Bathtub Film: Bathtub film can be removed by wiping with white distilled vinegar and then with soda. Rinse clean with water.
Shower Door Cleaner:
Rub down shower doors with a sponge soaked in white distilled vinegar to remove soap residue.
Showerhead and Faucet Clogs: Corrosion may be removed from showerheads or faucets by soaking them in white distilled vinegar overnight. This may be easily accomplished by saturating a terry cloth towel in vinegar and wrapping it around the showerhead or faucet.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Stubborn stains can be removed from the toilet by spraying them with white distilled vinegar and brushing vigorously. The bowl may be deodorized by adding 3 cups of white distilled vinegar. Allow it to remain for a half hour, then flush.
Floors
No-Wax Floors: To wash no-wax floors, add ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to a half-gallon of warm water.
Carpet stain removal: A mixture of 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent and 1 teaspoon of white 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.
Foods
Cake Icing: Cake icing can be prevented from becoming sugary if a little vinegar is added to the ingredients before cooking. The same is true when making homemade candy.
Boiling Eggs: When boiling an egg and that’s cracked, a little vinegar in the water will keep the white from running out.
Fluffy Egg Whites: Soak a paper towel with 1-2 Tablespoons of white distilled vinegar. Wipe mixing bowl and beaters or whisk with the vinegar-soaked paper towel, then dry with a cloth or paper towel prior to whipping egg whites.
Fluffier Rice:
For fluffier and great tasting rice, add a teaspoon of white distilled vinegar to the boiling water before adding rice. Rice will be easier to spoon and less sticky
Cooking Smells: Simmer a small pot of vinegar and water solution on your stove top.
Frying Doughnuts:
Before frying doughnuts, add ½ teaspoon of vinegar to hot oil to prevent doughnuts soaking up extra grease. Use caution when adding the vinegar to the hot oil.
Flavor Booster: Perk up a can of soup, gravy or sauce with a teaspoon of your favorite specialty vinegar. It adds flavor and tastes fresher.
Fruit Stains: Remove fruit or berry stains from your hands by cleaning them with vinegar.
Fruit and Vegetable Wash:
Add 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar to 1 pint water and use to wash fresh fruits and vegetables, then rinse thoroughly. The vinegar helps kill bacteria on fruits and vegetables.
Lunch Box Freshener: It is easy to take out the heavy stale smell often found in lunch boxes. Dampen a piece of fresh bread with white distilled vinegar and leave it in the lunch box overnight.
Cooking Fish: Soaking fish in vinegar and water before cooking will make it sweet, tender and it will hold its shape better. When boiling or poaching fish, a tablespoon of vinegar added to the water will keep it from crumbling so easily.
Getting the Last Drops: When you can’t get the last bit of mayonnaise or salad dressing out of the jar, try dribbling a little of your favorite vinegar into it, put the cap on tightly and shake well. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ve been wasting.
Meat Tenderizer: Mix a marinade of half a cup of your favorite vinegar to a cup of heated liquid, such as bouillon; or for steak, you may prefer a mix of vinegar and oil, rub it in well and allow to stand for two hours.
Health
Arthritis Relief:
Mix a teaspoon of half apple cider vinegar, half honey in a glass of water with a teaspoon of orange flavored Knox gelatin.
Bee and Jellyfish Stings: Douse with vinegar. It will soothe irritation and relieve itching.
Sunburn Relief: Lightly rub white distilled or cider vinegar on skin. Reapply as needed.
Dry and Itchy Skin Relief: Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to your bath water.
Chest Congestion: To clear up respiratory congestion, inhale a vapor mist from a steaming pot containing water and several spoonfuls of vinegar.
Stop Itching:
Apply a paste made from vinegar and cornstarch. Keep on until itch disappears.
Heavily Soiled Hands:
Moisten cornmeal with apple cider vinegar. Scrub hands, rinse in cold water and pat dry.
Wart Remover:
Mix lukewarm/warm water with a cup of white distilled vinegar. Immerse area with wart and soak 20 minutes everyday until wart disappears.
Toenail Fungus: Soak toes in a solution of vinegar and water, using 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water, 15 minutes per day.
Foot Softener:
Combine 1 cup white distilled vinegar to 2 gallons warm water. Soak feet for 45 minutes then use a pumice stone or file to remove dead skin from heels and callused areas of feet.
Skin Burns:
Apply ice-cold vinegar right away for fast relief. This will prevent burn blisters.
