Prudent and Practical

In conjunction with a previous article on the natural wonder of vinegar, I went on a search for the many uses of it.  Many of the following ideas we use here at home.  I have not tried any of the health related uses, but am curious to see if they work.  Vinegar is a natural alternative to synthetic cleaners and disinfectants, conditioners, and fabric softeners.  There are many uses for it, but most people know that it can be used for cleaning and for making “volcanoes.”  In the following tips, when I refer to vinegar, I’m referring to “white” vinegar.  Apple cider vinegar will stain porous materials, so please be careful.

1. Clean soap scum, mildew, and grime from bathtub, tile, and shower curtains with vinegar.  Simply wipe the surface with vinegar and rinse with water.
2. Unscrew the shower head, remove the rubber washer, and place the head in a pot of equal parts vinegar and water.  Bring to a boils and simmer for five minutes.
3. Clean your toilet by pouring in one cup of vinegar.  Let it stand for five minutes and then flush.
4. Have a spray bottle of straight vinegar ready when you need to clean your windows, then wipe clean with a soft cloth.  I think you can also use newspaper.
5. Use vinegar as a stain fighter.  Apply directly to the stain and then wash as usual.
6. Clean food stains off of clothes by using a mix of two teaspoons dish soap and two teaspoons vinegar per two quarts warm water.  Lightly wash and then blot up before washing.
7. Clean baked on food with vinegar.  Simply pour vinegar in the pot/pan and let sit for at least 30 minutes.  Then wash as usual.
8. Clean drains… pour baking soda down the drain followed by vinegar (yay for a fun chemical reaction!).  When the fizzling stops, rinse with hot water.
9. Use equal parts of baking soda, vinegar, and water for a homemade fabric softener.  Only use the fabric softener balls when using this recipe.
10. Clean your automatic drip coffee pot by filling the reservoir with vinegar and running it through the brew cycle.  Rinse with two cycles of cold water.  Do this once per month to get rid of buildup.
11. If you have dentures, you can soak them overnight in vinegar and then brush them off in the morning.
12. If you have cows, clean milking equipment with un-perfumed soap followed by a vinegar rinse.  And since vinegar is a natural disinfectant, it lowers the bacteria count.
13. Clean up pet stains with vinegar.
14. Clean your washing machine once per month by pouring a cup of vinegar and running the machine one cycle (without clothes).
15. Mixing one tablespoon vinegar to water when mixing plaster will slow the drying time.
16. Soak rusty items in vinegar overnight.
17. You can prevent eggs from cracking during hard-boiling if you add 2 tablespoons of vinegar per quart of water.  The shells also peel off better with this method.
18. Propane lanterns can burn long and brighter by soaking new wicks in vinegar for several hours and then letting them dry before using.
19. Use vinegar as a sticker/decal remover.  Soak a cloth in vinegar and cover the bumper sticker for several minutes until the vinegar soaks in.  The sticker should peel off easily.
20. Prevent ice from forming on a car windshield overnight with vinegar.  Coat the window with a solution of three parts white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to one part water.
21. Vinegar is a great air freshener.  It can be sprayed full strength into a room or placed in small dishes near the offending odor.  It can also be placed in small places such as lunch boxes – if a small dish doesn’t fit, use a vinegar-soaked napkin or cloth.  You can also boil one tablespoon per one cup of water to get rid of kitchen odors.
22. Vinegar is acidic.  You can occasionally water (acidic soil loving plants) with a mix of 2 tablespoons per one quart of water.
23. Along the same lines… if you over water with vinegar, you may kill plants.  Pour some straight vinegar down sidewalk and driveway cracks to get rid of weeds.
24. Vinegar can also help prolong the life of your floral arrangements.  Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and 3 tablespoons sugar per quart of warm water.
25. Some insects such as ants, can be repelled by spraying equal parts vinegar and water around where they try to enter your house.
26. Before each meal, drink a glass of water with two teaspoons apple cider vinegar to relieve arthritis pain.  It may take a few weeks to notice a difference.
27. Relieve cold symptoms by mixing equal parts of apple cider vinegar and honey.  Take one tablespoon every couple of hours.
28. You just might be able to cure your hiccups by drinking a mix of one teaspoon apple cider vinegar in one cup warm water.
29. Drinking one teaspoon apple cider vinegar in one-half  cup of water may help to quiet an upset stomach.
30. Dab bug bites and sunburns with vinegar to sooth the pain.
31. Add a couple teaspoons to your humidifier to help soothe a sore throat.
32. Vinegar can also help prevent yeast infections by adjusting a woman’s pH balance.  Douche with one tablespoon vinegar to one quart warm water.
33. Vinegar can be used as (hair) conditioner.  Use either a mix of 1 cup apple cider vinegar to two cups water OR 2 cups vinegar to 2 cups water.  This adds highlights to brown hair, restores acids, and removes soap and oils.
34. For the kids… soak small bones (for example, chicken) in vinegar for a few days.  It will have turned into “rubber!”
35. Also for the kids… make the traditional “volcano” with baking soda and vinegar.

Making your own vinegar…

Vinegar can be made from about any sugary/starchy substance that can be fermented to ethyl alcohol.  This includes molasses, sorghum syrup, fruits, berries, melons, coconut, honey, maple syrup potatoes, beets, malt, grains, and whey.  The oldest way to make vinegar is to leave wine made from fruit juce in an open container, allowing microorganisms in the air to convert the ethyl alchol to acetic acid (aka vinegar).  Vinager literally means “sour wine” in French (vin + aigre).  If this is something you are interested in, check out the Vinegar Man’s page on how to make vinegar.

If you have a new way to use vinegar, I’d love to hear what worked and what didn’t.  See you later!