White cleaning vinegar is not the same as the brown stuff you put on your chips. Sold online mostly (supermarkets don’t sell it because it won’t give the same profits as the big toxic cleaning brands – you can buy distilled white vinegar but it is not the same in the level of acetic acid), Fill is sold in glass boxes with cardboard refills. Miniml white vinegar is sold in refillable packs. Just return your empties to them if you can’t find a local refill station, and they will send it back with refills.
Cleaning vinegar is not edible, so keep away from children and pets (it’s less harmful than chemical cleaners but all vinegar burns so leave areas to dry before allowing them back into rooms – don’t use to ‘kill weeds’ as it will also kill insects). Never mix any vinegar with bleach (natural or not) as it can cause dangerous reactions. Don’t use on natural stone (granite), waxed wood or unsealed grout. If using essential oils for scent, avoid for pregnancy/nursing and affected medical conditions (or near babies/pets).
the many uses of white cleaning vinegar
Use with plastic-free cleaning cloths/sponges/scourers and Fair Trade rubber gloves – all can be purchased from SEEP.
- Descaling toilets: Add 1/2 cup to warm water, leave for 1 hour, then flush.
- Washing machines. Mix equal parts (50ml) with water and use to clean doors and seals. Then add 450ml directly to the drum and put on hot wash, leave door open to dissipate smell. This will clean and descale.
- Laundry softener: Add 1 cup to fabric softener compartment on rinse cycle (most fabric softener contains palm oil and make clothing more flammable).
- Decale kettle: Pour in cleaning vinegar to cover the element, switch the kettle on and leave overnight (tell others before you do this!)
- Remove limescale & soap scum. Mix 250ml with 1 tablespoon bicarb of soda and 1 cap of biodegradable dishwash liquid.
- Unblock plugholes. Pour boiling water down sink, add 1 tablespoon of bicarb of soda & 250ml cleaning vinegar. It will fizz, replace plug, wait 15 minutes then flush with more boiling water.
- Remove stains & odours: Mix 1 part cleaning vinegar with 2 parts warm water, and dab with a soaked cloth.
- Sparkling glassware: Use instead of glass cleaner in dishwasher.
- Remove sticky goo on labels: Just dab on!
