Vinegar! The amazing miracle cleaner for house & horse!

You won't believe what vinegar can do for you.  Try out these helpful tips and receipes for your horse and home!  Vinegar is a great alertative to most expensive cleaners and deoderizers, and, best of all, it is allergen safe!

CLEANING IDEAS FOR YOUR HORSE AND HOUSE
 
DEODERIZE your HORSE equipment without washing (spray with vinegar after riding and dry).
Put a deodorizer in your Horse Tack Locker (put a lid on a small container {Dollar Store has great small containers}, cut a large hole in the lid and fill with vinegar, change it once a week);

Pour into the wash with your Horse Equipment (put in ¼ cup into the laundry or more if you feel it needs it, also use as a natural fabric softener by pouring ¼ cup in the softener part of your washer, use soap as usual {add baking soda to even clean better} wash as usual);

Use as an air freshener in your Horse Locker or even your Horse Equipment storage areas (put vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the area including your tack area and even your car or lockers where you store your equipment);

Clean down that rusty metal buckles on your Horse Equipment (soak any rusty or calcium built-up items or buckles or snaps and any other metal in vinegar for a period of time and brush off the rusty area, repeat if needed);

Use it in the bottom of your Horse Stall (clean the stall area, and where the urine is pour some vinegar into that area to help to remove the odor, let it dry and bed the stall as normal);

Keep those Spiders down in your Stables (use Lysol Cleaner, pour into a spray bottle {follow the mix of water on the bottle} and spray into all the corners. Spray away, but not when horses are in the stalls let it dry, and do not spray onto their food area, it is a hazardous disinfectant, but is still better than spiders);

Horse Stall deodorizer (Remove the bedding, clean the stall, then use baking soda, vinegar under bedding or rubber stall mats to help prevent floor rot and to control odor.   Allow to air dry and then cover with clean bedding.  Using a stall deodorizer granules is also handy to keep stall areas dryer and reduces fly infestation.  Be sure it is non-toxic stall dryer granules);

Make your own “Light” “Barn Freshener Spray” that will radiate the air and is agreeable to all sense of smell (Barn Freshener – 16 ox distilled water + 24 drops mint oil + 24 drops eucalyptus oil + 2 tsp alcohol {rubbing alcohol is optional or vodka} alcohol helps to combine the water and oil.  Spray around the barn area as needed);

Keep the Horse Wash Stalls and Barn Sinks clog free (Recipe for Eco-friendly Drain Cleaner mix 1 cup baking soda + 1 cup salt + ¼ cup of tartar.  Then Pour ¼ cup of above mixture into drain, followed by a pot of boiling water.  Pour any unused mixture into an airtight container for future needs.  Be sure to let it sit for at least another hour and pour more boiling water after and use as normal, but repeat if needed. Use this as a preventative regular treatment). 
 
 
HERE ARE SOME MORE IDEAS…………………
 
 
 
VINEGAR for many different purposes.

Vinegar-White distilled seems to work best
As a Weed Killer assistant
The recipe is nearly always a subtle modification of:

• ½ gallon of vinegar
• ½ cup of salt
• 2 tablespoons of dish soap

Vinegar contains acetic acid, a chemical with well-known herbicidal properties; it is commonly used by organic gardeners and farmers as a herbicide. The knowledge that salt (sodium chloride, usually) has herbicidal properties. Soap is added to increase the spreading of droplets on the weed leaf surface. The combination of acetic acid, salt, and soap will certainly kill many annual weeds, especially if applied when the weeds are small.  Vinegar works best if sprayed on warm, sunny days (at least 78 degrees).

