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Top Ten Uses for Vinegar (Home Staging in Houston, Katy and the Surrounding Area)

Home Stager with Memorial Staged Homes

June 20, 2011 08:39 AM

As a Home Stager, I like to take a holistic approach to assisting my client with the sale of their home. In addition to de-cluttering, defining, and depersonalizing the house, I also advise my clients on how to get their house sparkling clean. I always recommend hiring a professional housekeeper, but there are some things that are easy and inexpensive to do on your own. Vinegar is a must have tool for tasks around the house. In a word, vinegar is amazing! There are hundreds of ways to use vinegar. These are my top ten uses for Vinegar:

1. Carpet stain removal: A mixture of 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent and 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar in a pint of lukewarm water will remove non-oily stains from carpets. Apply it to the stain with a soft brush or towel and rub gently. Rinse with a towel moistened with clean water and blot dry. Repeat this procedure until the stain is gone. Then dry quickly, using a fan or hair dryer. This should be done as soon as the stain is discovered.

2. Windows that won’t streak: Simply wash with a mixture of equal parts of white distilled vinegar and warm water. Dry with a soft cloth. This solution will make your windows gleam and will not leave the usual film or streaks on the glass.

3. Garbage disposal cleaner: Garbage disposals may be kept clean and odor free with vinegar cubes. Vinegar cubes are made by filling an ice tray with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar and enough water to fill the ice tray and then freezing it. Run the mixture through the disposal, and then flush it with cold water for a minute or so.

4. Ant deterrent: Ant invasions can sometimes be deterred by washing counter tops, cabinets and floors with white distilled vinegar. (This is a temporary fix. If you have ants, don’t try to hide them, get rid of them.)

5. Getting Rid of Fruit Flies/Gnats in Your Kitchen: Place a bowl filled with ½ quart water, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar and a couple of drops of dish soap to attract the fruit flies. Always eliminate the source of attraction, i.e., ripened produce.

6. Cleaning Stainless Steel Appliances: Apply vinegar with a soft cloth to remove streaks from stainless steel appliances. Try in an inconspicuous place first.

7. Cooking Odors: To contain awful cooking odors (especially cabbage and fish), boil a cup of water in a pan on the stove and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vinegar.

Molly

8. Pet accident: Test the color fastness of the carpet with white distilled vinegar in an inconspicuous place. Then sprinkle distilled vinegar over the fresh pet accident. Wait a few minutes and sponge from the center outward. Blot up with a dry cloth. This procedure may need to be repeated for stubborn stains.

9. Get Rid of Odor on a Smelly Dog: Wet the dog down with fresh water. Use a mixture of 1 cup white distilled vinegar and 2 gallons water. Saturate the dog’s coat with this solution. Dry the dog off without rinsing the solution. The smell will be gone!

10. Furniture: Mix olive oil and vinegar in a one-to-one ratio and polish with a soft cloth. Try in an inconspicuous place first.

For more tips on using vinegar, check out The Vinegar Institute. For assistance with preparing your house for sale, contact Memorial Staged Homes.

Memorial Staged Homes Kitchen Wishing you a quick sale!