Give Vinegar a Chance

I was hesitant for the longest to use vinegar for anything. We had a half-used bottle under our sink for several years. Then I had a baby and wanted to not only reduce the chemicals I used while cleaning, but also reduce our budget.

Most of you are probably already familiar with the many uses of vinegar, such as in cleaning your floors or glass. Then there's running it through your coffee pot or empty dishwasher. But have you ever thought of using it as a rinsing agent in your dishwasher? I've never used Jet-Dry, thinking it a waste of money just to have spot-free dishes. Then I saw a comment on a blog that suggested pouring vinegar into the Jet-Dry receptacle. I had become more self-conscious about spotty dishes with my new homemaker status (and more frequent visits from my mother-in-law), so I gave it a try. If anything, I knew it was about time to clean out the dishwasher anyway.

The result? I was shocked at how spotty my dishes had actually been. Or, um, let's be honest, dirty-looking. I now had sparkling dishes and a fresh-smelling dishwasher!

Give this a try at least once. Just pour vinegar where it says to put Jet-Dry. If you like it, know that you're saving money and using less chemicals!

(Please note: I'm not aware of this method causing any harm to dishwashers. Really, how could vinegar be more harmful than a chemical in the machine? Even so, pour at your own risk.)