Before you dive into the cleaning process, here are some important warnings and tips to keep in mind. Using vinegar on different surfaces can sometimes be harmful and ineffective. Read on to avoid common mistakes and protect your surfaces and tools!
Don't pour vinegar into a spray bottle to spray on surfaces, as atomizing and inhaling the vinegar is not good. Apply it directly to a cloth or sponge as we have recommended.
A further warning: Glass vinegar bottles are NOT suitable for reuse with a spray nozzle. Never use glass bottles when cleaning. It is incredibly easy for them to fall on the floor and break. You can seriously injure yourself or someone else. It can also be expensive. If a glass bottle falls against the sink or toilet, it breaks easily.
Natural stone:
As previously mentioned, vinegar is used to remove limescale, so using vinegar on calcareous materials is NOT good, it can seriously damage the material.
Extra sensitive materials are marble, limestone, granite, sandstone. In short, avoid all stone, including floor tiles.
Wood:
Wood should not be treated with acids; wood wants fat. Acid like vinegar will damage the wood by drying out the material.
Think back, what did the woodworking teacher say? He said: Oil your butter knife/cutting board. That's what you do to treat and preserve the wood. No woodworking teacher said: now put some vinegar on…. NO! No acids, no vinegar on wood.
Iron:
This seems a bit strange since it works so well to descale the coffee maker, BUT it's the electronics in the iron that can be damaged, so - no vinegar in the iron.
Wax:
Avoid vinegar on all waxed surfaces, they will become dull and ugly. So no vinegar on waxed floors or furniture.
Stains on textiles:
If you've got berry or other stains on clothes or carpets that have a strong color, don't use vinegar to remove them, it will only preserve the stain and make it stick even harder.
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Questions and answers
1. Why should you avoid using vinegar in a spray bottle?
Spraying vinegar can lead to inhaling the atomized droplets, which is unhealthy. It is better to apply vinegar directly to a cloth or sponge.
2. What are the risks of using glass bottles for vinegar during cleaning?
Glass bottles can easily fall and break, which can cause serious injury and also become expensive if they damage sinks or toilets. Therefore, you should avoid using glass bottles with a spray nozzle.
3. Why is it inappropriate to use vinegar on natural stone?
Vinegar can damage calcareous stones such as marble, limestone, granite and sandstone, as it corrodes the materials and can cause permanent damage.
4. What happens if you use vinegar on wood surfaces?
Vinegar can dry out wood and damage the material, as wood needs fat to be preserved and kept in good condition. Use oil instead of vinegar to treat wood surfaces.
5. Can you use vinegar to descale irons?
No, even though vinegar works to descale coffee makers, it can damage the electronics in irons and should therefore be avoided.