White vinegar is a household staple, but there are some surfaces and materials you should avoid cleaning with it, depsite what some cleaning enthusiasts may say
White vinegar is a multi-purpose product that can be used for numerous tasks, from helping to poach eggs to lifting stains from clothing. For decades, white vinegar has been recognised as one of the best natural cleaning solutions available, owing to its acidic nature that helps break down dirt and eliminate unpleasant smells.
A brief look at cleaning tip pages on social media could give you the impression that white vinegar is the perfect answer for every mark, blemish or odour in your property. Nevertheless, according to one cleaning specialist, this is not completely correct.
In reality, there are three spots in your home that you should never clean with vinegar.
Madame Sweat, a personal and home hygiene specialist, posted a video on Instagram in which she explained that if you have particular features in your home, you should never contemplate cleaning them with white vinegar, reports the Express.
She said: “I’m a personal hygiene expert, but I’m also here to help you with your home hygiene. Here are three places you should never clean with vinegar.”
Natural stone
If you have natural stone surfaces in your kitchen or other stone elements like tables and cabinets, you should never clean them with vinegar – even if you water it down first.
Madame Sweat warned: “Never ever use even diluted vinegar on natural stone. It’s too acidic.”
Alternatively, she suggested using washing up liquid mixed with water and a soft cloth, which should be adequate to clean any spillages and marks from your stone surfaces.
Hardwood floors
Hardwood floors are a popular style choice in many homes, but using vinegar to clean them could inadvertently damage the finish. Madame Sweat warned that vinegar can “strip the finish” off the floors and potentially result in warped wood, so it’s best to avoid this natural solution.
The expert suggested castile soap as the best natural alternative for hardwood floors. This product is an olive oil-based soap that originates from the Castile region of Spain.
If using a natural product isn’t for you, a specialised wood floor cleaner with a microfibre mop can be a simple and effective way to keep your hardwood floors looking their best.
Rubber components
Finally, Madame Sweat advised against using white vinegar on rubber. This includes cleaning your dishwasher or washing machine seals with it, despite its reputation for being able to remove any mould that might develop in these areas.
She stated: “It can actually wear down the rubber over time and strip them. If you want to use something to deodorise, just use baking soda.”
White vinegar is also often suggested for its ability to eliminate odours in your towels, gym kit, and other clothing. Whilst this does go into the washing machine, make sure to pour it into the detergent compartment so that it doesn’t come into contact with the rubber seal around the door.
Viewers responding to the expert’s video thanked her for the advice, with many admitting they were unaware they could be causing harm to their homes through such a basic error.
One person said: “This is good to know, thank you.”
Another added: “Thank you for saying the dishwasher. It’s wild how many people tell you to dump vinegar in your dishwasher all the time, and appliance companies do not agree.”
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