The bathroom is often considered one of the most difficult rooms in a home to maintain. However, there is a simple and inexpensive trick to effectively clean this room from top to bottom: white vinegar. This natural cleaning product is indeed not only ecological and economical, but it is also very effective in eliminating stains, bacteria and bad odors. Discover 7 simple tips based on white vinegar that will make you forget about the aggressive chemicals of commerce for the bathroom.
White vinegar: the secret ingredient for a clean and fresh bathroom
Like black soap, Marseille soap, citric acid or soda crystals, white vinegar is very versatile, which allows it to replace many household products. Besides being a great cleanser which can remove stubborn stains in the bathroom (soap scum, traces of limescale and mold on the walls), it also has a strong deodorizing powerwhich allows it to eliminate bad odors caused by mold and humidity in strong maceration in this piece of water.
Its antibacterial properties also allow it to kill bacteria and germs present in the bathroom. With it, you no longer need to use bleach! Finally, this natural anti-limestone can soften hard water and thus reduce limescale deposits in bathroom pipes and faucets. In short, this disinfectant and deodorant descaler stands out as one of the best cleaning products for this place prone to scale, unpleasant odors and dirt.
So how do you use white vinegar for effective and eco-friendly bathroom cleaning?
1) An excellent tile cleaner
Very popular in bathrooms, the tiling nevertheless tends to get dirty. To clean it in a single step, spray it with pure white vinegar alone or with a few drops of dishwashing liquid added. If the wall or floor is very dirty, do not hesitate to heat your vinegar before using it to improve its cleaning and descaling power. After spraying, leave on for a quarter of an hour, then rub well with a microfiber cloth or mop. Then wipe the treated surface with a clean, dry cloth to remove residual moisture. The white veil left by limestone will no longer be a problem and it works on all surfaces of the bathroom as long as they are neither stone nor marble.
2) Find brilliant joints
When cleaning the tiles, you can use a brush (eg a toothbrush) to scrub the joints more effectively. However, this may not be enough to restore their whiteness. In this case you can sprinkle baking soda on it before spraying alcohol vinegar (or use a brush soaked in vinegar to scrub). Leave on for 30 minutes, then scrub with a brush or sponge. Rinse and dry well.
3) White vinegar for clean bathroom pipes
Of course, white vinegar is ideal for making exposed pipes shine. This removes stains as well as cobwebs in addition to repel most insect pests attracted to moisture. It is no longer enough to scrub the pipes using a cloth soaked in a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar. However, it is also possible to use this maintenance product to clean the inside of the pipes. We can thus get rid of bad sewage odors in the bathroom. To do this, simply heat a good cup of vinegar in the microwave for 30 seconds and pour it down the drain. Then, leave on for several hours, or even overnight, before rinsing with plenty of water.
To remove a clog related to accumulated hair and soap scum with vinegar, find the procedure to follow here.
4) For a shower head in good working order
Over time, the shower head flow may be reduced due to scale. The descaling effect of white vinegar can then once again show its usefulness in the bathroom. Indeed, you can slip the knob into a bag filled with white vinegar, then use a rubber band to keep the pouch in place. Then leave it for at least an hour to dissolve the tartar. For the other elements making up the shower column, you can sprinkle baking soda, spray vinegar, then leave to act for 30 minutes before scrubbing and rinsing.
5) White vinegar for a perfect cleaning of the sink and the bathtub
Unless they are made of stone or marble, all the elements that make up the bathroom sink, faucets and bathtub can be treated with white vinegar. This is a godsend, as these facilities all tend to scale and clog over time. Furthermore, the bathtub can then become more slippery. To remove general grime like tougher messes, mix 1/3 white vinegar and 2/3 water in a spray bottle, then apply wherever needed, let sit and scrub. For more efficiency, you can heat the mixture or apply it to cloths to leave on the fittings or stubborn stains for at least 30 minutes before rubbing to dissolve the traces or sprinkle with baking soda, spray white vinegar, leave to act, then rub.
6) Vinegar to descale the toilets in the bathroom
The toilets are prone to rust and scale stains. They also have many corners that make cleaning more difficult. Luckily, white vinegar can help bring that part of the bathroom back to shine without using polluting bleach or hydrochloric acid. To do this, empty the water from the toilet, then pour two large glasses of vinegar into it, heated for 30 seconds in the microwave. Then, you can pour this same product on rags to leave on the inaccessible areas of the bowl. Leave on one night to allow the acidity of the acetic acid to operate, then scrub. Alternatively, you can also sprinkle baking soda all over, spray vinegar over it, then let sit overnight before scrubbing with a brush and flushing. Hard water stains won’t resist and it will also eliminate unpleasant odors
7) Vinegar for bathroom mirrors and windows
A little shaving foam helps prevent fogging, and white vinegar helps remove fingerprints or toothpaste splashes on mirrors or windows. For a streak-free cleaning, mix hot vinegar and water in equal parts, stir, then spray on the glass surface to be treated. Then, with a clean soft cloth or newspaper, rub the windows, then dry them well.
