It’s well known that white vinegar, when diluted with water, can make an excellent cleaning agent. The reason for this, according to healthline, is the acidic nature of vinegar, which means it can be used to kill bacteria, as well as dissolving mineral deposits and grime.

An article for LifeHacker recently highlighted some of the areas of your home where vinegar, or another acidic natural cleaning agent, such as water with a lower pH level (and that is therefore acidic), like that can be produced by water ionizers in the UK.

The first area you may want to use vinegar or acidic water to clean is the toilet, with the publication noting that it makes a very effective toilet cleaner and disinfectant. It also suggested that if you live in a hard water area, you may want to leave the vinegar to sit in the toilet bowl for an hour before scrubbing and then flushing it.

You can also use this kind of cleaning agent for all manner of household surfaces, including the insides of your cupboards.

If you’re planning a big spring clean at your home, it’s certainly worth considering when you last cleaned out your kitchen cupboards and, if it has been a while, spending some time sorting them out.

Your microwave can also be cleaned using vinegar, or another acidic cleaner, LifeHacker explained. Popping a bowl of diluted vinegar into the microwave and turning the appliance on can be a very effective way of cleaning and disinfecting it.

How long you’ll need to run the microwave for will depend on how powerful the microwave is. It’s also worth leaving the steaming bowl of liquid in there for a few minutes after it turns off too.