Do Not Boil Vinegar and Water to Neutralize Odors

I have read multiple times that boiling a mixture of vinegar and water is a great way to neutralize household odors. When I got up this morning, I still smelled the ground beef that I fried last night for our patty melts. So, I thought this was a good time to test that theory. I have never read what the mixture should be for this test, so I put 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in a small pot since that is a common cleaning solution. I boiled the water and vinegar for 10 minutes. Gross! Gross! Gross! Do not do this. To me, it smelled like I had cooked my ground beef in vinegar. Gross!

So, I tried to cover that smell up by boiling water and a few drops of orange essential oil. That didn't work. So, I washed the pot, the filter from the microwave over the stove, and the measuring cup, wiped off the stove, kitchen tile behind the stove, and the stovetop, used Glass Plus to wipe off the microwave door, oven door, and dishwasher door, dusted the kitchen table with Pledge, sprayed the carpet throughout the house with carpet neutralizer - all the pleasant smells I enjoy, and I still smell only that gross vinegar in my house. Thankfully, it's a nice 70-degree morning with no rain, so I've opened the kitchen window, hoping some fresh air will help. I'll open more windows later if that doesn't help. 

I've also placed 6 Gain dryer sheets in vents around the house, hoping that will also help get rid of that gross smell when the air conditioner turns on. Attacking it from the perimeters may be helpful. I hope so. I enjoy a clean smelling house, and I don't want my husband to smell this when he gets home from work later today.

On top of this horrible smell, I am now sick to my stomach and have a terrible headache. I'm not able to eat anything that's homemade with vinegar in it, because it makes me sick. Apparently, inhaling the vinegar/water steam has a similar effect - just not as strong. So, to me, not a healthy move. I just sprayed some lemon-scented Lysol through the house, on drapes, and on the sofas. That helped some but I'm not sure for how long. Just take my word for it. Don't boil vinegar and water - not even a smaller amount of vinegar-to-a-larger-amount-of-water-ratio. It's gross! 

So, to drive the point home, boiling vinegar and water is not a healthy solution to dilute household odors. It's just a really bad odor in the house - very unpleasant compared to the lingering smell of last night's dinner. Apparently, time is the only thing that will remove that gross smell of boiling vinegar.

#helpingothers
#womenhelpingwomen

Take care and God bless,

Patricia