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Vinegar, Secret to Grout Cleaning? Myth Busted!

Everybody has heard of, or knows of certain myths or old wives’ tales, about how to get a cleaning job done the easy and cheap way, instead of the laborious and expensive way. Shortcuts galore! Indeed, many of these myths and tales have their stories based on certain facts, but many also don’t.

Still Around

Some may have heard of these just once and still hold them to be true. Or they may have been passed down from family members and were never questioned. The thing is, it’s about time some of these were brought to light and dispelled once and for all. After all, who wants to find out later that an old wife’s tale, was just that, an old tale?

The Vinegar Myth

Many people may have read somewhere that vinegar is some kind of a miracle cleaner, and good for any surface. Because it’s easily available, and so cheap, it would make sense that people would want to believe that particular myth, but is this notion based on facts? Vinegar has been labelled a popular natural alternative to harsh cleaners like bleach, and while it’s undeniably versatile, it can be used for many things. But it is really in one’s best interests, not to be used on hardwood or stone floors, as it can damage the finish.  It may might also be found that, despite the surrounding folklore regarding vinegar, that it just isn’t that great at cleaning everything. While vinegar is great in helping out in other parts of the cleaning department, because it eliminates the need for additional products and chemicals, but it should be shunned in certain situations. Anything porous like stone and unsealed grout, can be damaged beyond repair because of the acid content of vinegar.

Acidic

For other grimy surfaces (non-porous), such as the oven, vinegar will not cause any damage, but just isn’t that effective when used on its own. Try combining it with bicarbonate of soda to create a chemical reaction which should make that oven cleaner. Vinegar is made up of acetic acid, which is natural and inexpensive and why it has become so popular as an alternative cleaning product. The problem with vinegar is this acid, though some surfaces are not harmed by acid, many are. The best and safest way to get those surfaces back to that new look is to use an experienced, affordable and professional cleaning service. Should one be in need of such a quality maintenance team, tile cleaning by Perth’s Boas Cleaning Services are renowned in the Perth region of Western Australia. Make the right choice and get it done properly.

Jaded

The reason that vinegar is not seen as damaging is that some surfaces don’t show the damage until much later and only comes to the surface over time. This is often the case when the finish of a surface is determined to be jaded, when it really has been eaten away over time by the acid content. Some marble and metal surfaces will show the damage straight away if pure vinegar is used, but others will not. So, to make sure the job is done perfectly and without any worries, put that vinegar away and call the people who do it for a living!

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