Among all the rooms in the house, the kitchen is the drama queen. Between cooking, a myriad of appliances, and its role as a favorite gathering place for many of us food lovers, it has plenty going on and needs attention to match. The downside is that there’s so much to look after, including the walls. Kitchen walls can be prone to mold growth, which you may notice as discolored spots, peeling paint, or a bad smell. It’s tempting to reach for a mold cleaner, but white vinegar is a kitchen cleaning staple that could treat mold for less. It contains acetic acid and has antimicrobial effects that can be effective in treating most types of mold.
如果你懷疑廚房牆面有小範圍的霉菌問題，先採取幾項預防措施。請佩戴防護裝備，包括手套、護目鏡，以及 N95 呼吸器，以防止吸入空氣中的霉菌孢子。然後確保開窗通風。此外，某些廚房表面與裝潢可能會被酸性物質損壞。例如，絕對不要在花崗岩上噴灑醋。
不過，如果醋適用於你的廚房，請直接使用，讓其自行作用30至60分鐘，之後再用乾淨、微濕的布輕輕擦洗。之後把該區域徹底擦乾，清潔用品洗淨或丟棄。解決濕氣來源以防霉菌再次滋生非常重要。若問題較為嚴重，可能需要請專業人員處理，特別是當霉菌覆蓋面積超過10平方英尺（約1平方公尺）或存在顯著的水損時。
Other ways to use vinegar to keep the kitchen clean
Vinegar is the low-key superhero of your kitchen. Besides helping tackle mold, it’s a cost-effective way to help cut through mineral buildup on surfaces, giving it plenty of uses beyond salad dressing. Regular white distilled vinegar is a practical choice for everyday cleaning jobs, but be sure to check the material first, since vinegar can damage marble and other sensitive surfaces.
醋是你廚房裡的低調超級英雄。除了協助對抗霉菌外，它也是一種經濟實惠的方式，能幫助去除表面的礦物質積垢，讓它在清潔用途上遠超過沙拉醬。日常清潔工作中，普通的白色蒸餾醋是實用的選擇，但在使用前務必先檢查材質，因為醋可能會損壞大理石與其他敏感表面。
Its familiar sidekick, baking soda, can also help scrub away stubborn residue from pots, pans, and countertops, if their surfaces can tolerate mild abrasives. Use them separately, though. Vinegar is acidic and baking soda is alkaline, so mixing the two creates an impressive fizz but also neutralizes them, negating their cleaning benefits.
它熟悉的搭檔小蘇打也能幫忙去除煮鍋、平底鍋和檯面上難以清除的殘留物，前提是表面能承受輕度研磨。不過要分別使用。醋酸性與小蘇打的鹼性混合會產生強烈的泡沫，並且彼此會中和，抵銷清潔效果。
Kitchen windows and glass refrigerator shelves alike can also benefit from a little vinegar-powered sparkle. A mixture of one part distilled white vinegar to 10 parts warm water helps remove cloudy buildup for a transparent view of your garden or last night’s leftovers. Just be sure to check care instructions and let cold refrigerator shelves reach room temperature before cleaning them with any water- or vinegar-based solution, to avoid thermal stress that can cause them to crack.
廚房的窗戶和玻璃冰箱架也能因醋而變得更亮。以1份白色蒸餾醋對10份溫水的比例混合，能去除混濁的積層，讓你能清楚看到花園的景致或昨晚的剩菜。只要務必查看使用說明，並在以水或醋為基底的清潔劑清潔前，讓冷藏架的玻璃回到室溫，以避免因溫差造成的熱應力而使其破裂。
