32 Of The Best Uses For Vinegar Around The House (2024)

Over the last decade, I have written a lot of posts sharing how to make various health, beauty, and cleaning products at home. And if I had to venture a guess as to which item comes up most frequently in these types of posts, I would put my money on vinegar!

From apple cider to classic white, vinegar can be used to clean, deodorize, and sanitize all sorts of things around the house. To highlight just how useful it is (and to demonstrate how many ways I use it personally), I’ve compiled a list of some of my all-time favorite uses for vinegar, and I’ll be sharing that list with you today!

To make the list a little easier to navigate, I’ve split the items up in a few different categories like laundry, cleaning, beauty, and more. I hope you have fun discovering (or re-discovering) all of the amazing things that vinegar can do! And don’t be afraid to stock up on vinegar so you can take advantage of all its uses — because you can store vinegar forever and it never goes bad!

33 Of The Best Uses For Vinegar

Laundry Uses For Vinegar

1. Laundry Detergent Tabs

There’s no doubt about the convenience of laundry detergent tabs and pods, but they can be really expensive! But there’s no need to sacrifice convenience—you can easily make your own single-use laundry detergent tabs right at home for less!

2. Wrinkle Release Spray

This wrinkle-release spray is perfect for when your clothes just need a bit of freshening up (or when you just don’t want to drag the iron and ironing board out.)

3. Eliminate Odor From Smelly Towels

Mildew buildup on your bath towels can make them smell funky, rather than fresh. But there’s an easy fix! With the help of some baking soda and vinegar, they will come out of the wash feeling fluffy and smelling great.

4. Stop Denim From Bleeding

If you’ve ever ended up with blue hands or stained car/couch upholstery due to a new pair of dark denim jeans, then this post is for you! In just a few simple steps, you can set the color in your jeans and prevent it from rubbing off further.

5. Rosemary-Mint Fabric Softener

This homemade fabric softener recipe is definitely the easiest that I’ve come across. All you need to do is combine three simple and affordable ingredients (and as an added bonus, it smells amazing!)

6. Clean Your Washing Machine

Your washing machine needs to be cleaned regularly to eliminate the grime that can build up inside over time. This method will leave you with a sparkling washing machine that smells (and works) great!

7. Pretreating Stain Stick

The best thing about this homemade stain stick is that you don’t need to wash the stained item right away! Rub the stain stick onto a fresh stain, toss the item in your hamper, and wash it the next time you do laundry. The stain will lift right out!

General Cleaning Uses For Vinegar

8. All-Natural Dusting Spray

This non-aerosol dusting spray uses vinegar and natural oils to clean, shine, and protect your furniture. And the addition of lemon essential oil makes your home smell fresh and clean, too!

9. Reusable Lemon Dust Cloths

Dusting furniture has always been such a chore—until now! These lemon dust cloths are easy to make, they’re great for your furniture, and they smell really nice too.

10. Clean Suede Items

Suede is such a great material, but many people avoid it because it gets dirty easily and they don’t know how to clean it! Well fear no more, because you can return your scuffed, stained, and dirty suede items to their former glory (and keep them that way!) just by following these simple steps.

11. Scented Cleaning Vinegar

I love cleaning with vinegar because it’s non-toxic, inexpensive, easy to find, and works well on just about everything. This lemon-scented version helps mitigate the potent vinegar fumes and leaves your home smelling lemon-y fresh.

12. Screen Cleaning Spray

Say goodbye to smeary fingerprints and dog drool splatters on your computer screen! Your electronics will shine after a quick cleaning with this simple homemade spray.

13. Homemade Cleaning Solution For Swiffer WetJet

I used to love my Swiffer WetJet, but I wasn’t loving how much the refills of cleaning solution cost! So I figured out how to make my own and haven’t bought another bottle since.

14. Cleaning After Someone’s Been Sick

After an illness, it’s important to clean light switches, remotes and more. This antibacterial spray is the perfect thing for killing germs and refreshing a dirty home.

