Looking for an expert review of apple cider vinegar for cleaning? Perfect landing!
After researching the versatility and properties of apple cider vinegar, it’s now my new favorite liquid! Why not! It is healthy (reduces blood sugar and cholesterol), beneficial for digestive health, can be used in cooking, amazing for skin and hair care. And its cleaning ability is something you can never deny!
You may ask why I consider myself an expert. Well, as a Microbiologist, I love topics around cleaning, germs, pH, and related kinds of stuff. My awesome team consist of dietician, doctors & foody colleagues have 41 years of cumulative experience. We also experiment with organic apple cider vinegar for the last couple of months for writing helpful content for you.
From internet you may know a straightforward way of using ACV for cleaning. But those potentially lead to damage if you’re not fully informed about the entire process. We will try to fill those gaps. Help you understand organic apple cider vinegar for cleaning entirely.
This article will contain how ACV works, balancing ACV’s pH for different surfaces, where you should not use ACV? 9 ways to use ACV for cleaning your house.
Let’s start.
How does apple cider work for cleaning (ACV)?
Most people concerned about physical cleanliness and order removal when it comes to cleaning. However, it’s also crucial to consider other factors, such as eliminating germs and ensure no damage occurs to the surfaces you’re cleaning.
Apple cider vinegar shines in cleaning many household surfaces. But it may also cause damage if you are not careful with the application. Let me explain.
Acetic acid is the main component of apple cider vinegar that helps with cleaning. ACV is an organic acid with a high pH of 2-3. It’s pretty high for many house surfaces & can cause deterioration and discoloration. White vinegar is quite similar to ACV as it has similar components and pH.
But cleaning pathogenic bacteria and fungi is vital, so you can not dilute it too much. A good balance is required to protect and disinfect your household items properly. Keep reading as we reveal the secrets of apple cider vinegar for cleaning.
How to adjust ACV pH for cleaning different surfaces?
Apple cider vinegar has a powerful acidic nature. May damage various surfaces if you do not use it correctly. A pH of 4 is good enough for most household items, but some may require a lower or higher pH than that.
As mentioned, apple cider vinegar has a pH of 2-3. So, how do you increase its pH? Adding water is a great way to do that. Add 9 parts of water with 1 part of acid to increase its pH rating by 1. So, if you take 1 spoon of pH 3 ACV, you need 9 spoon of water to get a pH 4 ACV. Pretty Simple!
Adding liquid soap is another amazing way to increase the pH of acidic acid and lower the pH. It’s less harmful to most surfaces. Quite effective for cleaning for ACV and soap combo power. Down dish soap or other liquid soaps combine perfectly as an effective cleaning agent.
Apple cider vinegar for cleaning germs
When cleaning with apple cider vinegar, you should not heavily focus on killing bacteria and fungus. Killing germs requires a pH under 3; using this strong ACV may cause surface damage. But don’t worry. Most germs can not grow below 4.6 pH. Apple cider vinegar effectively removes most bacteria and stops their growth.
Surfaces Requiring Caution While Cleaning with ACV
Some surfaces of our household are more reactive with acid. We should be careful while cleaning with ACV. Check them out:
- Stone surfaces: Acid can break the bondage of natural stone. So, you should not use apple cider vinegar to clean stone countertops, stone tiles, sculptures to clean them. or Any type of acetic solution is prohibited for those items.
- Wooden surfaces: Wooden surfaces rely heavily on their outer layer for protection. Apple cider vinegar can damage that. However, diluted ACV with soap may be good for some wooden surfaces.
- Grease and oil: ACV is not very good for cleaning oily or waxy surfaces. Soap does better work to clean those.
- Casted iron: Casted iron is often too pure to resist the corrosion by Apple cider vinegar. We can use with caution.
- Rubber: High-volume ACV can also harm rubber surfaces. You can add liquid soap with diluted ACV to clean rubber items.
- Unsealed grout: Grout between the tiles can also be damaged if you use a higher volume of ACV. However, baking soda with diluted ACV can effectively clean dirty grout.
Apple cider vinegar for cleaning
How to use apple cider vinegar for cleaning: 9 ways
After reading the discussion above, you understand how ACV works and how it should be used.
Now let’s dive into 9 common ways to use ACV as an organic cleaning agent.
1. Apple cider vinegar as glass and mirror cleaner
ACV’s corrosive nature easily helps to clean the glass windows and mirrors. Diluted ACV does not affect glasses; it loses the dirt attached to the glass and cleans it properly. Here are the steps:
- Step 1: Add equal parts of water and apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle.
- Step 2: Spray directly on the glass and wait a few minutes. Make sure the solution does not come into contact with other surfaces.
- Step 3: Clean the window or glass with a microfiber cloth.
Apple cider vinegar cleans differently than Windex and other window cleaners. But it is quite effective, and the result is comparable with commercial window cleaners.
Can you use white vinegar for cleaning instead of apple cider vinegar? Yes, you can, they have no major differences other than the smell when it comes to cleaning.
2. Apple cider vinegar for cleaning toilet
Out of toilet cleaner? Apple cider vinegar can assist you! Generally, toilets are made of resistant materials to take heavy cleaning. Have some old vinegar that you no longer feel for eating? Use it for cleaning the toilet! Here is how you can easily clean your toilet with apple cider vinegar.
