Cleaning with vinegar can leave your space smelling like a pickle factory. Recently, in pursuit of a DIY all-purpose spray I could truly use for almost anything, I grabbed my bottle of white vinegar and a measuring cup of water and poured both into a glass spray bottle. Here's what you need to make your own spray.
Air It Out
Another great option when eradicating that vinegar smell is letting things air out. Turn on the fans, open the windows, and let nature do its thing. Not only will the circulation dry everything out, but your house will have that rejuvenating fresh air smell.
There's no set time that the vinegar smell will linger. It depends on the air flow in the space. However, vinegar actively looks for things to bind to. In most cases, it won't take more than 5-15 minutes for the smell to go away.
In heavily humid climates, your air conditioner may be overrun by the excess condensation and moisture. This standing water in the condensation pan can start to take on a pungent smell that has been likened to vinegar or a musty sour smell.
Blame the stink on acetic acid, the all-important component that makes vinegar a powerful cleaner. It's indiscriminately aggressive, as quick to attack our nostrils as it is to eliminate dirt and grime.
Stagnant air can cause a build-up of sour odors in your home. In most cases, the solution to preventing and getting rid of these odors lies in your air conditioning. There are many reasons your air conditioner is causing musty odors, including draining problems, a gas leak, or engine issues.
Don't worry about the odor; it's never long lasting since vinegar evaporates once it dries.
Only temporarily! If you're worried that cleaning with vinegar will make your home smell like pickles, don't worry – the smell disappears pretty quickly, especially if you air out your space properly. Open windows and doors to encourage air flow. Once dry, you'll find that vinegar leaves a fresh scent.
“Set time,” or the time a disinfectant must rest on a surface in order to work effectively, is also important. The set time for vinegar can be up to 30 minutes.
Rinsing is not necessary! If you're simply using a vinegar and water solution to wipe and disinfect, you won't need to rinse. However, if there's also plenty of dirt and grime you're wiping away, you may also want to rinse with some extra water.
The only difference between cleaning vinegar and the distilled white vinegar is their levels of acidity. White vinegar is usually 95 percent water and 5 percent acid. By contrast, cleaning vinegar contains up to six percent acid and is around 20 percent stronger than regular white vinegar.
Non-toxic and inexpensive, simple white vinegar is a cleaning and deodorizing boon. Indoors and out, from kitchen surfaces and caring for laundry to tackling bugs and weeds, there are many uses for this kid and pet-safe, environmentally-friendly household staple and workhorse extraordinaire…
'Leave a bowl of vinegar out overnight,' advises Saskia Gregson-Williams, cookbook author and founder of Naturally Sassy. 'In the morning, the vinegar will have absorbed all the unsavory smells and your kitchen will be as fresh as a daisy. '
Similar to boiling lemons or making stovetop potpourri, vinegar steam is a great way to neutralize potent smells. Add half a cup of vinegar to one cup of water and simmer on the stove while you cook (or after) to absorb any smells in the air.
There are other ways to neutralize vinegar. You can use table salt, milk, cream of tartar, or lemon juice to counter the acidity of the vinegar.
While vinegar is an excellent tool for repelling certain insects, not all bugs hate vinegar. Specifically, aphids and fruit flies love the scent of vinegar and will seek it out. You can use this to your advantage by creating traps.
For fabric upholstery, combine 1/4 cup white vinegar with 1/2 tablespoon of natural liquid soap and 3/4 cup warm water. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and give it a good shake. Mist the stained area lightly and scrub it gently with a soft cloth.
The best way to describe the scent is “musty” or “earthy.” Some individuals even compare it to the smell of sweaty socks.
A weird smell in a house can come from numerous sources, including appliances, furniture, carpets, fabrics or issues like mold or mildew. Occasionally, odors may be caused by sewer gas, natural gas leaks or animals that have died between walls, in attics or under decks.
A musty or dusty smell is often a sign of mold or mildew, especially in humid or moisture-prone environments like the basement, laundry room, kitchen, or bathroom. Mold and mildew can create severe respiratory problems and can exacerbate allergies and asthma in sensitive individuals.
Pour equal parts of vinegar and Dawn into a spray bottle. Gently shake, then spray liberally onto the surface to be cleaned.
How Long Does It Take for Vinegar to Evaporate at Room Temperature? At room temperature, vinegar will take about an hour to evaporate. Because of this, you should keep the bottle closed while using vinegar. The temperature in the room is roughly 68ºF (20°C).