Hello! Let’s talk vinegar – specifically, where to buy white vinegar in bulk for all your cleaning needs. You see, I go through a lot of white vinegar in our house. If I’m not cleaning with it, I’m pickling and preserving the bounty from our allotment.
Given that scientists have warned that conventional cleaning products could be as bad for your lungs as smoking 20 cigarettes a day, I’m really big on making my own natural cleaning products with simple yet effective ingredients.
Vinegar is a key component in my natural cleaning arsenal, so I do buy a lot of it.
Glass bottles of white vinegar can be picked up relatively cheaply from the supermarket or corner shop. Here it’s around 80p for just shy of 500 ml. And what I love is that the glass vinegar bottles are very useful. Simply pop a spray nozzle on the bottle once you’re done and you’ve got an instant eco-friendly cleaning bottle.
The thing is, when you’re using vinegar in relatively higher quantities, the price soon adds up. Shop assistants also give you funny looks when you start buying five bottles of vinegar in one transaction. Voice of experience here.
Some supermarkets (cough, Sainsburys) have also started packaging their small bottles of vinegar in plastic bottles, instead of glass. Buying vinegar in bulk helps save plastic, as less plastic goes into making a bulk bottle than the equivalent amount of small bottles. Let alone having a smaller carbon footprint in terms of transport.
To save money, plastic, and to save blushes, instead, I buy my white vinegar in bulk online and get it delivered to my door.
Where to Buy White Vinegar in Bulk
Looking to buy vinegar in bulk too? I have found the cheapest place to purchase white vinegar in bulk, Let me share my secrets with you.
eBay is by far the cheapest place I’ve found to buy vinegar in bulk sizes. Early in the New Year, I picked up 20 litres of Golden Swan vinegar. This cost me a mere £7.94 with free postage. That’s around 40p per litre. Compared to the £1.60 a litre when buying the glass bottles, that’s a whopping saving of £1.20 per litre.
Do note that the price of vinegar tends to fluctuate on eBay. At the time of writing the average price is around £15 with free postage. This still works out cheaper than buying from the supermarket, as this works out at 75p a litre. Do check here* to see the current going rate. Alternatively, Amazon* is another place to check.
Worried about storing 20 litres of vinegar? Worry not, the vinegar arrives in four 5 litre cartons. These are a lot more manageable to handle and store than one 20 litre container. To make life easier I decant the vinegar into a glass bottle (an empty gin bottle!) to make it even easier to pour.
What’s the Shelf Life?
Unopened bottles of bulk vinegar will last for around 2 years. Once opened, the vinegar will last for around 6 months. I’ve never had a problem using up vinegar within 6 months, as I have a ton of uses around the house for vinegar. I’ve listed some of my favourite uses below – from cleaning to laundry, to even in the garden – to help you avoid waste. If your vinegar hasn’t been used up in 6 months then as with any best before dates then do exercise common sense. If it looks off or smells off, then it’s probably off. And if not, it’s probably safe to use, particularly if you are just using vinegar for cleaning with.
What About British Made Vinegar in Bulk?
I get the occasional email asking me why I’m not promoting British-made vinegar. Golden Swan vinegar is actually produced in the UK, and so it’s a great choice for supporting British-made produce.
Can I Buy Bulk Vinegar Without the Plastic?
It is frustrating not being able to buy white vinegar in bulk without the plastic. The thing is that it’s simply not practical to transport vinegar in large glass bottles. Doing so would prohibitively push the price up of this cheap and eco-friendly staple. And vinegar can’t be stored in metal, as vinegar is corrosive, so plastic it is.
However, if you’re looking to cut down on your plastic waste, then the other option would be to visit your local zero-waste shop if you have one nearby. Here you’ll be able to fill up on vinegar, using your own container.
What Can You Use White Vinegar For?
White vinegar has a myriad of uses around the home and in the garden. Here are some of my favourite white vinegar uses:
- See here for how to make infused vinegar for cleaning with
- Or visit here for how to make your own fabric conditioner
- Alternatively, find out how to make homemade weedkiller
- Here’s how I make natural cleaning sprays using vinegar
- And here’s how to remove stains, naturally
There are also more ideas for using white vinegar to clean your home in my new book, Fresh Clean Home. This is packed full of green cleaning recipes for every corner of your home. It’s out now, so do check it out. Of course, it’s not all about vinegar – there are lots of other great ways to clean your home naturally without vinegar which I cover in the book too.
Have you found white vinegar cheaper anywhere else? Do let me know – I love a good deal on vinegar! Some people get excited by sales on clothes or TVs. Not me, no, I get excited by sales on vinegar…!
Please note – don’t use vinegar on granite, stone, marble, quartz, or similar surfaces, as it can damage the stone. This DIY cleaning spray is better suited for those types of surfaces.