Note: Vinegar is not selective; it can potentially harm plants you wish to keep, should you accidentally spray them. …………………Also             

• 1 gallon of 10-20% pickling vinegar
• 2 ox orange oil
• 2 tablespoons of dish soap

Works like Round-Up. This will kill any leaf you get it on; works best on a hot sunny day; can wear rubber gloves. Don’t leave it in your sprayer for long because it will eat up the seal; wash sprayer thoroughly after use. Can put mixture on a sponge and wipe it on the plants you want to kill; will start working immediately.  Keep in mind that the Orange extract does deter pets from the area. So not matter what always watch where you spray it when you have pets.
Usually will not hurt trees if it hits the trunk only but will hurt if it gets on leaves of trees.
 
Effectiveness
The vinegar + salt solution, since it doesn’t move throughout the plant, will not be effective on perennial weeds. It will burn off the top growth of perennials (which may be desirable), but it will not provide long-term control. (Need to eradicate weeds from a garden bed? Do what I do, and smother them with newspaper.)  Perennial-type weeds need repeated spraying until their roots give up.
 
Deodorize & CLEAN With Vinegar!
Removing household odors just became safer and easier - Deodorize with Vinegar! Vinegar is possibly safer, economical.  When the vinegar is completely dry, you cannot smell the vinegar at all. Your unwanted odors are gone when you deodorize with vinegar, not just covered up or being a flowery smells of other spray deodorizers!


How to Deodorize & Clean With Vinegar

Household Odor Spray
Here is a recipe for a vinegar spray that you can spray anywhere you want to control household odor.
1 tsp. Baking Soda+ 1 tbsp. White Vinegar+2 cups water
Combine ingredients and mix until the foaming stops, then store the solution in a spray bottle, clearly labeled.

Air freshener Get that spray bottle of vinegar from the window cleaning? Spritz it in the air a few times to kill general odors. It smells vaguely vinegary for the first minute, then it just smells clean.
 
Nasty air Do you have a room that really reeks of smoke or paint fumes? Put a bowl of vinegar in there and just let it sit. If the room’s really bad, put out two or three bowls. The odor in the room will drastically improve in a few hours.
 
Vinegar Tip for sinks and garbage disposals
To deodorize the kitchen drain, first pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain followed by 1 cup of hot distilled vinegar.

After waiting approximately 20 minutes for the mixture to work, turn on the hot water tap and rinse the drain well.  You can deodorize the garbage disposal in the same way, except you will probably only need about half as much of the baking soda and vinegar.  You can also deodorize the garbage disposal by freezing ice cubes made of vinegar and running them through the disposal in the same way you would use it for disposing of leftover food, etc.  The Ice helps to get into all the cracks and crevasses in there.  Let it sit for about an hour or two and then run it again.
 
ANOTHER IDEA FOR THE Garbage Disposal

• Cut a lemon in half, shove in garbage disposal and grind (with water running) for 10 seconds.
• Freeze lemon and orange peels in ice cube trays with vinegar or water and throw these in and grind for 10 seconds
• Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda in and then 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes before running the water and the disposal
  

Makes a great air freshener! Great Deodorize for closets and rooms
Place shallow bowls containing white vinegar in areas of your home where odor is a problem. (Please keep out of reach of pets and small children.)   This tip also works great for controlling the odor in a newly painted room as well. May need to change the vinegar once a day for about three days to fully control the new paint odor.
 
Microwave cleaning
To deodorize a microwave, mix 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup white vinegar in a bowl (make sure the bowl is microwave safe), place in the microwave and microwave on high until it is boiling.   Let it sit undisturbed for at least ½ Hour, then remove the cup.  Not only will the microwave be deodorized, but stuck-on food will be loosened. Just wipe clean.   THE OVEN when you get that bad smell after turning on an oven that you have just cleaned with oven cleaner? Just wet a sponge with white vinegar and use for the final rinse.
 
Deodorize a Dishwasher
To deodorize a dishwasher, pour one cup of white vinegar directly into the dishwasher and run it through its normal cycle. Not only will this deodorize your dishwasher, it will also help remove soap scum and hard water deposits. It is a good idea to use this treatment monthly.
 
