See all the versatile ways you can use vinegar to
clean around the house, from freshening up coffee cups to loosening a rusty
screw. You will need to unleash the power of white vinegar―an all-purpose cleaner,
brightener, herbicide and more. Just a bit of this multi-tasker, straight up or
mixed with water, can replace many pricier products huddled under your sink.
Try these tips to see how vinegar can make your life cheaper and easier.
***
Banish weeds. Pour white distilled vinegar on the weeds growing in the
cracks of your walkway and driveway. Saturate the plant so the vinegar reaches
the roots.
Battle litter-box
odor. Cat litter can leave behind an
unwelcome smell. Eliminate it by pouring a half-inch of white distilled vinegar
into the empty litter box. Let stand for 20 minutes, then rinse with cold
water.
Brighten coffee cups
and teacups. Gently scrub stains
with equal parts vinegar and salt (or baking soda).
Brighter Easter eggs. Before your kids dye Easter eggs, mix 1 teaspoon of vinegar
with ½ cup of hot water, then add food coloring. The vinegar keeps the dye
bright and prevents the color from streaking.
Brighten your hair. Remove hair product buildup by rinsing a tablespoon of
vinegar through your hair once a month.
Clean the dishwasher
and coffee pot. Reduce soap buildup
and food residue by pouring a cup of vinegar into your empty dishwasher or
coffee pot once a month and letting it run a full cycle.
Clean your scissors. When your scissor blades get sticky, wipe them down with a
cloth dipped in full-strength white vinegar. Unlike soap and water, vinegar
won’t ruin the blades or rust the metal.
Eliminate dandruff. If your scalp is feeling dry or flaky, vinegar can be a
simple at-home remedy. Once a week, pour one cup of apple cider vinegar over
your scalp, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with cool water.
Eliminate odors. Swab plastic containers with a cloth dampened with vinegar
Erase crayon. If your kids get crayon marks on the walls or floor, dip a
toothbrush in white vinegar and gently scrub. The vinegar breaks down the wax,
making for an inexpensive, nontoxic way to clean up after children.
Freshen fabrics. Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and spritz your home
to neutralize odors in fabrics, carpets, shoes or any sprayable surface.
Freshen up the
fridge. Clean the shelves and walls with a
solution of half water and half vinegar.
Get those last drops. If you can’t get that final bit of mayonnaise or salad
dressing out of the jar, dribble in a few drops of vinegar. Put the cap on
tightly and shake. The remaining condiments will slide out.
Keep car windows
frost-free. Prevent windows from
frosting over in a storm by coating them with a solution of three parts white
distilled vinegar to one part water. The acidity hinders ice, so you won’t have
to wake up early to scrape off your car.
Keep cheese from
molding. Wrap cheese in a vinegar-soaked cloth,
then place in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Kill bacteria in meat. Marinating in vinegar knocks out bacteria and tenderizes
the meat. Create a marinade by adding ¼ cup balsamic vinegar for every 2 pounds
of meat to your own blend of herbs and spices. Let the meat sit anywhere from
20 minutes to 24 hours, depending on how strong you want the flavor, then cook
it in the morning without rinsing.
Kill bathroom germs. Spray full-strength vinegar around the sink and tub. Wipe
clean with a damp cloth.
Let your dog shine. Spray your dog with one cup white distilled vinegar mixed
with one quart water. The solution is a cheap alternative to expensive pet-care
products, plus the vinegar will help repel pests like fleas and ticks.
Liven droopy flowers. Don’t throw out cut flowers once they start to wilt.
Instead, add two tablespoons of white vinegar and one teaspoon of sugar to a
quart of water. Pour the solution into your vase, and the flowers will perk up.
Lose the carpet stain. Make a paste of 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and ¼
cup salt or baking soda. Rub into the stain and let dry. Vacuum the residue the
next day. (Always test an out-of-sight part of the carpet first.)
Loosen a rusted
screw. Pour vinegar onto the screw, and it
will easily unstick.
Make nail polish last
longer. Before you apply your favorite polish,
wipe your nails with a cotton ball soaked in white distilled vinegar. The clean
surface will help your manicure last.
