Some of the harshest cleaning supplies are used for bathroom cleaning but it doesn’t have to be that way. Green cleaning with vinegar can achieve the same household cleaning results for a clean bathroom with none of the toxic chemicals. Vinegar uses for cleaning bathroom grime include toilet cleaning, shower cleaning and glass cleaning. Learn uses for vinegar and follow these clean tips for a clean bathroom.
Green Cleaning with Vinegar in the Bathroom
It may be hard to believe, but it is possible to eliminate harsh household cleaning supplies by using vinegar cleaner. Distilled vinegar can be used to soften lime buildup on faucets and improve water flow from shower heads.
“If there’s a lime build up around the faucet, lay paper towels over the fixture and soak it with vinegar, letting it set for one hour,” recommends HGTV in its online article, “Spring Cleaning Made Easy.” Using white vinegar will help soften the deposits so they can be scrubbed off. On shower heads with build up, the shower head can be removed and soaked in vinegar. Or try this trick for shower heads that can’t be removed: Fill a plastic bag with white vinegar and tape it in place over the shower head to allow it to soak.
The Vinegar Institute, an international trade association representing vinegar manufacturers and bottlers, offers an alternative for cleaning shower heads. A terry cloth can be soaked in vinegar and wrapped around the shower head or faucet, according to the institute’s “Uses and Tips.” The Vinegar Institute recommends leaving the cloth wrapped around the shower head or faucet overnight.
Vinegar Cleaning in the Bathtub and Shower
The most labor-intensive house cleaning in the bathroom tends to be shower and bathtub cleaning. The Vinegar Institute’s “Uses and Tips” offers guidelines to get rid of bathroom cleaners and use vinegar cleaner instead. To clean the film from inside a bathtub, the Vinegar Institute recommends wiping the tub with white vinegar and then with baking soda. Rinse the tub with water. To remove soap scum on shower doors, wipe them down with a rag or sponge saturated with vinegar.
One of the ways to reduce hard labor in the bathroom is to prevent soap scum and hard-water stains from forming. In her book, Organic Housekeeping [Scribner, 2006], Ellen Sandbeck discusses how to prevent grime by using alternative products and methods. “Since hard water spots and soap scum develop when water evaporates … if you let the water dry on your shower walls, they will get dirty rather quickly,” Sandbeck says. She recommends wiping shower walls dry with a towel or squeegee to keep them cleaner and reduce the need for hard scrubbing.
To reduce soap scum in the bathtub, Sandbeck says there are two choices: Use a soap that includes detergents (made from petroleum products) or switch to castile soap (made from vegetable oil). “No matter how hard the water, castile soap does not form soap scum,” Sandbeck says. For those who want both a green home and easier green cleaning, castile soap is the answer.
Vinegar Cleaning to Keep the Toilet Clean
Just as prevention is the key to keeping a bathroom clean, regular maintenance is important when relying on vinegar for toilet cleaning. Sandbeck’s Organic Housekeeping states that the toilet is particularly challenging because algae and hard water deposits form quickly since the toilet is always full of water. It is when these deposits build up that it becomes impossible to scrub them away.
Sandbeck says to remove any automatic toilet cleaners and be sure to flush away any chlorine residue. Gently plunge the toilet bowl with a plunger until almost all the water is gone. Fill the toilet back to its normal level with white distilled vinegar. Allow the vinegar to sit overnight or all day, then scrub. It may take several tries to get the toilet completely cleaned if it has not been regularly maintained.
Vinegar can be used as a toilet bowl deodorizer as well. The Vinegar Institute recommends pouring 3 cups of white vinegar into the toilet and leaving it there for 30 minutes before flushing.
With Vinegar, Glass Sparkles
Bathroom cleaning would not be complete without cleaning the windows and the mirror. Create vinegar cleaner for windows by mixing equal parts distilled vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle, the Vinegar Institute advises. “This solution will make your windows gleam and will not leave the usual film or streaks on the glass.” Wipe the glass or mirror with a dry cloth, like a microfiber towel.
Bathroom cleaning does not have to involve toxic chemicals or hard labor. Vinegar cleaning in the bathroom is a green cleaning alternative that is safe and effective. Switching to castile soap, wiping the shower stall after showers and cleaning the toilet often help to make keeping the bathroom clean an easier job.
Genna Cockerham - Genna Cockerham has been writing online since November 2008. She served as Marriage Feature Writer from December 2008 to February ...
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