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Cleaning supplies and household chemicals. (2025).https://www.lung.org/clean-air/indoor-air/indoor-air-pollutants/cleaning-supplies-household-chem
Dachelet M, et al. (2023). Vinegar with 5% acidity: It matters.https://forest.extension.wisc.edu/2023/08/07/vinegar-with-5-acidity-it-matters/
Korczyńska J, et al. (2023). The effects of ethanol and acetic acid on the behaviour of extranidal workers of the narrow-headed ant Formica exsecta (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) during a field experiment.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10486794/
Removing odors from refrigerators and freezers. (2024).https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/emergencies/removing-odors-refrigerators-and
Vinegar. (2019).https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/food-features/vinegar/
Zinn M-K, et al. (2020). Did granny know best? Evaluating the antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral efficacy of acetic acid for home care procedures.https://bmcmicrobiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12866-020-01948-8

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Medically reviewed by Meera Patel, PA-C — Written by Valencia Higuera — Updated on July 11, 2025

Cleaning With Vinegar: 9 Eco-Friendly, Inexpensive, Multipurpose ...

Benefits of vinegar as a household cleaner

Made from acetic acid

Best type of vinegar to use

About that vinegar smell

1. Glass

2. Countertops

3. Faucets

4. Showers and tubs

5. Toilets

6. Floors

7. Dishwasher

8. Appliances

9. Laundry

Takeaway

How we reviewed this article:

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