100+ Uses for Vinegar



  • GARDEN:

    Grow beautiful azaleas: Occasionally water plants
    with a mixture of two tablespoons vinegar to
    one quart water. Azaleas love acidic soil.

    Kill grass on walks and driveways.
    Pour full strength on unwanted grass.

    Kill weeds. Spray full strength on growth until
    plants have starved.

    Increase soil acidity. In hard water areas, add
    a cup of vinegar to a gallon of tap water for
    watering acid loving plants like rhododendrons,
    gardenias, or azaleas. The vinegar will release
    iron in the soil for the plants to use.

    Freshen cut flowers. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar
    and 1 teaspoon sugar for each quart of water.

    Prolong the life of flowers in a vase. Add two
    tablespoons of vinegar plus three
    tablespoons of sugar per quart of warm water.
    Stems should be in three to four inches of water.

    Neutralize garden lime. Rinse your hands liberally
    with vinegar after working with garden lime to
    avoid rough and flaking skin.
    Clean pots before repotting, rinse with vinegar to
    remove excess lime.

    BUGS AND ANIMALS:

    Fish bowl cleaner Eliminate that ugly deposit in
    the gold fish tank by rubbing it with a cloth
    dipped in vinegar and rinsing well.

    Eliminate animal urine stains from carpet. Blot
    up urine with a soft cloth, flush several times
    with lukewarm water, and then apply a mixture of equal
    parts vinegar and cool water. Blot up, rinse,
    and let dry.

    Deter ants. Spray vinegar around door and window
    frames, under appliances, and along other known
    ant trails.

    Remove skunk odor from a dog.
    Rub fur with full strength vinegar; rinse.

    Keep cats away. Sprinkle vinegar on an area to
    discourage cats from walking, sleeping, or
    scratching on it.

    Keep dogs from scratching ears. Clean the inside
    of the ears with a soft cloth dipped in diluted
    vinegar.

    Keep away fleas and mange. Add a little vinegar to
    your pet's drinking water.

    Keep chickens from pecking each other. Add cider
    vinegar to their drinking water.

    Clean milking equipment. Rinse with vinegar to
    leave system clean, odorless, and bacteria free
    without harmful chemical residue.

    CARS & TOOLS:

    Polish car chrome. Apply full strength.

    Clean rust from tools, bolts, and spigots. Soak
    the rusted tool, bolt, or spigot in undiluted
    vinegar overnight.

    Keep car windows frost free. Coat the windows
    the night before with a solution of three parts
    vinegar to one part water.

    HEALTH & BEAUTY:

    Dampen your appetite. Sprinkle a little vinegar on
    prepared food to take the edge off your appetite.

    Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting. Dot or douche the
    irritated area with vinegar and relieve itching.

    Relieve itching by using a cotton ball to dab
    mosquito and other bug bites with Vinegar straight
    from the bottle.

    Relieve sunburn by lightly rubbing it with
    vinegar. You may have to reapply.

    Take 1 cup of vinegar and warm water into a
    large glass and use to rinse your hair after
    you shampoo. Vinegar adds highlights to brunette
    hair, restores the acid mantel, and removes
    soap film and sebum oil.

    You take 1 tablespoon full and swallow when you
    have the hiccups. It stops them instantly.

    Relieve dry and itchy skin. Add 2 tablespoons to
    bath water.

    Fight dandruff, by rinsing with vinegar and
    2 cups of warm water, after shampooing.

    Soothe a sore throat. Put a teaspoon of vinegar
    in a glass of water. Gargle, and then swallow.

    Cure for colds. Mix one-quarter cup Apple Cider
    Vinegar with one-quarter cup honey.
    Take one tablespoon six to eight times daily.

    Treat sinus infections and chest colds.
    Add 1/4 cup or more vinegar to the vaporizer.

    Feel good recipe. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass
    of water, with a bit of honey added for flavor,
    will take the edge off your appetite and give
    you an overall healthy feeling.

    Remove fruit stains from hands. Rub with vinegar.

    Remove warts by applying a lotion of half cider
    vinegar and half glycerin.
    Apply daily to warts until they dissolve.

    Relieve arthritis. Before each meal, drink a
    glass of water containing two teaspoons
    Apple Cider Vinegar.
    Give it at least three weeks to start working.

    Remove corns by making a poultice of one crumbled
    piece of bread soaked in one-quarter cup Vinegar.
    Let poultice sit for one-half hour, then apply to
    the corn and tape in place overnight. If corn does
    not peel off by morning, reapply the poultice for
    several consecutive nights.

