See all the versatile ways you can use vinegar to clean
around the house. You will need to
unleash the power of white vinegar―an all-purpose cleaner, brightener,
herbicide and more. 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.
-Brighten coffee cups and teacups. Gently scrub stains with
equal parts vinegar and salt (or baking soda).
-Brighten your hair. Remove hair product buildup by rinsing
a tablespoon of vinegar through your hair once a month.
-Clean the coffee pot. Reduce coffee buildup and residue by
pouring a cup of vinegar into 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 odors. Swab plastic containers with a cloth
dampened with vinegar
-Freshen fabrics. Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and
spritz your home to neutralize odors in fabrics, carpets, shoes or any
sprayable surface.
-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.
-Keep cheese from molding. Wrap cheese in a vinegar-soaked
cloth, then place in an airtight container and refrigerate.
-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.
-Loosen a rusted screw. Pour vinegar onto the screw, and it
will easily unstick.
-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 boiling water, and drop in the
stained clothes. Let them soak overnight, and come morning stained clothes are
fresh and bright.
-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 wax. If you get melted candle wax on your furniture
or floors, gently wipe it away with a cloth soaked in a solution of equal parts
white vinegar and 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.
-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 showerhead 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.
-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.
-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, non toxic 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
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