Make old socks look
new. Get the stains out of old socks and
sweaty gym clothes by soaking them in a vinegar solution. Add 1 cup of white
distilled vinegar to a large pot of water, bring to a boil and drop in the
stained clothes. Let them soak overnight, and in the morning stained clothes are
fresh and bright.
Prep for summer
grilling. To remove charcoal buildup from your
grill, spray white distilled vinegar on balled up aluminum foil and scrub the
grate thoroughly.
Prevent cracked eggs. Prevent eggs from cracking as they hard-boil by adding two
tablespoons of white vinegar to the water. The eggs will stay intact, and the
shells will peel off more easily when you’re ready to eat them.
Put an end to
itching. Dab a cotton ball soaked in white
vinegar on mosquito bites and insect stings. It will stop them from itching and
help disinfect the area so they heal faster.
Remove gum. To remove gum from fabric or hair, heat a small bowl of
vinegar in the microwave. Pour the warm vinegar over the gum, saturating the
area. The gum will dissolve.
Remove wax. If you get melted candle wax on your wood furniture or
floors, gently wipe it away with a cloth soaked in a solution of equal parts
white vinegar and water.
Renew a loofah. Soak your loofah in equal parts vinegar and water for 24
hours to dissolve soap residue, then rinse in cold water.
Renew paint brushes. To remove old paint, place brushes in a pot with vinegar.
Soak for an hour, then turn on the stove and bring the vinegar to a simmer.
Drain and rinse clean.
Repair DVDs. If you have a worn DVD that skips or freezes, wipe it down
with white distilled vinegar applied to a soft cloth. Make sure the DVD is
completely dry before reinserting it into the player.
Restore handbags and shoes. Wipe white distilled vinegar on
scuffed leather bags and shoes. It will restore their shine and help hide the
marks.
Restore shower head pressure. If your shower head gets clogged with
mineral deposits, soak it for 15 minutes in a mixture of ½ cup vinegar and 1
quart water.
Rinse fruits and
vegetables. Add 2 tablespoons
white distilled vinegar to one pint water. Use the mixture to wash fresh fruits
and vegetables, then rinse thoroughly. The solution kills more pesticide
residue than does pure water.
Sanitize pet
accidents. You can remove the
stain―and smell―of your pet’s accident by mixing ¼ cup vinegar with a quart of
water and blotting the mixture onto the mess with a washcloth. Continue dabbing
until the spot is gone.
Save a garment. To remove light scorch marks on fabrics, rub gently with
vinegar. Wipe with a clean cloth. This technique also works on antiperspirant
stains.
Soften your feet. Summer sandals leaving you with cracked heals and calluses?
Soak your feet for 20 minutes a day in one part vinegar to two parts warm water.
The vinegar removes dead skin, leaving your feet soft and smooth.
Steam away a
microwave mess. Fill a small bowl
with equal parts hot water and vinegar, and place it in the microwave on high
for 5 minutes. As the steam fills the microwave, it loosens the mess, making
clean up a breeze.
Sticky stickers. Don’t scratch at the residue left by stickers or price
tags. Instead, apply vinegar to the gunk, let it sit for a few minutes, then
wipe the glue away.
Stop static cling.
Add ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to your wash cycle. The acid reduces
static and keeps dryer lint from sticking to your clothes.
Take a relaxing bath. Add ½ cup of vinegar to warm bath water for a cheap spa
session at home. The vinegar removes dead skin, leaving you feeling soft and
smooth.
Tidy up a toilet. Pour a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar into
the bowl. Let sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with a toilet brush
and flush.
Unclog drains. For a natural, nontoxic way to clean clogged pipes, pour
one cup of baking soda, followed by one cup of white vinegar, down the drain.
Let the products bubble and foam, then flush the pipes with a pot of boiling
water.
Wipe off a dirty
faucet. To get rid of lime buildup, make a
paste of 1 teaspoon vinegar and 2 tablespoons salt. Apply to sink fixtures and
rub with a cloth.
Whiten your teeth. Brush your teeth once a week with white distilled vinegar.
Dip your toothbrush into the vinegar and brush thoroughly. It will help prevent
bad breath, too.
Live happy, save money and have fun!
- Bird