For your own Personal Use
For a Sunburn, just rub some vinegar on the affected area and it’ll feel much better really quickly.  Hair Conditioner. I’ve been known to use a tablespoon of vinegar as a replacement for hair conditioner. Smelly Feet using vinegar is a great help to people with smelly feet. Just soak your feet in a gallon of water into which you have added an ounce of white vinegar.
 
Washing Machine and Laundry Helper
Clean your washer. Every couple of months, run an empty washer load with 1 cup of vinegar to keep it clean and working well.   Instead of using fabric softener, use about 1/4 cup of white vinegar to the fabric softener area of your washer to neutralize HARD-TO-GET Odors. It has largely the same effect without coating your clothes in chemicals and costs a lot less.  Whitening clothes by putting a cup of white vinegar in a load of whites along with a quarter of a cup of baking soda. This will whiten your whites as effectively as bleach without the harshness.
 
Rusty tools just soak anything that’s rusty in vinegar overnight, then clean it thoroughly with a brush. The rust will wipe away nearly as well as it does with any expensive rust remover I’ve ever tried.
 
Eyeglass cleaner, if you use eyeglass cleaner, just take an empty container and fill it with vinegar. It cuts through grease on your lenses really well, leaving them looking great!
 
Skunk Odor Removal
For skunk odor removal, bathe your pet in a mixture of 1 qt. of 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 1 to 2 tsp liquid dish soap. Dawn is best as it cuts the oil base of the skunk spray.  Rub well into your dog's coat (you will probably want to wear disposable gloves). Leave the mixture on for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse and shampoo with pet shampoo.
For any lingering odor after de-skunking a dog, deodorize with vinegar! Just rinse it with undiluted white vinegar (after following the process above). Be careful not to get the vinegar in the dog's eyes.
 
Pet Urine Odor
Get rid of urine odor if your pet has an accident.
First blot up as much of the urine as you can, then dampen the area with a solution of white vinegar and water.   Blot again to get it as dry as possible with clean, dry rags or towels.  
Finally, sprinkle the area with baking soda and wait until completely dry (preferably the next day),
Then vacuum up excess baking soda residue.   
It is important to remove all traces of the odor because pets are attracted to areas that smell like them, and they could soil the same area again.
 
Control Litter Box Odor
You can help control your litter box odor by using undiluted white vinegar. After removing the litter, pour about 1/2 inch of vinegar into the bottom of the litter pan and let it stand about 15 minutes.  Pour it out and dry thoroughly, then sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of the pan before adding new litter.
 
Dead Animal Smell
To get rid of the odor from a dead mouse or rat or any other dead animal, first clean up and dispose of all remnants of the dead animal, then wipe down or spray the area with white vinegar. Bleach can also be used but take care that all surfaces that come into contact with the bleach are colorfast. For any lingering odors, you can place a fabric softener sheet in the area.
 
Deodorize Carpets and flooring and fix Odors
To deodorize carpet or rugs, you can use the household odor removal recipe above, or if you prefer, you can use straight vinegar. A spray bottle works best to get an even coverage over the carpet. Remember to test in a small inconspicuous area before applying to the entire carpet to check for colorfastness, although I have never heard of vinegar damaging any carpet.   Is something very smelly on the carpet, Pour a half cup of vinegar on that spot that smells and just let it dry. This will kill off the odor and it’ll make it easier to clean any stains.
 
For your Vinyl flooring washing that needs to be cleaned, mop using equal amounts of water and vinegar. This works really well for getting up stains, especially if you go over it twice. Don’t do this with wood or wood laminate, however, because vinegar can react with the wood.
 
Window cleaning
Put some vinegar in a spray bottle and get to work on any glass surfaces. It works really well and doesn’t seem to streak much at all.
 