15. Clean Your Humidifier

Due to our hard water, I have to clean my humidifier tank regularly to eliminate mineral deposits and other grime. Luckily, a bit of vinegar cuts right through the mineral deposits so I can get my humidifier running again in no time!

16. Grease-Cutting Mopping Solution

Kitchen floors can turn into an ice rink after being subjected to oil and grease splatters. This easy-to-make mopping solution will help you cut through the grease effectively and prevent any unfortunate slip-and-fall situations!

17. Remove Pet Stains From Carpets

This stain remover technique is a miracle worker in my eyes! I originally tried it on a stain my grandpuppy Milo so lovingly left in my living room. I had scrubbed and scrubbed that stain with other cleaners to no avail, but this technique got it right out!

Bathroom Cleaning Uses For Vinegar

18. Natural Glass Cleaner

The vinegar in this homemade glass cleaner helps dissolve stubborn hard water deposits. Your bathroom mirrors and fixtures will sparkle!

19. Powerful Shower Cleaner

This two-ingredient shower cleaner cuts through soap scum like nothing else I’ve ever used! And I’m willing to bet you have the ingredients sitting in your cabinet right now.

20. Clean Your Shower Head

If you have hard water like I do, then you know how quickly mineral deposits can build up on your shower head! To keep the water flowing through it smoothly, use this simple vinegar soak as needed to get rid of those pesky deposits.

Kitchen Cleaning Uses For Vinegar

21. Clean And Shine Your Microwave

I used to hate cleaning my microwave because the crusted-on messes were impossible to wipe away. But using this method, this chore is now a breeze and leaves my microwave looking brand new.

22. Clean And Deodorize Your Fridge

Cleaning sticky messes on your fridge shelves can be trickier than it sounds. Discover how warming up some white vinegar helps to loosen stuck-on messes in this chemical-free refrigerator cleaner!

23. Clean And Sanitize Your Garbage Disposal

A grimy, gummed-up garbage disposal can lead to all kinds of expensive plumbing and drain problems. Here is a quick, easy, and cheap idea that will keep your kitchen smelling fresh and your sink drain working properly.

24. Clean Your Dishwasher

Cleaning your dishwasher helps get rid of any food grease and detergent residue that may be building up in the inner workings. It’s easy to do and will help ensure your dishes continue coming out clean!

Beauty & Hygiene Uses For Vinegar

25. Foot Soak For Soft, Smooth Feet

Listerine and vinegar in a foot soak? It may sound crazy, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! It’s an easy and affordable treatment that results in super soft feet.

26. Draw Up A Detox Bath

This “detox” bath is perfect for unwinding after a hard day, or as a pick-me-up if you’re feeling under the weather. Epsom salt, apple cider vinegar, and bentonite clay will help you relax, restore, and get a great night’s sleep.

27. Cleansing Pads For Oily Skin

If you have oily skin, give these cleansing pads a try. The vinegar leaves skin feeling clean and soft while helping to kill bacteria that can contribute to breakouts.

28. Skin Brightening Anti-Aging Toner

This simple homemade toner balances the pH of your skin while killing bacteria and clearing out your pores. It brightens your complexion and leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth.

Around The House Uses For Vinegar

29. Make Perfect Poached Eggs

I love poached eggs, but I used to avoid making them myself because I thought they would be too tricky to pull off. It turns out that vinegar is the secret weapon for cooking perfectly poached eggs. You’ll be amazed!

30. Two-Ingredient Weed Killer

Traditional store-bought weed killers often contain toxic ingredients, but good ol’ white vinegar works just as well for getting rid of pesky weeds around your yard and garden.

31. Unclog Drains Without Chemicals

A clogged or slow drain can be a real hassle! But with baking soda and vinegar, you can unclog sinks, showers, and other drains easily.

32. “Armor-All” Car Cleaning Wipes

This homemade version of Armor-All wipes makes it a breeze to clean the interior of your car. Your vinyl surfaces have never looked cleaner! (They work great on your wheels, as well!)

33. Substitute For Cream Of Tartar

Vinegar has the right acidity to be a substitute for cream of tartar in many recipes. It will help keep meringue together, for instance.

What’s your favorite way to use vinegar?