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10 Surprising Uses for Vinegar
It would be difficult to find a house or apartment in the USA that does not have at least one bottle of vinegar, and possibly even two. You can find vinegar in many varieties but all are made up of acetic acid and water. Vinegar has been used in food preparation for ages. It’s also used for pickling vegetables, salad dressings, and to flavor sauces.
Although it’s extremely popular for food preparation, vinegar was first used as a cleaning agent. Before there were chemical cleaning products, good old white vinegar, with its 4 percent acidity, was a well- known antifungal, antiviral, antimicrobial and antibacterial product used for cleaning. Vinegar is an inexpensive, yet effective, all natural alternative to all those toxic cleaning products you have around the house.
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Check out our list of the top 10 ways you can use vinegar to do all sort of work around your home. It’s way more than a salad dressing.
1. Unclog a drain
Vinegar, combined with baking soda, can unclog drains with simple plugs. If you want to try this, pour a large pot of boiling water into the drain, then immediately add a half cup of baking soda. This helps to loosen up any sludge that is sitting at the bottom part of the drain. Next, pour a mixture of one cup boiling water and one cup of vinegar into the drain. The vinegar will have a reaction to the baking soda and makes a very mild type of explosion that can help loosen up any grease or soap scum that is sticking to the drain. You might want to cover the drain opening after you pour in the vinegar since it does bubble quite furiously. After this mixture has finished bubbling, run the hot water for a few minutes to be sure you flush out any residue that has been left behind.
2. Clean windows
Mix together one part vinegar with one part water. Using a sponge, this mixture will clean windows like gangbusters! However, keep in mind that the first time you use vinegar; it might leave some streaks leftover from other cleaners you have used. If this happens, just scrub these streaks with some undiluted vinegar to remove them. This really is the best window cleaner ever. Keep your mixture in those old spray bottles that used to contain “glass cleaner” so you will have some ready whenever you need it.
READ ALSO: 25 Great Ways to Use All Natural Borax
3. Kill bacteria
Because vinegar is a natural antibacterial, it can kill almost all the bacteria you find around your house. Just pour some white vinegar onto a sponge and wipe the surface you wish to clean. Used and dirty cloths or sponges can be cleaned by soaking them overnight in bucket with equal parts of vinegar and water.
4. Removes grease
Believe it or not, vinegar can remove grease with the same ease it removes bacteria. Same as before simply pour some white vinegar onto a cloth or sponge then rub it over the greasy surface. Vinegar is a natural deodorizer and degreaser, so it leaves stoves, tiles, and cabinets smelling clean and grease free. Read also about uses of apple cider vinegar.
5. Deep clean your dishwasher
Don’t get down on your knees to scrub out the bottom of that dishwasher! Just pour one cup of vinegar into the bottom and run it empty of dishes. This removes the soap build up and hard water deposits that have built up inside.
6. Deep clean your laundry too
Got stains? No problem for vinegar! Mix one third cup of vinegar and two thirds cup of water. Apply this solution directly to the stain, then blot (don’t rub) with a clean cloth. Repeat this until you’ve removed as much of the stain as possible, then wash as usual.
On wash day, just toss a capful of white vinegar into the wash cycle. Colors come out bold and whites are super white.
7. Deter cats
It’s not that we don’t love cats but we don’t love them in our flower beds or in our kid’s sandbox! Simply pour undiluted white vinegar around the borders of places you want to protect every few months.
8. Dissolve glue
Tried everything to get that sticky label off that product but it refuses to budge? Or did your kids accidentally glue something together? Vinegar is great at dissolving many common household types of glue. (Not superglue, however)
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9. Wash your produce
Since vinegar is a natural antibacterial, it can help to remove both pesticides and bacteria from your fruits and vegetables. Mix three parts water with one part white vinegar. You can soak the produce or put it in a spray bottle. Let soak for a few minutes, and then rinse with clear water.
10. Clean your carpet
If you are using one of those rented carpet cleaning machines, add one cup of vinegar to the wash bucket. Or remove some of those stains by mixing one part vinegar with one part warm water and spray the spot. Wait a minute, and then blot up with a clean cloth.
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wolchak
Sep 22, 2014 at 1:50 pm
Another good use for vinegar; 2 tsp. vinegar ( I like red wine vinegar ) and 2 tsp. baking soda. Let it foam and drink for upset stomach or hangover.
Also; I tsp. vinegar and 1 tsp. honey every day for good health.