3 (Top Secret) Tricks for Cleaning with Vinegar

| |

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. Read my full disclosure policy here.

When I discovered this easy, quick, and budget-friendly way to clean grout NATURALLY with vinegar, I had to share it with the world! This grout cleaning tip uses vinegar and two other natural ingredients you probably already have in your home, with additional DIY cleaning recipes for using vinegar to clean your sink and tub. Plus, it’s so safe that even kids can get in on the grout-cleaning fun!

Is natural cleaning your jam? Then don’t miss this hack for making DIY Natural Cleaning Wipes and these Homemade Toilet Scrubbing Bombs for Cleaning Your Toilet Naturally.

The MAGIC Grout Trick-- how to clean grout easily and naturally with this one trick!

When the school where I used to teach decided to use vinegar– VINEGAR!– to wash the cafeteria floors each day I was completely skeptical.  After doing a little research it turns out vinegar is a healthy cleaning alternative to products with scary ingredients.  Plus, it’s cheap and safe for both the environment and the 400+ kids we were in charge of caring for each day… BUT.

Top Secret Tricks for Cleaning with Vinegar-- green cleaning for grout, sinks, and tubs in minutes!

BUT There’s that one little detail, the thing I silently wondered and was scared to ask–  wouldn’t the cafeteria smell of vinegar all day?  Because if it did, believe you me, we would hear about it from those 400+ darlings I previously mentioned.  They don’t hold back.  On anything.  EVER.

Guess what?  The smell dissipated within moments of being put on the floor.  Our school saved tons of money using vinegar to clean, and soon I was slinging the stuff all over my home, too.  It combines beautifully with other non-toxic products to clean your home naturally,  safely, and cheaply.  What’s not to love?

our kitchen– so fresh and so clean!  until the kids get home, at least.
 
Over the years I’ve discovered a few cleaning tricks where vinegar is a star.  Since I only use natural cleaners, it was a perfect fit.  Here’s three ways you can achieve chemical-free cleaning, a fresh home, and good eco-karma to boot!
 
 
Click here to subscribe

3 Recipes for Cleaning With Vinegar

1.  Easy Homemade Grout Cleaner (“The Magic Grout Trick”)

The MAGIC Grout Trick-- how to clean grout easily and naturally with this one trick!

Our previous kitchen had large white tiles with {very dirty} grout.  When we first moved in, we’d spend hours scrubbing with a chemical grout cleaner.  Then I discovered a MUCH easier way and cleaning it became a breeze because of this trick.  Plus, my “helpers” can get involved and I don’t have to worry about harsh chemicals!

And all you need to do this is vinegar in a spray bottle, baking soda, and a grout brush like this one.

Ben back in the day in our old home, he loved helping his mama!

The MAGIC Grout Trick-- how to clean grout easily and naturally with this one trick!

1.  Sprinkle baking soda on the grout.  Use your finger to make sure it covers all the grout, also wiping away excess powder.  Use a spray bottle filled with vinegar to apply it over the baking soda. Sixth grade science project lovers unite– the {safe} chemical reaction does all the work for you!  Let it sit and bubble and scrub itself for a few minutes.  But not too long, or the dirt settles back into the grout.

The MAGIC Grout Trick-- how to clean grout easily and naturally with this one trick!

2.  Using a grout brush like this highly rated one, give it a little scrub to get the dirty solution off the grout.  Prepare for it to be muddy!  Keeping a cup of water to quickly rise the brush off helps, but don’t add too much water to the floor– the grittier the solution, the less elbow grease you’ll have to put into it.

The MAGIC Grout Trick-- how to clean grout easily and naturally with this one trick!

3.  Wipe up the muddy solution (I used rags instead of paper towels, to further my green cleaning mojo).  Then, clean as usual: quickly run the vacuum to get up excess baking soda, and then go over it with a mop.

The MAGIC Grout Trick-- how to clean grout easily and naturally with this one trick!

There you have it, clean grout with half the work, and no expensive special cleaner to buy.  I cleaned this section in under 30 minutes and it had– and I’m mortified to admit this– over 7 years of build-up on what must have been unsealed grout.  My ‘ah-ha’ moment came when I opened the door to the bathroom, and saw this line where I stopped cleaning.  YUCK!  And yet, so cool to see how well the vinegar trick worked.

The MAGIC Grout Trick-- how to clean grout easily and naturally with this one trick!

2.  The Sink Bomb (DIY Sink Scrub)

I call this the sink bomb because it’s just that– the BOMB!  Vinegar is amazing when it comes to cleaning sinks.  First, I sprinkle some baking soda in the sink and then spray some vinegar and let it bubble.  The baking soda is a low-grit way to scrub the sink, and the vinegar a disinfectant.  Wipe off and rinse, your sink is now fresh and clean.  Next, if your garbage disposal is a bit stinky simply add a cup of vinegar and let it sit for about an hour.  No more s-t-i-n-k.

BEFORE:
 
Top Secret Tricks for Cleaning with Vinegar-- green cleaning for grout, sinks, and tubs in minutes!

This one is the real bomb-diggity.  If your garbage disposal or drain is clogged, add equal parts baking soda and then vinegar.  Here comes that 6th grade science project again– hello, volcano!  A cleaning volcano, that is.  Rinse with warm water.  Good as new, with NO strong chemicals to worry about.

AFTER:
Top Secret Tricks for Cleaning with Vinegar-- green cleaning for grout, sinks, and tubs in minutes!

3.  Amazing DIY Tub Cleaner

I used to hate cleaning the tub.  It bothered me to think that my kids were sitting in a tub of water potentially filled with the reside of whatever I’d just used to clean it, so I’d scrub and rinse forever.  Then I discovered this tub cleaner, and it’s amazing.  Simply put equal parts blue Dawn dish soap and vinegar into a spray bottle.  Spray it on the tub, let sit for about an hour, and wipe away Then a quick rinse of water.  That’s it– NO scrubbing, and NO dangerous chemical bath for my kids.  This stuff works, friends, it’s amazing!

Top Secret Tricks for Cleaning with Vinegar-- green cleaning for grout, sinks, and tubs in minutes!

How to Make Heavy Duty Tub and Tile Cleaner with Vinegar

I first published this post 7 years ago, before I started using essential oils. Now for a daily household cleaner, I use Thieves Cleaner because it’s natural and safe and smells like Christmas. But for tough tasks like grout or the sink, I still use vinegar all. the. time.

The MAGIC Grout Trick-- how to clean grout easily and naturally with this one trick!

Tools you’ll need

This section contains affiliate links for items we use and love.

 

shop the post handlettered

Natural cleaning isn’t just great for the environment.  It’s also great for your budget.  As you can see, instead of buying specific products for each cleaning job, vinegar and one or two other non-toxic ingredients does it all.  For waaaaayyyyy less.  And won’t clutter up every shelf, sink, and cabinet either.

The list of vinegar’s amazing uses goes on and on, and I’m discovering new ones every day.  What’s your favorite way to clean with vinegar?  Any tricks to share?
 
The MAGIC Grout Trick-- how to clean grout easily and naturally with this one trick!
Click here to subscribe
Share This Post With Friends!
Share on pinterest
Pinterest
Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on email
Email
Share on print
Print

Similar Posts