Line the sink with paper towels that you’ve soaked in white vinegar. * Keep carpets fresh-smelling by sprinkling baking soda over the surface. Rinse and use! are used in and that they are thoroughly washed with hot water and soap after use. I would suggest following up the baking soda wash with a vinegar rinse. 3. The bubbly and pasty mixture breaks up and removes scum or grease, like that in your kitchen sink drain, according to Sarah Brunette, the Brand Director of Molly Maid, a Neighborly company. 2. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), 8 things you should never clean with vinegar, 11 things you should never clean with baking soda, Do Not Sell My Personal Information – CA Residents. How to Clean Fruits & Vegetables With Vinegar. How to Wash Fruits. Make your solution: To clean most fruits and vegetables, mix a solution of 1 cup vinegar to 4 cups water inside your spray bottle, then add a tablespoon of lemon juice. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Once the bubbling stops, flush the drain with boiling water. * Clean floors by mopping with a half-cup of baking soda dissolved in a bucket of warm water, then rinse. 6. Use Vinegar to Clean. Shake well before using. The baking soda also softens the water, so you can actually use less detergent. Scrub with a brush. Use soapy water and vinegar-soaked paper towels to clean the faucet, too. Then, add boiling vinegar. The smell of the vinegar will fade within minutes. Adding 1/2 cup baking soda in top-loading machines (1/4 cup for front-loaders) also increases the potency of bleach, so you need only half the usual amount of bleach. Sprinkle baking soda directly on greasy pots and pans. “The reaction has an immediate ‘clean’ look, but when you look deeper you realize that you’re left with saltwater,” Sansoni says. I’m not in the US and where I’m from everybody disinfects their produce, I have to confess that every time I read in the news about yet another recall of E Coli infected produce in the US I can’t help but wonder why people don’t disinfect their lettuce, etc. Use equal parts white vinegar and water to wash both the interior and exterior of your fridge, including the door gasket and the fronts of the vegetable and fruit bins. How to clean produce with vinegar: For smooth-skinned fruits and vegetables: Pour white distilled vinegar into a spray bottle with 3 cups water. Make your solution: To clean most fruits and vegetables, mix a solution of 1 cup vinegar to 4 cups water inside your spray bottle, then add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Enter our pals vinegar and baking soda! Most experts agree that cleaning veggies with vinegar is unnecessary. Here’s how to lift carpet stains with vinegar: Rub light carpet stains with a mixture of 2 tablespoons salt dissolved in 1/2 cup white vinegar. like we do in other countries. Submerge the fruit or vegetables in the baking soda water. Of course, baking soda and vinegar are great cleaners, independently. It may sound like a cliché, but adding 1/2 cup baking soda to your usual amount of liquid laundry detergent really will give you brighter colors. The idea that it’s a foolproof cleaning technique is one of the cleaning myths you should stop believing. * For a green drain cleaner, mix equal parts baking soda and vinegar, typically a half-cup to a cup, and pour it down the drain.. it seems to work well. “Soak fruits and vegetables for about five minutes, rinse with cold water and pat dry,” she said. This cleanser works on any bathroom surface. Leave them there for 20 minutes. Smooth skinned fruits, such as apples, nectarines, and cherries, can be washed in a baking soda bath the same way as veggies. Although Sansoni says mixing baking soda and vinegar shouldn’t be your first line of cleaning defense, other cleaning experts say the duo could come in handy in some situations. And in most cases, vinegar is a great all-purpose cleaner, but there are 8 things you should never clean with vinegar . Also, use undiluted vinegar to wipe off accumulated dust and grime on top of your refrigerator. Instead, rinsing them with plain water is all you need to remove dirt and pesticides. “The agitation of the fizzy reaction itself can be useful to physically break up and carry away dirt, but there’s no long-lasting help.” So although this combo visibly breaks up muck, it’s not necessarily the most effective way to disinfect and sanitize, according to Sansoni. Take 1 tsp of baking soda and sprinkle it in the water. Swish the produce around in the water or push it down several times to ensure all sides of the produce is being cleaned. Squirt on the area to be cleaned. And finally, rinse off the veggies. Shake well to combine. (Do NOT use on stone floors.) Soak for a minute or two. Keep covered between uses. Wet the sink, sprinkle baking soda over the surface, and scrub, then rinse. 5. Clean wooden chopping boards with vinegar or baking soda to prevent microbial contamination of the same. Cleaning the fruit with plain water or a cloth will make a difference, but adding baking soda to the water works better, says study author Lili He, Ph.D., assistant professor of food science at University of Massachusetts Amherst. It removes odors and is great for lifting dirt. If consuming non-vegetarian food, ensure that a different set of chopping boards, knives etc. I use this combo with hot water a few times a year to remove built up soap film in the drain and pipes but not to unclog it. Vacuum after 15 minutes or longer. Raspberries, for example, shouldn't be soaked, but should be rinsed with clean water. Segregate fruits and vegetables this way And in most cases, vinegar is a great all-purpose cleaner, but there are 8 things you should never clean with vinegar. Scrub with a nylon-backed sponge. And don’t worry, the smell of vinegar does not last. Baking soda and vinegar are two strong products people love to use for cleaning. Even if you clean your fridge and kitchen religiously with baking soda and vinegar, chances are you’re still making some of these 11 kitchen cleaning mistakes. Let the solution dry, then vacuum. Rinse off with water. Two of their best-kept secrets were vinegar and baking soda. Secure lid and shake well to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Each have their own individual sanitizing perks, according to Brian Sansoni of the American Cleaning Institute, an expert on all things cleaning.