As with stone, vinegar can eat away at certain metals over time. Although the weak acidity in your cleaning solution won't do much harm, cleaning and rinsing away any remaining vinegar after using it will protect your shower door tracks, sink drains, and faucets.
Vinegar is good for cleaning because its acidic which means it's able to dissolve dirt, grease, grime and kill bacteria, making it perfect for cleaning your bathroom.
Let the shower head soak for several hours. For an especially dirty fixture, leave it overnight. However, if you have a brass, gold, or nickel-coated shower head, remove it from the vinegar after 30 minutes. Any longer than this could damage the finish.
Cons of cleaning bathroom with vinegar
Additionally, vinegar can be acidic and cause damage to the tiles over time if used frequently.
Vinegar is acidic, so be careful about soaking it for over 30 minutes. It may damage the nickel, brass, gold, or other finishes.
"The white cleaning vinegar is a pH of 2.5, which is a very strong acid. And while it may eat away the gunk that is on the showerhead or faucet, it can also dissolve the finish from the hardware leaving it dull or a different color altogether."
Vinegar can eat away at metal and cause it to corrode quickly if even the tiniest amount gets left on the surface. Other recommendations advise wiping down with warm water and dish soap, but this can often leave a stubborn white film on your otherwise sparkling chrome.
Grout that hasn't been sealed, needs to be resealed, or is in poor shape should not be cleaned with vinegar. The vinegar penetrates into the pores of the grout, further weakening the material. Over time, vinegar will deteriorate the condition of the grout by etching or wearing it away.
Use vinegar in porcelain and ceramic shower tiles
Vinegar is perfect for cleaning shower tile and grout! It can dissolve soap scum and hard water stains and work as a mild mold remover and disinfectant! However, every material reacts in a different way to vinegar.
Do you need to rinse after washing with vinegar? If you have used vinegar in your washing machine to clean or to do laundry, then you do not need to run a rinse cycle afterward as a standard laundry cycle runs a plain water cycle towards the end anyway to remove any residue left behind.
This match made in heaven has been a household staple for a long time and I make sure to keep it handy. To make the solution is simple and easy on the wallet! Pour equal parts of vinegar and Dawn into a spray bottle. Gently shake, then spray liberally onto the surface to be cleaned.
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.
While white vinegar is best known for its culinary uses, it can work wonders in the bathroom. Praised for its powerful acetic acid solution, vinegar helps to dissolve mineral deposit, bacteria, dirt, grease and grime.
“Of course, vinegar does eliminate some things, but it's important to note it's not a complete solution to disinfectant. It is only 90% effective against bacteria and around 80 percent effective against viruses and mold or mildew. Bleach, however, eliminates 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, and mold or mildew.
Cleaning with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in the bathroom can work really well. To clean your toilet with vinegar, pour a cup of vinegar in the toilet bowl and let sit overnight. The next morning, sprinkle a little baking soda into the bowl, scrub, and then flush clean.
You can safely use vinegar to clean ceramic or porcelain tiles, whether they are glazed or unglazed. For other types, however, like terracotta, marble or grante, we recommend you look for ph neutral cleaner that will not harm the material.
Small Appliances
The plastic and glass surfaces on most small kitchen appliances, such as blenders, coffee makers, and toasters, are safe to clean with vinegar, but you want to avoid any rubber parts or metal that vinegar can corrode.
Yes, vinegar will remove tile sealer and grout sealer. Vinegar will slowly dissolve the sealer on the grout and tile, allowing dirt, oils, and stains to penetrate deeper into the grout. Using Vinegar on grout can also cause the grout to breakdown overtime.
The most common and effective homemade grout cleaner is a mixture of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap. Cream or tartar and lemon juice is the best all-natural solution for whitening. Avoid using highly-acidic solutions like vinegar because they can corrode grout.
Cleaning Grout with Vinegar
Distilled white vinegar is a safe, natural cleaner and disinfectant you can use all around the house. Pour or spray undiluted vinegar onto your grout and let it sit for 10 minutes before using a toothbrush, scrubbing in a circular motion. Next, rinse away the dirt and mildew.
What do professionals use to clean grout? Whether you believe it or not, most professionals use a solution of white vinegar and water with a 1:1 ratio.
Fill a plastic bag with half water and half vinegar, ensuring there is enough liquid to submerge the faucet head. Put the liquid-filled bag over the faucet head and secure it with a rubber band. Let stand for 30 minutes to one hour. For more sensitive fixture finishes, do not surpass 30 minutes.
Don't use an abrasive sponge, as it can scratch the chrome (one of many bathroom cleaning mistakes). Then repeat with a damp cloth to rinse. After cleaning, polish the faucet with Windex or a faucet wax to add extra shine.
Streaks, grease, and fingerprints on chrome-plated fittings can be removed with either soap and water or vinegar. Mix equal parts vinegar and water, soak a cleaning cloth in the solution, and apply some of it to the affected areas. Then polish the chrome parts with small, circular movements. You're done!