Don’t Ever Clean These 13 Things With Vinegar
Watch out! Using vinegar might seem like an all-natural wonder cleaner for everything in your house, but it can actually hurt your stuff if you use it wrong. Never clean these 13 things with vinegar (unless you want them to “accidentally” break).
I get it. As a mom 7 kids, I totally understand the ick you get from using harsh chemical cleaners. And doesn’t vinegar do everything they can do (but without the nasty fumes)? If you’re on a chemical-free journey, you’ve probably heard about all the things you can clean with vinegar. It’s true! It’s an all-natural cleaner that’s safe to use around babies and pets. But before you start using it to clean every single surface in your house, make sure you don’t use it on these 13 things. The acid in vinegar could hurt them (yikes!).
1. Clothes Iron
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The inside of your clothes iron is no place for vinegar. Always read the manufacturer’s guidebook for your appliance because some irons have a protective coating on the inside. Adding vinegar might eat away at this coating over time. Your owner’s manual will tell you how to clean the iron. Most models have a self-cleaning function that only needs some water.
2. Grout
Be careful with the grout in your shower or kitchen. If it’s unsealed or damaged, do not use vinegar to clean it. The acid in the vinegar could eat away at it and make it deteriorate even more. It will take a few repeated uses of vinegar to really harm it, but it’s still best to fix the grout before using vinegar, or just opt to use non-acidic cleaners on weak areas.
The good news is that you can clean sealed grout with vinegar all you want. That’s safe because the seal protects the grout materials.
3. Natural Stone Countertops
If you have beautiful marble, granite, slate, or limestone countertops, then please don’t use vinegar on them. Repeatedly using acidic vinegar-based cleaners will eventually cause pits in the natural stone surfaces.
This goes for any other areas in your house that use natural stone, too. Don’t use vinegar on natural stone floors, tabletops, or shower walls either.
4. Pearls
Always handle delicate jewelry with care. This includes washing pearls in a mild solution of dish soap and lukewarm water. Even though it’s known as an all-natural cleaner, the acid in vinegar can dissolve pearls. They are delicate, so don’t even use a mild solution. Any amount of vinegar is able to damage the delicate beads.
5. Dishwashers
Doesn’t vinegar help with hard water? Yes, it’s known to help get rid of hard-water film. And, yes, some people say to use vinegar as a rinse-aid in the dishwasher. But this isn’t a good idea in the long term. There are rubber parts in the dishwasher that the vinegar can eat away at, which lowers the lifespan of your dishwasher.
If you want to use vinegar to get rid of hard water stains on glasses, mix vinegar with water and spray it directly on the glasses after they are washed. Wipe them down with a soft cloth, and they will be just like new.
6. Stainless Steel
Keep vinegar away from anything stainless steel. This includes the front of kitchen appliances, all kinds of cookware, and even knives. Repeated use of vinegar on stainless steel can slowly damage it, causing tiny pits that can eventually become larger visible ones. Instead, choose a non-acidic cleaner that’s gentle on stainless steel.
7. Skin/Eyes
Have you heard of using vinegar in the shower? It’s a wonderful hair rinse, but dilute it and keep it away from your eyes. And never use it directly on your skin, either. Not only is it a skin irritant, but it will make your eyes sting and burn. Be careful when you use it in your beauty routines.
8. Don’t Mix With Bleach
This one isn’t an object that you can clean, but it’s a very important safety message. Never, ever mix vinegar with bleach. When they mix together, they form a chemical reaction that produces a toxic chlorine gas. In fact, this poisonous gas could even be fatal if you inhale it at high enough concentrations. Just don’t do it. Don’t mix them together. Ever.
9. Electronic Screens
Phone screens, laptops, televisions – all of these things are so delicate that you need to be very careful with them. Don’t use straight vinegar to clean smudges or fingerprints from them. It might even make the touch screens less responsive.
What about diluted vinegar? Yes, that’s fine. As long as the vinegar is diluted at least by half, it won’t hurt your electronics. But a microfiber cloth with a bit of water works just as well (and it’s less risky).
10. Waxed Wood Floors
This is another shocking one because vinegar is known for its antimicrobial properties. But unless you want to rewax your hardwood floors, don’t use vinegar on them. A lot of floor installers and manufacturers warn against it. The acid in vinegar is fantastic at eating away at the dirt and grime; which means it will slowly break down the protective finish.
11. Unfinished Wood Furniture
What about unfinished wood, like chairs and furniture? That’s not a good idea either. Full-strength vinegar can also cause discoloration in the beautiful grains. Just like with electronic screens, it’s better to seriously dilute the vinegar first before using it here. As long as you mix the vinegar with at least half water, it won’t hurt the wood.
12. Cast Iron Cookware
One of the best things about using cast iron is that it’s naturally seasoned, creating a non-stick surface. But all that hard work you put into seasoning the skillet will go away if you clean it with vinegar. Even worse, if you use straight vinegar on an unseasoned cast iron skillet, it can cause pitting in the metal. Protect your skillet and use just water when you clean it.
13. Pet Messes
Sure, vinegar is antimicrobial, but it doesn’t have the enzymes that you need when you clean up pet messes. In fact, it might do the opposite of what you want. Using vinegar could actually encourage your pet to repeat the behavior in the same spot. Instead of vinegar, it’s better to use an enzyme-based cleaner. This will completely remove the odors and discourage pets from marking that spot again.
