UK households with 'dishwasher or microwave in kitchen' face £202 charge
UK households spend on average between £83 and £202 per year on cleaning products trying to keep their homes spick and span. That could amass to a staggering £10,000 plus over the course of a lifetime, which is a sobering thought especially amid a cost of living crisis.
However, one cleaning expert is revealing some of the ways Brits can save money while carrying out their daily chores, simply by swapping their expensive cleaning products for one household item. Nancy Emery, cleaning expert at Tap Warehouse shared her top uses for white vinegar in the kitchen to save time and money.
Nancy said: "Rinse aid is a liquid added to your dishwasher to help prevent food and drink particles sticking to your dishes and instead leaves them clean, streak-free and shiny at the end of the wash cycle. But it’s an expensive luxury, costing up to £4 for 400ml, around £10 per litre. You can replace it with white vinegar and save around £9. A litre of white vinegar can be bought for as cheap as 82p per litre.
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"White vinegar is great for ridding your dishwasher of bad smells caused by trapped food and grime residue. For a deep clean once a month, put 250ml of white vinegar in a dishwasher-safe container and pop it on the top shelf of the empty dishwasher. Run it on a full cycle and this should help to break down any food, grease and soap scum build up inside the dishwasher.
She added: "Limescale is that hard, chalky deposit you see build up around the edge of your taps and nozzle. If left, it can cause damage to the brassware and impact efficiency costing you money on your energy bills. Drying your tap with a microfibre cloth after use will help to prevent limescale, but it’s hard to avoid and eventually you’ll need to clean it away. To remove limescale from taps, mix together white vinegar and water in equal parts and submerge your cleaning cloth into the solution. Apply directly to the limescale and scrub gently to avoid damaging the finish on your taps.
"If you’ve opted for a special finish tap such as matt black, chrome or brushed brass, try using a solution of 75/25 lemon juice to water instead. Gently scrub the solution on the tap with a soft sponge and leave this to dissolve the limescale deposits for no more than a couple of minutes before rinsing and always use a soft cloth to clean."
She went on: "If left, microwaves quickly become one of the yuckiest appliances in the home. The fast injection of heat usually causes spills, splashes and even explosions and that leaves a build up of food stains, debris and grease around the inside of the oven.
"To get this clean again, try adding two tablespoons of white vinegar to two cups of water in a microwave safe bowl and let the oven run for 2-3 minutes. Once finished, remove the bowl and you’ll find it much easier to wipe away the grease and grime with a clean cloth."
George Georgiev, manager of Prolux Cleaning, also recognised oven cleaning as a dreaded chore but stresses the importance of tackling it regularly.
He added: "The longer you leave those baked-on stains, the harder they are to remove. Baking soda is an excellent natural cleaner. Its high pH effectively breaks down grease and grime without harsh chemicals, making it a safe and simple solution.
"A quick wipe after every few uses can prevent buildup and save you time in the long run."
Georgiev also highlighted baking soda’s versatility, dubbing it as "cost-effective, eco-friendly, and perfect for home cleaning".