- Step 1: Take apple cider vinegar, water, and baking soda in 1:1:1 proportion.
- Step 2: Apply on the toilet, including the seat, lid, and outer part, and let it sit for a few hours.
- Step 3: Scrub with a toilet brush and wash with water.
3. Apple cider vinegar for cleaning floor
ACV can effectively clean your house and bathroom floors. It is one of the best cleaning items for vinyl floors. ACV also works for most types of floors. But if you have a wooden floor or floor with unsealed grout, you must use highly diluted ACV with liquid soap to reduce the acid effect. Check out the steps below.
- Step 1: Add one cup of apple cider vinegar with 1 gallon of warm water.
- Step 2: Clean the floor with a mob.
4. Unclogging shower head and sinks
Rust and minerals can accumulate on shower heads and sinks, disturbing the water flow. The corrosive ability of apple cider vinegar can easily clean those. Follow the steps below.
- Shower head: For the shower head, soak it for one hour in 1:1 diluted apple cider vinegar, then clean it with water.
- Sink: Cleaning the sink requires apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and a water solution 1:1:1. Pour the solution into the sink and clean it after one hour.
5. ACV for odor removal
Odor is often a common problem in our households. Apple cider vinegar changes the chemical composition of an odor. Its antibacterial property also stops the growth of bacteria and fungi, common causes of household odors.
- Step 1: Add an equal part of apple cider vinegar with water in a spray bottle.
- Step 2: Spray in shoe racks, kitchen, unwashed clothes, and other places where most odors come from.
6. ACV for laundry
Apple cider vinegar does an excellent job keeping your laundry room, washing machine, and clothes clean and fresh.
- Step 1: Wash your laundry floor with diluted apple cider vinegar.
- Step 2: Run an empty washing machine with one cup of ACV and water. It will clean the whole washing machine and kill the foul odor.
- Step 3: Add one cup of ACV with washing powder for cleaner and fresher-smelling clothes.
7. ACV for pest-free, clean household
Pest control items often contain harmful components for the human body. Apple cider vinegar can be an easy and organic way to deal with common house pests.
- Ants and termites: Make a solution of equal parts of ACV and water in a spray bottle, and apply it wherever you see ants, termites, and other pets.
- Fruit flies: Fruit flies are attracted to the smell of apple cider vinegar due to its fruit flavor. Mix half a cup of ACV with a few drops of dishwashing in a jar. The surface tension caused by the soap will drown any fruit fly that lands on the solution.
8. Apple cider vinegar for cleaning molds and mildews
Mold and mildew not only create a stubborn stain on surfaces but may also cause health damage. ACV can be an natural way to remove them. Here is the way of mold removal with ACV.
- Step 1: Wear a mask and goggles before working with molds. Breathing mold spores can cause adverse effects.
- Step 2: Pour or heavily spray undiluted apple cider vinegar over the molds.
- Step 3: Let it sit for one hour, and clean the surface with a brush and water.
9. Cleaning carpet strain and smell
What can be more frustrating than a dog or cat pee on your carpet? Don’t be upset! You can easily reduce its effect with apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar kills pee bacteria. Reacts and neutralizes the smelling components. ACV can also remove the stains from the carpet.
- For smell: Spray 1:1 apple cider vinegar solution on the carpet to reduce the pee smell.
- For strain: Spray the same solution on the strain. Rub it with a brush and a dry cloth until the strain disappears.
Interested in learning other wellness benefits of apple cider vinegar? Read Organic Apple Cider Vinegar benefits.
FAQ : Organic Apple cider vinegar for cleaning
Can apple cider vinegar be used as a disinfectant?
Yes, undiluted apple cider vinegar can kill germs, but it may also damage the surface because of high acidity. 70% alcohol is better for disinfection.
Can you use apple cider vinegar for cleaning towels?
Yes, Apple Cider Vinegar is an excellent item for cleaning towels and other clothes in the washing machine. Add 1 cup of vinegar with washing powder per batch of clothes.
Take away
Congratulations on making it this far! Let’s recap the main message of apple cider vinegar for cleaning. Apple cider is a fantastic organic cleaner, odor remover, and pest controller for households. But as it is highly acidic, you need to balance the power by raising its pH with water, dish wash, or baking soda.
Stones, wood, and rubbers are not suitable for high-strength ACV cleaning. Though you can add baking soda and weak ACV to clean them. It shines in cleaning floors, molds, stains, carpets, washing machines, dishwashers, and glasses! The information in this article can also help you make your own ACV cleaner for different materials.
Looking to buy bulk apple cider vinegar for cleaning? Check here.
Mr. Shariful Alam Pavel believes in natural living. To live a healthy conscious living, we need to eat green, live green. MyOrganic Bd is a green wellbeing brand, educating millions to live a better life with mother nature.
A doctor in Medicine, Public health professional dedicate immense time to educate people. To create awareness, Mr. Goutom worked with Myorganic Bd in his spare time.
Apart from that, he is expert in newborn and child health programming in third world working Save the children.
A Microbiologist, full time Content writer in MyOrganic Bd relentlessly trying people aware green lifestyle. Apart from working MyOrganic, he is an Environmental activitist.