Distilled white vinegar can work wonders for everyday household cleaning tasks and is pretty cheap. Check out these ideas on how to use it.

Mix equal parts water and vinegar and pour it in your coffeemaker; turn the brew cycle on. Halfway through, turn it off and let the solution sit for an hour. Turn the coffeemaker on again and let it finish. Run several cycles of clean water after that.

Disinfect the inside of your dishwasher by putting a small bowl of vinegar on the bottom rack and running an empty cycle.

Get a clean drain and pipes by pouring vinegar down the drain. Run cold water through them after 30 minutes.

Add 1/4 cup of vinegar to your mop water and clean almost any floor except marble or wood, which vinegar can harm.

Add 1 cup of vinegar to your rinse water for spotless hand-washed glasses.

To clean away mineral deposits on your steam iron, fill the iron with equal parts water and vinegar and press the steam button. Let it cool, empty and rinse.

To rid your showerhead of mineral deposits, fill a zip-top plastic bag with vinegar about halfway. Place it around your showerhead and secure it with rubber bands.

Soak it overnight and rinse with water in the morning.

Published 07/10/09