    Cure an upset stomach by drinking two teaspoons
    Apple Cider Vinegar in one cup water.

    Prevent yeast infections. Douche with one
    tablespoon vinegar to one quart warm water,
    to adjust the pH balance in the vagina.

    Clean dentures by soaking them overnight in
    vinegar, then brush away tartar with a toothbrush.

    Relieve cough by mixing one-half cup Apple Cider
    Vinegar, one-half cup water, one teaspoon cayenne
    pepper, and four teaspoons honey.
    Take one tablespoon when cough acts up.
    Take another tablespoon at bedtime.

    LAUNDRY & OTHER CLOTHES CARE:

    Use in laundry to cut soap.

    Get rid of lint in clothes. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar
    to the rinse cycle.

    Prevent lint from clinging to clothes: Add one cup
    vinegar to each wash load.

    Keep bright colors from running. Immerse clothes in
    full strength vinegar for 10 minutes before washing.

    Freshen up the washing machine. Clean the hoses
    and unclog soap scum.
    Once a month pour one cup of vinegar into the
    washing machine and run the machine through a
    normal cycle, without clothes.

    Brighten fabric colors. Add 1/2 cup vinegar
    to the rinse cycle.

    Take grease off suede. Dip a toothbrush in vinegar
    and gently brush over grease spot.

    Remove tough stains. Gently rub on fruit, jam,
    mustard, coffee, tea. Then wash as usual.

    Get smoke smell out of clothes by adding a cup of
    vinegar to a bath tub of hot water.
    Hang clothes above the steam.

    Remove perspiration stains from clothes by
    applying one part vinegar to four parts water,
    then rinse.

    Deodorant and antiperspirants stains may be
    removed from clothing by lightly rubbing with
    distilled vinegar and laundering as usual.

    Cotton and wool blankets become soft, fluffy and
    free of soap odor if 2 cups of distilled vinegar
    are added to the rinse cycle of the wash.

    Clothes will rinse better if a cup of vinegar is
    added to the last rinse water. The acid in vinegar
    is too mild to harm fabrics but strong enough to
    dissolve the alkalis in soaps and detergents.

    When dyeing fabric, add a cup full of distilled
    vinegar to the last rinse to set the color.

    Nylon hose will look better and last longer if
    1 tablespoon of vinegar is added to the rinse
    water when washing.

    To obtain a sharper crease in your knit fabrics,
    dampen them with a cloth wrung out from a solution
    of 1/3 distilled vinegar and 2/3 water.
    Place a brown paper bag over the crease and iron.

    Excess laundry suds that develop during hand
    laundry may be eliminated by splashing a little
    vinegar into the second rinse. Follow this with
    another rinse in plain water.

    Deodorize a wool sweater: Wash sweater, then rinse
    in equal parts vinegar and water to remove odor.

    After a hem or seam is removed, there are often
    unsightly holes left in the fabric. These holes
    can be removed by placing a cloth, moistened with
    distilled vinegar, under the fabric and ironing.

    Unclog steam iron by pouring 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.

    Clean a scorched iron plate by heating equal parts
    vinegar and salt in a small pan. Then rub the
    solution on the cooled iron surface to remove dark
    or burned stains.

    IN THE KITCHEN:

    A mixture of salt and vinegar will clean coffee
    and tea stains from chinaware.

    Freshen vegetables. Soak wilted vegetables in
    2 cups of water and a tablespoon of vinegar.

    Boil better eggs by adding 2 tablespoons water
    before boiling. Keeps them from cracking.

    Marinating meat in vinegar kills bacteria and
    tenderizes the meat. Use one-quarter cup
    vinegar for a two to three pound roast, marinate
    overnight, and then cook without draining or
    rinsing the meat.
    Add herbs to the vinegar when marinating as desired.

    Put vinegar on a cloth and let sit on the back
    of your kitchen faucet and it removes hard water
    stains.

    Vinegar can help to dissolve mineral deposits that
    collect in automatic drip coffee makers. Fill the
    reservoir with vinegar and run it through a
    brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly with water when
    the cycle is finished.
    (Be sure to check the owner’s manual for
    specific instructions).

    Brass, copper and pewter will shine if cleaned
    with the following mixture. Dissolve 1 teaspoon
    of salt in 1 cup of distilled vinegar.

    Clean the dishwasher by running a cup of vinegar
    through the whole cycle once a month to reduce
    soap build up on the inner mechanisms and on
    glassware.

    Deodorize the kitchen drain. Pour a cup down the
    drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then
    flush with cold water.

