I'll just come right out and say it...

[Julie in CA]

I hate the smell of vinegar! I love the idea of using it to clean everything under the sun, but how do you all get past the *smell!?*

I can't imagine spraying/wiping with vinegar. Cleaning is enough misery as it is. :glare:

[fairfarmhand]

Me too. I quit and bought some Mr. Clean.

[mommybee]

I just don't mind it I guess......but my son hates it!! He hates when I spray the shower with it.

[creekmom]

I was going to post this same question!!! I'm trying hard to save money, but I can't stand using vinegar as a cleaner! I read somewhere that some people mix a few drops of scented oil (lavendar, or peppermint) to improve the smell, but I'm not sure it would help much.

[BakersDozen]

I cannot bring myself to use vinegar, either. Spending the extra $ on cleaning products that don't make me gag is worth it, IMO. :)

[dirty ethel rackham]

I use an orange oil cleaner instead. I get a concentrated amount and make my own spray cleaners. One product I like is Citrasolv concentrate. Another one that can be found at Whole Foods is Orange Plus.

 

I think it does a great job without adding toxic chemicals to my house - I am pretty sensitive. I vary the concentration based upon how heavy duty the cleaning job is.

[BigMamaBird]

I completely agree!

 

When I was little, my Mom used a particular "feminine product," and that's all I can think about when my house smells like vinegar. Not a pleasant connection.

[myfatherslily]

I like the smell, but I say if you hate it, don't use it! There are plenty of other options available:)

[3littlekeets]

It evaporates quickly and it's worth it to make sure my home and kids are poison free.

[lmrich]

My kids hated it so much that when they were little I told them that if they kept saying, "But I..." they would have to take a tablespoon of it. We now call it the "But I " juice! They never had to take a taste they would get ready to say it and then stop! So it works for kids mouths too.:lol:

[BikeBookBread]

Equally interesting: I LOVE the smell of vinegar. Always have. My kids love vinegar-based dressings, as well.

 

I need to use lots of vinegar as we have extremely hard water and no softener system. In fact, I just did a vinegar rinse on our coffeemaker not 15 minutes ago.

[Julie in CA]

I'm not being snarky to those of you who use it, just wondering how I can get past the smell...:001_huh:

[Jyniffrec]

Is it just plain vinegar that you don't like or could you use apple cider vinegar? We drink the apple cider vinegar here as if it were juice, especially my 5 year old!

[Miss Peregrine]

I never could get past the smell either. It does not evaporate, IME. I gave up on it.

[KidsHappen]

:iagree: Hate it.

[Rosie_0801]

I wonder how people can deal with artificial fragrances :ack2: I have to hold my breath on the rare occasions I venture into the laundry aisle of the supermarket!

 

I don't love vinegar smell but it doesn't hang around long so I deal with it.

 

Rosie

[Nakia]

I put a few drops of tea tree oil into my vinegar/water cleaning mixture. I think it helps a lot.

[gaillardia]

Have you ever tried to get your dog to smell vinegar?:lol:

[bookfiend]

The smell disappears in 10 seconds.

[Pretty in Pink]

I've heard that you can add a Tbsp. of lemon juice to your spray bottle to cut down on the scent. I don't love the smell, but I don't overly mind it either, and it doesn't usually linger for very long.

[littlebug42]

When my daughter with clubfoot was an infant/toddler, we had to soak her casts in water and vinegar in a bathtub prior to her appointments and wrap her leg (hip to toe) in vinegar soaked towels etc for a one hour car trip to the ortho to have her cast removed (and we did this weekly for several weeks). To this day, the smell of vinegar makes me gag. I just have to look for the safest alternatives I can find.

[Lovedtodeath]

My best friend makes an awesome cleaner with borax, tea tree oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil (just for the smell), and some kind of peroxide powder. It isn't poison and it isn't vinegar.

[Slartibartfast]

I add some essential oils to it.

 

And FWIW I don't use vinegar cause it is cheap I use vinegar because it cleans well and is a better choice environmentally. Artificial scents really bother my allergies.

[Rosy]

I hate the smell of vinegar, and no one in my family has ever had an adverse reaction to Pinesol, 409, or any of the other "poisonous" cleaners. Costco has a biodegradable all-purpose cleaner that I've used too, it's not really strong enough to mop with though.

[mom4him]

It evaporates quickly and it's worth it to make sure my home and kids are poison free.

:iagree:

At the very least get another natural cleaner. There are ones out there.

Biokleen has one called Bac-Out.

[Nestof3]

It gives me a headache. I cannot use it.

[Slartibartfast]

I hate the smell of vinegar, and no one in my family has ever had an adverse reaction to Pinesol, 409, or any of the other "poisonous" cleaners. Costco has a biodegradable all-purpose cleaner that I've used too, it's not really strong enough to mop with though.

 

I like Mrs Meyers Cleaning Day for that :) or Bio-Kleen It lasts us awhile and smells nice.

[kathkath]

I used to not like it but have gotten over it. have you tried adding a drop of essential oil?

[LadyR]

Are you using it full strength? I use mine with half water. I don't mind the smell so much. It reminds me of salt-and-vinegar potato chips which were always my favorite! LOL The smell is really offensive to my husband though so I have to use it when he's not home.

[Laurie4b]

I put a few drops of tea tree oil into my vinegar/water cleaning mixture. I think it helps a lot.

 

Now tea tree oil--mmm---the smell of turpentine! I use both vinegar and tea tree oil for various things, but I don't like the smell of either!

[Lovedtodeath]

My friend adds peppermint essential oil to her products for its smell covering properties.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I hate the smell of vinegar! I love the idea of using it to clean everything under the sun, but how do you all get past the *smell!?*

 

Me too.

[LND1218]

I wonder how people can deal with artificial fragrances :ack2: I have to hold my breath on the rare occasions I venture into the laundry aisle of the supermarket!

 

I don't love vinegar smell but it doesn't hang around long so I deal with it.

 

Rosie

 

I hate the smell of vinegar, but I can't go down the detergent isle either.

 

My best friend makes an awesome cleaner with borax, tea tree oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil (just for the smell), and some kind of peroxide powder. It isn't poison and it isn't vinegar.

Well that's not exactly true - borax isn't as safe as vinegar. It can't be consumed by animals or children.

 

I used to not like it but have gotten over it. have you tried adding a drop of essential oil?

Same here - I just got used to it and it doesn't make me gag anymore.

 

Are you using it full strength? I use mine with half water. I don't mind the smell so much. It reminds me of salt-and-vinegar potato chips which were always my favorite! LOL The smell is really offensive to my husband though so I have to use it when he's not home.

I always cut it with water.

 

Now tea tree oil--mmm---the smell of turpentine! I use both vinegar and tea tree oil for various things, but I don't like the smell of either!

LOL! I know - tea tree oil is great stuff though

 

My friend adds peppermint essential oil to her products for its smell covering properties.

This really helps!