If you've followed Arborfill for a while, you'll know I'm a fan of simple, low-tox cleaning.
And yes, that still includes good old white vinegar.
It's inexpensive, easy to find and brilliant for certain jobs around the home. In fact, I still keep a bottle in my cupboard and use it regularly.
But over the years, as I've experimented with different ingredients and developed some of my own products, I've realised something.
Vinegar is a really useful cleaner.
It just isn't the best cleaner for *every* job.
Where I still use white vinegar
There are a few jobs where vinegar is hard to beat.
Descaling the kettle
If your kettle has a build-up of limescale, vinegar works brilliantly. Fill it with equal parts white vinegar and water, leave it to sit for a while, boil, then rinse thoroughly.
Freshening the washing machine
Running an occasional maintenance wash with vinegar can help tackle detergent residue and keep the machine feeling fresh.
Tackling light limescale
Water marks on taps, shower heads and shower screens often respond really well to vinegar, especially if you leave it to work for a little while before wiping clean.
For jobs like these, I still happily reach for vinegar.
Where I tend to use something else
As Arborfill has grown, I've found there are a few areas where I simply prefer using something designed specifically for the job.
Everyday kitchen surfaces
Vinegar isn't particularly good at cutting through greasy fingerprints, cooking splashes and everyday kitchen mess.
However, many modern day kitchens include surfaces that aren't suitable for acidic cleaners such as natural stone, marble, granite and quartz which can become damaged.
A gentle plant-based surface cleaner usually cleans more effectively and leaves the kitchen feeling fresher without a strong vinegar smell.
Bathrooms
Vinegar certainly has its place, but I often reach for a citric acid-based bathroom cleaner instead.
I've found it works really well on soap scum and limescale while making regular bathroom cleaning quick and straightforward.
Glass and mirrors
If you've ever spent ages polishing streaks off a mirror, you'll know what I mean.
A dedicated glass cleaner simply gives a clearer finish with less effort.
It's not about finding one miracle product
One thing I've learnt through developing Arborfill is that no single ingredient does everything perfectly.
Bicarbonate of soda has jobs it's brilliant for.
Citric acid has jobs it's brilliant for.
Vinegar has jobs it's brilliant for.
Plant-based surfactants have jobs they're brilliant for.
The trick isn't finding one magic cleaner.
It's choosing the right one for the job.
That's one of the reasons I wanted Arborfill to offer a range of everyday products rather than trying to make one bottle do absolutely everything.
So... do I still recommend vinegar?
Absolutely.
I still use it at home and I'd happily recommend keeping a bottle in your cupboard.
I just don't think it needs to be the answer to every cleaning question.
Sometimes it's exactly what I'd choose.
Sometimes I'd reach for something else.
And I think that's a much more realistic way to approach low-tox cleaning.