How to Deodorize Furniture in your house
You can deodorize furniture in the same way as mentioned just above for carpets. After testing a small inconspicuous area, spray all areas evenly and let dry. Repeat as necessary.   Removing Urine Odor from Mattresses, especially urine odor, clean the affected area with a mixture of white vinegar and water. Then sprinkle baking soda on the area and allow to dry completely. Use a stiff brush to loosen residue as needed, then vacuum.
 
Clean those Plastic Containers from that mildew smell
White vinegar is great for removing odors from plastic food containers. Just apply undiluted vinegar with a cloth and then wash as usual. This odor removal tip also works with picnic jugs and coolers that have that musty or mildewy smell.   If your lunch box is the plastic type that will hold liquids without leaking, you can deodorize it by filling it with water and adding 1/4 cup of white vinegar.   Let stand overnight. If your lunchbox is not watertight, you can soak a sponge or slice of bread in white vinegar and leave it in the lunchbox overnight.
 
Bathroom cleaner
Clean the Toilet so easily, just freshen and deodorize your toilet by adding about 3 cups of white vinegar to the bowl and waiting half an hour or so before flushing.  If you leave it overnight it is even better to clean the toilet bowl, in the morning brush to coat the sides and flush.  For your Shower, just combine equal parts white distilled vinegar and water to a spray bottle. Ideal for hard to remove grime in your bathroom or shower.
 
Wipe the Walls and get that dusty/smoky or mildew smell out
Wipe down walls with full-strength white vinegar to get rid of stale odors, dust and mildew. A sponge mop works great for this, or you can just use a clean cloth or large sponge.
 
Kitchen Help
Freshen your kitchen by wiping down your countertops with undiluted white vinegar once a day. This will also make them bright and shiny! 
 
Kill odors on your plastic or wood cutting board by wiping it with a sponge dampened with white vinegar. 
Remove onion odor from your hands by sprinkling a little salt on them and then adding just a bit of white vinegar. Rub hands together, then rinse.
 
Refrigerator Odors - To get rid of the smell of spoiled or rotten food from a refrigerator, first clean the inside of the refrigerator well with soap and water. Then spray undiluted vinegar throughout the refrigerator and wipe off with a clean cloth.  Or take about 1 gallon of warm water in a bowel and 2 cups of vinegar and take a rag or sponge to clean the inside of the refrigerator.  Put a Tablespoon or so of pure vinegar right on a hard dried spill, let it sit for a bit and then give it a scrub.  To deodorize a fridge, place some opened boxes or small dishes of baking soda in the refrigerator for a few days to get rid of any lingering odor.
 
Clean a clogged drain. Pour boiling white distilled vinegar down a clogged drain to remove the obstruction.
 
Deodorize Sponges in order to deodorize sponges, soak in a shallow dish of white vinegar for a few hours. Rinse sponge well and allow to dry.   If the weather is really humid, you can store you sponge in a shallow dish of vinegar to keep it from souring.
 
Keeping ice off your car window – Use vinegar and water to help keep your car free of ice and frost overnight, or help melt the ice off easily in the morning.  Just spray the mixture the night before.
 
OTHER Natural Home Deodorizers
Lemons or Citrus
The citric acid in lemons (and other citrus fruits) works to neutralize odors, and the lemony smell leaves a pleasant odor after cleaning. This works especially well on food odors.
Uses:

1. Deodorize your dishwasher. Add 1 cup of lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best) to the bottom of your dishwasher and run just the rinse cycle to disinfect and deodorize it.
   
2. Freshen up your whole kitchen. Fill a pot with water, and add lemon (and/or orange) peels, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Simmer on your stove.
   
3. Deodorize your sink. Put a handful of lemon, lime or orange peel in the sink disposal and run with water.
   
4. Put orange and lemon rinds in a jar fill with vinegar and let sit for 2 weeks to marinate. Gives you an all-purpose cleaner.
   
5. Using lemons to deodorize my garbage disposal. I also use essential oils, Purification and Thieves for cleaning. Thieves will kill mold and it doesn’t come back.
   