    Unclog a drain. Pour a handful of baking soda down
    the drain and add 1/2 cup of vinegar.
    Rinse with hot water.

    Eliminate onion odor by rubbing vinegar on your
    fingers before and after slicing.

    Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards by wiping
    with full strength vinegar.

    Cut grease and odor on dishes by adding a
    tablespoon of vinegar to hot soapy water.

    Clean a teapot by boiling a mixture of water and
    vinegar in it. Wipe away the grime.

    Clean and deodorize the garbage disposal by making
    vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal.
    After grinding, run cold water through.

    Clean and deodorize jars. Rinse mayonnaise, peanut
    butter, and mustard jars with vinegar when empty.

    Get rid of cooking smells by letting a small pot
    of vinegar and water simmer on the stove.

    Freshen a lunchbox by soaking a piece of bread in
    vinegar and let it sit in the lunchbox over night.

    Clean the refrigerator by washing with a solution
    of equal parts water and vinegar.

    Clean stainless steel by wiping with vinegar
    dampened cloth.

    Clean china and fine glassware by adding a cup of
    vinegar to a sink of warm water. Gently dip the
    glass or china in the solution and let dry.

    Get stains out of pots by filling the pots with
    a solution of 3 tablespoons of vinegar to a pint
    of water. Boil until stain loosens and can be
    washed away.

    Clean food-stained pots and pans by filling the
    pots and pans with vinegar and let stand for
    thirty minutes.
    Then rinse in hot, soapy water.

    Clean the microwave by boiling a solution of 1/4 cup
    of vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave.
    Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.

    Make buttermilk. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to a
    cup of milk and let it stand 5 minutes to thicken.

    Replace a lemon by substituting 1/4 teaspoon of
    vinegar for 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

    Firm up gelatin by adding a teaspoon of vinegar
    for every box of gelatin used. To keep those
    molded desserts from sagging in the summer heat.

    Prepare fluffier rice by adding a teaspoon of
    vinegar to the water when it boils.

    Make wine vinegar by mixing 2 tablespoons of
    vinegar with 1 teaspoon of dry red wine.

    Debug fresh vegetables by washing them in water
    with vinegar and salt. Bugs float off.

    Scale fish more easily by rubbing with vinegar 5
    minutes before scaling.

    Prevent soapy film on glassware by placing a cup
    of vinegar on the bottom rack of your dishwasher,
    run for five minutes, then run though the full
    cycle.

    The minerals found in foods and water will often
    leave a dark stain on aluminum utensils.
    This stain can be easily removed by boiling a
    solution of 1 tablespoon of distilled vinegar
    per cup of water in the utensil.
    Utensils may also be boiled in the solution.

    Unsightly film in small-necked bottles and other
    containers can be cleaned by pouring vinegar into
    the bottle and shaking. For tougher stains, add a
    few tablespoons of rice or sand and shake
    vigorously. Rinse thoroughly and repeat until
    clean or determined hopeless.

    After cleaning the bread box, keep it smelling
    sweet by wiping it down with a cloth moistened
    in distilled vinegar.

    To eliminate fruit stains from your hands, rub
    your hands with a little distilled vinegar and
    wipe them with a cloth.

    Grease buildup in an oven can be prevented by
    wiping with a cleaning rag that has been moistened
    in distilled vinegar and water.

    Formica tops and counters will shine if cleaned
    with a cloth soaked in distilled vinegar.

    No-wax linoleum will shine better if wiped with
    a solution of 1/2 cup of white vinegar in
    1/2 gallon of water.

    Stains on hard-to-clean glass, aluminum, or
    porcelain utensils may be loosened by boiling in
    a solution of one part vinegar to eight parts
    water. The utensils should then be washed in
    hot soapy water.

    IN THE BATHROOM:

    Kill germs on bathroom fixtures by using one part
    vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle.
    Spray the bathroom fixtures and floor,
    then wipe clean.

    Soap and stain build up can be removed from chrome
    and plastic fixtures if they are cleaned with a
    mixture of 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons
    of distilled vinegar.

    Clean soap scum, mildew, and grime from bathtub,
    tile, and shower curtains. Simply wipe the
    surface with Vinegar and rinse with water.

    Stubborn stains can be removed from the toilet
    by spraying them with vinegar and brushing
    vigorously. The bowl may be deodorized by adding 3
    cups of distilled vinegar. Allow it to remain for
    a half hour, then flush.

