"Seems like appliances with rubber parts are the trickiest when it comes to DIY cleaners."
Couldn't agree more—rubber seals are deceptively sensitive. I once tried a homemade citrus cleaner on my fridge gasket, thinking it'd be gentle enough...big mistake. Ended up having to replace the seal myself to save on costs. Thankfully, online tutorials were incredibly helpful, so it wasn't too daunting. Definitely respect your effort in sticking with natural options; these hiccups are just part of the learning curve.
I've had my share of mishaps with rubber parts too—vinegar seemed safe enough, but turns out it dried out the gasket on my washer pretty badly. Learned the hard way to research compatibility first. On the upside, baking soda paste has worked wonders for me on stainless steel surfaces without issues. Curious if anyone's found a DIY cleaner that's actually safe for rubber seals...or is it better to just stick with store-bought for those parts?
"vinegar seemed safe enough, but turns out it dried out the gasket on my washer pretty badly."
Been there, done that...my dishwasher gasket still hasn't forgiven me. After some trial and error (and a few leaks later), I found that a mild solution of castile soap and water works pretty well for rubber seals. Just a tiny bit of soap diluted in warm water, wipe gently, rinse thoroughly, and dry. No more crispy gaskets for me, fingers crossed.
"Just a tiny bit of soap diluted in warm water, wipe gently, rinse thoroughly, and dry."
That's a great tip—wish I'd known sooner! I also learned the hard way about vinegar and rubber seals...my poor fridge gasket looked like it aged ten years overnight. Have you tried adding a drop or two of essential oil to the castile soap mix? Lavender or lemon works nicely, smells amazing, and doesn't seem to harm the rubber. Glad I'm not alone in the crispy gasket club, haha.
I've definitely been there with the vinegar disaster...my dishwasher seal still hasn't forgiven me. 😅 Interesting idea about the essential oils—I haven't tried that yet, but now I'm curious. Do you find the scent lingers long after cleaning, or does it fade pretty quickly?
One thing I've found helpful for appliance surfaces (especially stainless steel) is a simple baking soda paste. Just mix baking soda with a little water until it's like toothpaste consistency, gently rub it onto any stubborn spots or stains, then rinse and buff dry with a soft cloth. Works wonders without scratching or damaging finishes. Learned this trick after my toaster oven ended up looking like it survived a grease explosion—lesson learned the hard way!
