Households can tackle stubborn kitchen odours by simply leaving a bowl of white vinegar out overnight, according to cleaning experts. The cost-effective method offers an alternative to regularly buying harsh chemical cleaning products.
How the vinegar trick works
Poor ventilation and forgotten cleaning spots can cause unwelcome smells, which become more pronounced when a home is not ventilated or cannot be. While many air fresheners only cover odours, the acetic acid in white vinegar neutralises the alkaline odour molecules often behind lingering pongs.
Last year, MarthaStewart.com gathered advice from leading figures in the US cleaning industry, including Katie Dills, director of operations at Maryland-based firm The Cleaning Authority. Ms Dills said the liquid "can help neutralise odours in the home, such as in the kitchen or refrigerator".
How to use it
The outlet recommends leaving out a dish, such as a bowl or pan, filled with half an inch of white vinegar in the room where the smell needs removing until it disappears. Cooking site AllRecipes.com suggests leaving a bowl out overnight to tackle lingering cooking smells.
Baking soda can be used as an equally effective alternative, the outlet says. Ms Dills's tip is one of 27 sustainable uses for white vinegar around the home compiled by MarthaStewart.com.
Where not to use vinegar
Vinegar can also wipe down surfaces and remove grease stains around the kitchen. However, a beauty brand product developer and content creator who shares body and home hygiene tips on social media as Madam Sweat has warned against using it on certain materials.
In a TikTok video, she explained that vinegar should never be applied to natural stone, hardwood flooring, or rubber components such as dishwasher or washing machine seals, as the liquid can damage them.