    Unclog a shower head by unscrewing it, remove the
    rubber washer, place the head in a pot filled with
    equal parts Vinegar and water, bring to a boil,
    then simmer for five minutes.

    Corrosion may be removed from showerheads or
    faucets by soaking them in diluted distilled
    vinegar overnight. This may be easily accomplished
    by saturating a terry cloth towel in vinegar and
    wrapping it around the showerhead or faucet.

    Bath tub film can be removed by wiping with
    vinegar and then with soda. Rinse clean with water.

    MISCELLANEOUS:

    Use vinegar in the steam cleaner to reduce soap
    bubbles.

    Mix vinegar with linseed oil and use it to clean
    your wood.

    Clean eyeglasses by wiping each lens with a drop
    of vinegar.

    Soak new propane lantern wicks in vinegar for
    several hours. Let dry before using. Will burn
    longer and brighter.

    Deodorize the air. Vinegar is a natural air
    freshener when sprayed in a room.

    Turn a chicken bone into rubber by soaking it in a
    glass of vinegar for three days. It will bend like
    rubber.

    Deodorize a room filled with cigarette smoke or
    paint fumes. Place a small bowl of vinegar in
    the room.

    Remove decals or bumper stickers by soaking a
    cloth in Vinegar and cover the decal or bumper
    sticker for several minutes until the vinegar
    soaks in. The decals and bumper stickers should
    peel off easily.

    Cleaning windows by using undiluted Vinegar in
    a spray bottle. Dry off with newspaper.

    Prevent patching plaster from drying by adding one
    tablespoon vinegar to the water when mixing to
    slow the drying time.

    Plastic can be cleaned and made anti-static by
    wiping down with a solution of 1 tablespoon of
    distilled vinegar to 1 gallon of water.
    This will cut down on the plastics' tendency to
    attract dust.

    The colors in carpets and rugs will often look
    like they have taken a new lease on life if they
    are brushed with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar in
    a gallon of water.

    A mixture of one teaspoon of liquid detergent and
    1 teaspoon of distilled vinegar in a pint of
    lukewarm water will remove non-oily stains from
    carpets. Apply it to the stain with a soft brush
    or towel and rub gently. Rinse with a towel
    moistened with clean water and blot dry. Repeat
    this procedure until the stain is gone. Then dry
    quickly, using a fan or hair dryer. This should be
    done as soon as the stain is discovered.

    Spots caused by cola-based soft drinks can be
    removed from 100 percent cotton, cotton polyester
    and permanent press fabrics if done so within 24
    hours. To do it, sponge distilled vinegar directly
    onto the stain and rub away the spots. Then clean
    according to the directions on the manufacturer's
    care tag.

    Sponging away grease and dirt with a sponge dipped
    in distilled vinegar will keep exhaust fan grills,
    air-conditioner blades and grills dust free.

    Leather articles can be cleaned with a mixture of
    distilled vinegar and linseed oil. Rub the mixture
    into the leather and then polish with a soft cloth.

    To loosen old glue around rungs and joints of
    tables and chairs under repair, apply distilled
    vinegar with a small oil can.

    Soak a paint brush in hot vinegar, and then wash out
    with warm, sudsy water to soften it up.

    Patent leather will shine better if wiped with a
    soft cloth which has been moistened with distilled
    vinegar.

    To add a pleasant scent to a room while at the
    same time removing an unpleasant odor, add
    cardamom or other fragrant spice to a bowl of
    distilled vinegar and place in the warmest corner
    of the room.

    Varnished wood often takes on a cloudy appearance.
    If the cloudiness hasn't gone through to the wood,
    the cloudiness can be removed by rubbing the wood
    with a soft lint-less cloth wrung out from a
    solution of 1 tablespoon of distilled vinegar in a
    quart of lukewarm water. Complete the job by
    wiping the surface with a soft dry cloth.

    Dirt and grime can be easily removed from woodwork
    with a solution of 1 cup of ammonia, 1/2 cup of
    distilled vinegar, and 1/4 cup of baking soda in a
    cup of warm water. This solution will not dull the
    finish or leave streaks.

    Stubborn rings resulting from wet glasses being
    placed on wood furniture may be removed by rubbing
    with a mixture of equal parts of distilled vinegar
    and olive oil. Rub with the grain and polish for
    the best results.

    Wood paneling may be cleaned with a mixture of
    1 ounce of olive oil and 2 ounces of distilled
    vinegar in 1 quart of warm water. Moisten a soft
    cloth with the solution and wipe the paneling.
    The yellowing is then removed by wiping with a
    soft, dry cloth.