6. Use lemon juice and eucalyptus as a brown recluse spider deterrent. I spray lemon juice on the underside of furniture and around windows and doors. Put eucalyptus in closets and other places they like to hide.
   

Eucalyptus
The oil from Eucalyptus is an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, which makes it a great deodorizer. It can help freshen up musty places that are often kept closed off like closets. Its fragrance can help you breathe better by opening up your sinuses.
Uses:

1. Freshen a musty closet. Place a few branches in a closet or musty room. Be sure to check it in a few weeks and simply replace it when the fresh scent starts to go away.
   
2. Polish Furniture. Add 2 Tbsp. of Eucalyptus oil to 1 gallon of water to use as an antiseptic spray, or as an all natural replacement for Pine-sol or Lysol.
   

 
Baking Soda
Baking Soda is an alkaline powder that’s great at neutralizing acid based smells like body odor and the smells that come from aging food.
Uses:

1. Neutralize odors in the fridge. Place an opened box of baking soda in the fridge to neutralize the bad smells created by food starting to go bad.
   
2. A natural toothpaste. Sprinkle a little on a wet toothbrush and brush as normal. (I typically use approx. half a teaspoon, or a pinch).
   
3. Clean a clogged drain. Pour boiling white distilled vinegar down a clogged drain to remove the obstruction.
   
4. Add about ¼ cup to a load of laundry and help to freshen up your laundry and it helps your soap to work better, add a ¼ cup of vinegar with it and it will even help further.
   
5. Use a Table Spoon of Baking Soda when shampooing and it will help to clean your hair better.
   

 
Other ideas for cleaning or odor helpers

1. Use a few drops of peppermint oil in a bowl when there is an unpleasant odor in the house or when I just want a nice smell when I’m having people over.
   
2. Keep vinegar in a dishwasher rinse aid dispenser. It helps keep off the film that accumulates on your dishes.
   
3. Tea tree oil in water with vinegar for all purpose disinfectant and for keeping away bugs add peppermint. Do not use peppermint if nursing, it could lower your supply
   
4. Spray straight vodka on stinky upholstery and carpets as a natural “febreze.” To get out all the smells.
   
5. Distiller water and a good smelling organic essential oil in a small spray bottle and spray in rooms-nice
   
6. 1 quart of H2O2, 10 drops of essential oil of thyme, 10 drops of essential oil of orange, and 1/4 cup of white vinegar in a spray bottle.
   
7. Texas Red Cedar oil. It keeps bugs away also, and can be used as a flea repellent for animals. Smells great
   
8. Recipe for Eco-friendly Glass Cleaning Solution: 2 Tablespoons of Borax and 3 cups of water.  Mix ingredients and pour into a spray bottle or pan to soak items.
   
9. Recipes for Eco-friendly Disinfectants:  Mix in a spray bottle and always shake well before using.
   

Add: Vinegar; add a few drops of an essential oil to mask the small + 3% Hydrogen Peroxide + Grain Alcohol (try a cheap vodka + mixed with 30% water to stop the alcohol from evaporating quickly + mix 1.6% of eucalyptus oil with 4 ¼ cups of water. 

ANOTHER ONE IS:
Mix 1 gallon warm water with 20 drops grapefruit seed extract.  Mix in a spray bottle and pour remaining mixture in an airtight container for refills.

AND ANOTHER ONE:
Warm water in a bowl + ½ tsp dish soap + ¼ cup baking soda + cloth.  Mix all ingredients well.  Dip a cloth in mixture and clean away.  Stir occasionally; keep the ingredients mixed.  The baking soda acts as a soft abrasive to remove tough spots and light scratches as well.

