Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[myvanwi]

I have been using white vinegar and althought effective my husband cannot stand the smell. I have seen that people say that the smell only lasts a short while but in my experience it stays for days. How can I get rid of the smell when I am using it and after i have used it?

[Infomation 1324]

Hello, myvanwi
I know exactly what you mean, my husband hate the smell also, I use vinegar sometime when I clean the homes I service, Now it all depend on were you are using the vinegar, and what you are using the vinegar on, so here is what I use the vinegar on,
When I clean a tub that has a dirty ring in it or just dirty and the regular store brand cleaning solution isn't getting the job done, I spray the tub area, then I go behind it with Mr. Clean cleaning solution to kill down the smell, once I have clean out the tub, I clean the tub walls I then spray mr clean, cleaning solution in the sink, outside the tub I clean the toliet and I also clean the door to the bathroom, along with wiping down my baseboards, I know this may seem a lot, but if you want to kill the scent you need to use anther cleaning product that has a longer lasting smell.
you can clean your shower, shower doors, your sink and floors, but I recommend that if you have hard wood floors, and using the vinegar on it, it's best not to use vinegar, what you can use in the place of vinegar, a product call murphy's oil soap which is safe on all floor type with a plesant smell.
Please let the board know what it is that you are using the vinegar on, and were all you are using it, to me it sounds like you are using it everywhere, and if you are doing this you may need to air your house out when using the product, plus you need to dilute the solution.
hope this was helpful, just make sure that you use anther product that take over the scent.

[myvanwi]

I use vinegar on bathroom scum inluding shower doors and base ledges which has hard to shift scum in runners of doors. I use it round the base of taps to get the hard to shift dirt and grease out. I use it on hobs and on woodwork around the house that has dirty/greasy marks. I have tried diluting by 50% down to 10% where is loses it effectiveness. I have tried mixing it with a strong smelling disinfectant and tried mixing it with fragrence oils but you can still smell it. I havent done as you suggested and followed up with another cleaner as one of the main reason I use the vinegar is to save money on all the expensive sprays we were using.
However the staff in our business have said that housepwners have commented on the not very nice lingering vinegar smell so Iam on the point of giving up with it which is a shame as we are spending too much on cleanning products and this money should be spent on paying staff more.

[Infomation 1324]

Hi, Myvanwi,
I can give you anther suggestion on cleaning your shower , as well as cleaning your baseboard, I suggest that you go to your local family dollar, or dollar store, or dollar general store to buy this product call AWESOME, it only cost one dollar, plus get the Mr clean earser pad, or the off brand earaser pad, which you may spend anther dollar in a half, Now the awesome cleaner is so good and effective you just spray it in the tub and wipe it out, it good on all that you are using the vinegar on, plus like I mention, also get the pad spray your glass shower doors down and use the eraser pad to go over that , you may also use the eraser pad to clean the tub, they both work wonderful and save a lot of time, you don't need to dilute the Awesome use it full strength, plus when you do get it, put the knob on stream, it work better, Now when I clean my baseboards, I use like I mention the Mr. Clean, which you can get for less then two dollars, spray your baseboard down and wipe clean. now for the shower ledges, I would use a tooth brush and your vinegar likely spray take the tooth brush and then scrub the ledges, you may also check out how I clean a kitchen plus some before and after pictures I have But I am not yet finish with my page, please feel free to go and look at my page, plus I will take pictures when i get to a home and do a topic on what you are having a problem with. Oh, I forgot to mention, Don't mix your vinegar with anther cleaner, the vinegar will take over.

Thanks infomation1324

[geraldine]

Well you can't squabble about the price of your suggestion.

[myvanwi]

Thankyou so much for your suggestions, however I am in the UK and can't buy the products you suggest.

[1stclasscleaning]

hi,
Keep sprinkling baking soda over the upholstery and hoovering it up the next day. It's a natural deodoriser and doesnt stain or cover up the smell with stronger smells. Make sure you've cleaned into all the crevices that the vinegar may have trickled into.

Apparently milk absorbs smells (ever find it will take up the taste of pineapple or melon if you store them beside milk in the fridge) so you could try placing a bowl of milk in the car overnight.
i hope this may resolve your problem

[mrscleannw]

Switching to vinegar and water can save money, but often times people complain about the smell. Most vinegar odors go away once a surface dries out. It is a very good cleaner on most surfaces if used properly.

You can use scented candles to mask the smell which works better on a diluted vinegar mixture. You can also use a mixture of water, lemon juice and baking soda to go over the surfaces to help eliminate the vinegar smell.

[Shana33]

That sounds familiar to me!
My mum used to clean everything with vinegar because its functions as an organic detergent.
I hate the vinegar smell - so I can use this great cleaning method - horrible!