Fight Dandruff: After shampooing, rinse with a solution of ½ cup vinegar and 2 cups of warm water.
Morning Sickness:
Drink some apple cider vinegar in water, with honey added. This mixture will help calm a queasy stomach.
Sinus infection and Chest Cold: Add 1/4 cup or more vinegar to the vaporizer. (Be sure to check vaporizer instructions for additional water measurement.)
Sore Throat: Put a teaspoon of vinegar in a glass of water. Gargle, then swallow. For another great gargle: 1 cup hot water, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon vinegar, gargle then drink.
Bug Spray: Combine equal amounts of water, white distilled vinegar and liquid dish soap in a spray bottle. Use on skin, as needed.
Kitchen
Ant Deterrent:
Washing counter tops, cabinets and floors with white distilled vinegar will sometimes deter ants.
Brass Polish:
Brass, copper and pewter will shine by cleaning with the following mixture. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of white distilled vinegar and stir in flour until it becomes a paste. Apply paste to the metals and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Rinse with clean warm water and polish until dry.
Coffee Maker Cleaner (automatic):
White distilled vinegar can help to dissolve mineral deposits that collect in automatic drip coffee makers from hard water. Fill the reservoir with white distilled 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.)
Dish and Glass Cleaner: Pour 1½ to 2 cups white distilled vinegar in the bottom of dishwasher, along with regular dishwasher soap. Wash full cycle.
Fruit Flies and Gnats in your Kitchen: Place a bowl filled with ½ quart water, 2 tbsp. sugar, 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar and a couple of drops of dish soap to attract the fruit flies. Always eliminate the source of attraction, i.e., ripened produce.
Garbage Disposal Cleaner:
Garbage disposals may be kept clean and odor free with vinegar cubes. Vinegar cubes are made by filling an ice tray with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar and enough water to fill the ice tray and then freezing it. Run the mixture through the disposal, and then flush it with cold water for a minute or so.
Kitchen Drain Deodorizer: Pour a cup of white distilled vinegar down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.
Microwave Cleaner:
Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave to loosen splattered on food and deodorize.
Refrigerator Cleaner: Wash with a solution of equal parts water and white distilled vinegar.
Refrigerator Odor: Place 1 cup apple cider vinegar in a glass and set in refrigerator. Any odor will usually disappear within 2 days..
Stainless Steel Appliance Cleaner: Apply vinegar with a soft cloth to remove streaks from stainless steel appliances. Test in an unnoticeable spot first.
Wood Cutting Board Cleaner and Disinfectant:Wipe with full strength white distilled vinegar.
Laundry
Keeping Colors Fast: To hold colors in fabrics, which tend to run, soak them for a few minutes in white distilled vinegar before washing.
Setting Colors: When you are color dyeing, add about a cupful of white distilled vinegar to the last rinse water to help set the color.
Hole Removal: 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 white distilled vinegar, under the fabric and ironing.
Leather Cleaner: Leather articles can be cleaned with a mixture of white distilled vinegar and linseed oil. Rub the mixture into the leather and then polish with a soft cloth.
Scorch Marks:
Lightly rub white distilled vinegar on fabric that has been slightly scorched. Wipe with a clean cloth.
Wine Stains: Spots caused by wine can be removed from 100 percent cotton, cotton polyester and permanent press fabrics if done so within 24 hours. To do it, sponge white distilled vinegar directly onto the stain and rub away the spots. Then clean according to the directions on the manufacturer's care tag.
Blanket Renewer: Cotton and wool blankets become soft, fluffy and free of soap odor if 2 cups of white distilled vinegar are added to the rinse cycle of the wash.
Freshen Baby Clothes: Add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to each load of baby clothes during the rinse cycle will naturally break down uric acid and soapy residue leaving the clothes soft and fresh.
Clothes Washing Rinse: Clothes will rinse better if 1 cup of white distilled 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.
Deodorant Stains: Deodorant and antiperspirant stains may be removed from clothing by lightly rubbing with white distilled vinegar and laundering as usual.
Shower Curtains:
Add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to the rinse water when you launder your shower curtain. Do not spin dry or wash out. Just hang immediately to dry.
Steam Iron Clogs: Pour equal amounts of white distilled 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.
Cleaning Lace: Soak the lace in cold water, rinsing it several times. Next, hand-wash the lace gently with a wool detergent, such as Woolite. If rust spots are a problem, try removing them with a mixture of white vinegar and hot water.