1. Natural Air Freshner:  In a medium saucepan, simmer a quart of water with natural ingredients to freshen and clean the air.  Just make sure not to let the water evaporate off completely!  SOME CHOICES:

• 1 sliced lemon, 2 tablespoons rosemary and a dash of vanilla

OR

• 1 sliced lime and 1 piece chopped ginger root

OR

• 1 sliced orange, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg and cloves (smells like pumpkin pie!)

OR

• 1 sliced lime and 2 tablespoons thyme

1. Clean the Urine Smell in almost anything, Human or Pet:  You need a measuring cup, tablespoon, funnel, and spray bottle. MIX----  

8 ounces/237 ml hydrogen peroxide 3% (can be found in most pharmacies)
3 tablespoons/45 grams of baking soda
1 drop of liquid hand dish washing soap
Mix all ingredients into the spray bottle, swish ingredients, do not shake the bottle, and use within 20 minutes.  Do not attempt to store the leftover solution, because it will leak out of the bottle.  The mixture only works if you use it immediately, because the cleaning byproducts are active for only a short time period.  You should see the stain lift and disappear within 5-10 minutes.  Once the mattress or carpet or whatever the urine is on dries, if a baking soda film remains, then simply wipe or vacuum it off. 

1. Easy Stain Remover in Car Upholstery: Vacuum the seats thoroughly and pick any crusty or sticky substances from the upholstery surface.  Just before applying then mix this combination: Mix 1 cup Dawn Blue Dish Soap + 1 cup of White Vinegar + 1 cup of Club Soda.  Put into a heavy duty spray bottle.  Shake very lightly to mix together.  Spray liberally over the stained areas and let it stand for about 5-10 minutes.  Take a scrub brush and scrub in little circles over any stains.  You will see the stain lift and disappear.  It will keep working over a 24 hour period of time.  Then wipe it over with warm to hot water on a cloth to get any water marks or spray marks out, or Hoover Steam vac works great too.  Spray again if needed.  CARPET is another use or Household furniture.
   
2. Carpet Cleaner:  Mix this in a Shaker container with holes in the lid and mix 24 hours in advance so the mixture can permeate together½ cup of Baking Soda + 20-40 drops Essential Oil of choice.  The baking soda is a natural carpet cleaner, and will help to remove any odors from your carpet.  The essential oils will leave a scent and help cleanse your carpet as well.  Pick essential oils that smell nice and have powerful cleansing properties.  Lavender is one, but avoid Tea Tree Oil if you have pets.  Sprinkle lightly over carpet, let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then vacuum as usual.  Carpet will be cleaner and will smell good and not have to use chemicals.
   
3. Mold and mildew thrive in wet environments.  A dehumidifier can help and fix leaky plumbing, prevent mildew and mold from growing.  Especially under cabinets or storage containers.  Air your area out as much as possible.  If you need to possible Clear the Air where you can with cleaning machines.
   

Tea Tree Oil – NOTE be-carful with animals and Tea tree Oil.  Tea Tree oil is a powerful natural fungicide. To use this essential oil to kill existing mold and mildew growth, simply add around ten drops of tea tree oil to a spray bottle filled with water. Spray onto hard surfaces where mold and mildew are growing and let this amazing oil go to work. Scrub a bit, but with repeated use this all-natural cleaner will kill the fungus and help to prevent future growth. Remember: You’ll have to shake this mixture well before each use as the oils will separate.

Plain white vinegar is one of the best all-natural cleaners – it is naturally antimicrobial, Simple pour vinegar (white or any other kind) into a spray bottle and apply anywhere mold and mildew are growing. Let it sit for a few minutes to kill and dissolve the fungus, then wipe away with a cloth or sponge.

Distilled Ethanol- If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, you may use other fermented liquids in a similar fashion. Distilled grain alcohols like vodka will kill mold and mildew just as quickly. Inexpensive “bottom shelf” spirits tend to be filtered less and distilled fewer times, meaning they contain more congeners like acetaldehyde which is exponentially more toxic (about thirty times more so) to unwanted fungus than ethanol.