44 things to do with vinegar
Sure, it's good on fries, but that's not all vinegar can do. Here are tons of uses for this all-natural wonder liquid.
1. Kill weeds. Spray full-strength on growth until weeds have starved.
2. Kill unwanted grass on walks and driveways.
3. Increase soil acidity. Use 1/2 cup of vinegar in 1 gallon of tap water for watering plants such as rhododendrons, gardenias, or azaleas.
4. Deter ants. Spray vinegar around doors, appliances, and along other areas where ants are.
5. Polish car chrome. Apply full-strength.
6. Remove skunk odour from a dog. Rub fur with full-strength vinegar and rinse.
7. Keep cats away. Sprinkle vinegar on areas you don't want the cat walking, sleeping, or scratching.
8. Keep dogs from scratching their ears. Use a clean, soft cloth dipped in vinegar diluted with water.
9. Floor cleaner. Mix 1 cup white vinegar with 2 gallons hot water.
10. Freshen wilted vegetables. Soak them in 2 cups of water and a tablespoon of vinegar.
11. Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting. Dot the irritation with vinegar to relieve itching.
12. Relieve sunburn. Lightly rub on white vinegar. You may have to reapply.
13. Condition hair. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to dissolve sticky residue left by shampoo.
14. Relieve dry and itchy skin. Add 2 tablespoons to bath water.
15. Fight dandruff. Mix 2 tablespoons each apple cider vinegar, water and flax or olive oil and massage into scalp, shampooing out after 15-20 minutes.
16. Soothe a sore throat. Pour a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. Gargle, then swallow.
17. Treat sinus infections and chest colds. Add 1/4 cup or more of vinegar to a vaporizer.
18. Deodorize the kitchen drain. Pour a cup down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.
19. Eliminate onion odours. Rub on your fingers before and after slicing.
20. Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards. Wipe with full-strength vinegar.
21. Remove fruit stains from hands. Rub with vinegar.
22. Cut grease and odour on dishes. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to hot soapy water.
23. Clean a teapot. Boil a mixture of water and vinegar in the teapot. Wipe away the grime.
24. Freshen a lunchbox. Soak a piece of bread in vinegar and let it sit in the lunchbox overnight.
25. Clean the refrigerator. Wash with a solution of equal parts water and vinegar.
26. Unclog a drain. Pour a handful of baking soda down the drain, add 1/2 cup of vinegar, and close with plug for 20 seconds. Rinse with hot water.
27. Clean and deodorize jars. Rinse mayonnaise, peanut butter, and mustard jars with vinegar when empty.
28. Clean the dishwasher. Run a cup of vinegar through the whole cycle once a month to reduce soap buildup on the inner mechanisms and on glassware.
29. Clean stainless steel. Wipe with a vinegar-dampened cloth.
30. Remove stains from pots. Fill the pot with a solution of 3 tablespoons of vinegar to a pint of water. Boil until stain loosens and can be washed away.
31. Clean the microwave. Boil a solution of 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave. Will loosen food particles from microwave walls and deodorize.
32. Dissolve rust from bolts and other metals. Soak in full-strength vinegar.
33. Eliminate cooking smells. Let simmer a small pot of vinegar and water solution.
34. Unclog steam iron. Pour equal amounts of vinegar and water into the iron's water chamber. Turn to steam and leave the iron on for 5 minutes in an upright position. Then unplug and allow to cool. Any loose particles should come out when you empty the water.
35. Clean a scorched iron plate. Heat equal parts vinegar and salt in a small pan. Rub solution on the cooled iron surface to remove dark or burned stains.
36. Remove lint from clothes. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle of the washing machine. This also helps to brighten fabric colours.
37. Freshen the washing machine. Pour 1 cup of vinegar in the machine and let it run through a regular cycle (no clothes added). Will dissolve soap residue.
38. Remove tough stains. Gently rub vinegar on the stains before placing in the washing machine.
39. Eliminate smoke odours from clothes. Add 1 cup of vinegar to a bathtub of hot water. Hang clothes above the steam.
40. Remove decals. Brush with a couple of coats of vinegar and allow to soak in before washing off.
41. Clean eyeglasses. Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar.
42. Freshen cut flowers. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar for each litre of water.
43. Extinguish fires. Throw on grease fires to arrest flames.
44. Feel good. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, with a bit of sweetener added for flavour, will give you an overall healthy feeling.