Clean a Scorched Iron: Heat equal parts white distilled vinegar and salt in a small pan. Rub solution on the cooled iron surface to remove dark or burned stains.
Lawn and Garden
Grass Killer: To kill grass on sidewalks and driveways, pour full strength white distilled vinegar on it.
Weed Killer: Spray white distilled vinegar full strength on tops of weeds. Reapply on any new growth until plants have starved.
Plant Nutrients: Mix vinegar and water in a ratio of 1:8. Mix a separate solution of sugar and water in a mixture of 1:8. Combine the vinegar and sugar mixtures. Add to plant as long as needed.
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.
Fresh Flowers:
Keep flowers fresh longer. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a 1-quart vase of water. Trim stems and change water every five days.
Neutralize Garden Lime: Rinse your hands liberally with white distilled vinegar after working with garden lime to avoid rough and flaking skin. Clean pots before repotting, rinse with vinegar to remove excess lime.
Pets
Pests: A teaspoon of white distilled vinegar for each litre bowl of drinking water helps keep your pet free of fleas and ticks.The ratio of one teaspoon to one quart is for a forty-pound animal.
Smelly Dog Odor:
Wet the dog down with fresh water. Use a mixture of 1 cup white distilled vinegar and 2 gallons water. Saturate the dog’s coat with this solution. Dry the dog off without rinsing the solution. The smell will be eliminated.
Pet Urine Cleaner: Test the color fastness of the carpet with white distilled vinegar in an inconspicuous place.Then sprinkle distilled vinegar over the fresh pet accident. Wait a few minutes and sponge from the center outward. Blot up with a dry cloth. This procedure may need to be repeated for stubborn stains.
Windows & Walls
Streakless Windows: Simply wash with a mixture of equal parts of white distilled vinegar and warm water. Dry with a soft cloth. This solution will make your windows gleam and will not leave the usual film or streaks on the glass.
Washing Woodwork: You can ease the job of washing painted walls, woodwork and Venetian blinds by using a mixture of 1 cup ammonia, ½ cup white distilled or cider vinegar and ¼ cup baking soda with 1 gallon of warm water. Wipe this solution over walls or blinds with a sponge or cloth and rinse with clear water. Dirt and grime comes off easily and the solution will not dull the painted finish or leave streaks.
Water or Alcohol Marks on Wood: Stubborn rings resulting from wet glasses being placed on wood furniture may be removed by rubbing with a mixture of equal parts of white distilled vinegar and olive oil. Rub with the grain and polish for the best results.
Other
Gold Jewelry Cleaner:
Use one cup apple cider vinegar. Submerge solid gold jewelry item in vinegar for 15 minutes. Remove and dry with cloth.
Scratched DVDs:
If you have a DVD that has begun to stick or suffers from the occasional freeze-frame, wipe it down with white distilled vinegar applied to a soft cloth. Ensure the DVD is completely dry before re-inserting in the DVD player.
Leather Shoe Cleaner:
Make a solution of 1 part water to 1 part white vinegar, and use it sparingly on the shoes. Dip a cloth into the solution, and dab it over the salt-streaked parts of your shoes.
You may have to repeat the cleaning a few times before all the salt is removed. Salt can damage leather, so it's best to clean shoes as quickly as possible. Don't let the salt stains build up.
Leather Cleaner: Leather articles can be cleaned with a mixture of white distilled vinegar and linseed oil. Rub the mixture into the leather and then polish with a soft cloth.
Bumper Sticker Remover:
Remove bumper stickers by repeatedly wiping the sticker with white distilled vinegar until it is soaked. After a few minutes, it should peel off easily. Test on a small invisible area of the car to ensure there will be no damage to the paint.
Furniture Cleaner:
Mix olive oil and vinegar in a one-to-one ratio and polish with a soft cloth. Try in an inconspicuous place first.
Paintbrush Softener: Soak the paintbrush in hot white distilled vinegar, and then wash out with warm, sudsy water.
Preventing Frost on Car Windows:
Wipe the windows the night before with a solution of one part water to three parts white distilled vinegar. They won’t frost over.
Fireplace Window Cleaner:
Wash fireplace glass front doors with a 50/50 ratio of water and vinegar to remove the blackened soot. If the doors are removable take them out and lay them flat on newspapers, spray with the vinegar/water solution and soak. Wipe off with newspaper.
