VINEGAR -- The Cure For All That Ails Us?
Posted by Bob Kurz
, Thursday, July 02 2009, 02:11 AM
, Thursday, July 02 2009, 02:11 AM
In the 2002 movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, one of the running jokes is that the patriarch of the family uses window cleaner as a cure-all for everything, including blemishes.
Well, the more that I read about vinegar, the more I'm convinced that it's a Jack of all trades.
We talk a lot about how it's a multipurpose cleaner -- from floors to counters to a pesticide-removing produce rinse, it seems to do it all. Others have mentioned that it:
- reduces blood sugar levels
- kills weeds
- removes gum that is stuck in carpet
- is a natural steam cleaning solution
- is a skin antiseptic and toner
- aleviates sunburn pain
Can you offer any other handy suggestions on how to use vinegar?
Leslie C.
said on July 03, 2009
Linda Lucille
said on July 21, 2009
FLOOR CLEANER
Brew a cup of peppermint tea using 1 tea bag and pour it into a bucket with the juice of half a lemon and 1 cup of vinegar. Mop away with your solution -- the vinegar disinfects, the tea has antibacterial properties and removes marks, and the lemon freshens & disinfects.
FOOD STAINS ON DISHWARE, CUPS, PANS OR HANDS!
Create a paste with vinegar and coarse salt, scrub vigorously and rinse.
FROST FREE CAR WINDOWS:
If you know a chilly night is ahead, you can ensure that your windows will be frost-free when you wake up in the morning. Simply mix 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water, and coat your windows with the mixture the night before.
REMEDY FOR AGE SPOTS
Mix equal parts of onion juice and vinegar and use it daily on age spots. This will take a few weeks to work, just like its expensive relative from the store.
HICCUP REMEDY
One teaspoon to one tablespoon of vinegar gets rid of hiccups -- you can either gargle with it or take it like a shot!
SUNBURN REMEDY
At bedtime, cover sunburns with a towel soaked in water and vinegar -- it will remove the sting, draw excess fluid out and help heal the skin.
Kieran K.
said on September 06, 2009
Kieran K.
said on December 03, 2009
Posted Thursday, December 03 2009, 11:13 AM | by Anita Quincy
I love to use vinegar to clean anything. Here are some more ways to put your vinegar to good use...
It definitely pays to have some vinegar around the house. I need to go to the store to stock up on vinegar and baking soda. I’ve had a mustard stain that won’t come out of my daughter’s clothes. I think I need to try some vinegar or baking soda. Both seem to be amazing, inexpensive, and safe products. Definitely a thrifty choice!
1. Add 1/4 cup vinegar to laundry, along with the usual soap, to brighten colors and make whites sparkle. This will also act as a fabric softener. Also helps kills athlete’s foot germs on socks.
2. Soak or simmer stuck-on food in 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar. The food will soften and lift off in a few minutes.
3. Remove ink stains from clothes by soaking them in milk for 1 hour. Then cover the stain with a paste of vinegar and cornstarch. When the paste dries, wash the garment as usual.
4. Appliances sparkle if cleaned with a vinegar and borax cleaner. Mix 1 teaspoon borax, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 2 cups hot water and put it into a spray bottle. Spray it on greasy smears and wipe off with a cloth or sponge.
5. Deodorize your sink drains: Pour a cup down your drain, let stand about thirty minutes, then run cold water.
6. Use vinegar instead of laundry softener. Vinegar prevents your clothes from getting that waxy build up on them. Vinegar is suggested for using to rinse cloth diapers to keep them absorbent.
7. Remove water stains from leather by rubbing with a cloth dipped in a vinegar and water solution.
8. Loosen food grime and clean the microwave: Place a microwave-safe bowl with 2 cups water, 1/2 cup vinegar inside the microwave and microwave on full power for 3-4 minutes (it needs to boil). Keep your microwave closed for a few minutes to allow the steam to loosen the grime, then open your microwave, carefully remove the bowl, and wipe clean.
9. Remove grease from kitchen walls: Put straight vinegar on a dishcloth to wipe grease off kitchen walls, or the stovetop.
10. Prevent mold and mildew in the shower: Wipe down tile or Formica shower walls with a sponge or cloth dampened with water and vinegar. The vinegar will clean the walls and inhibit the growth of mold and mildew.
11. An excellent toilet cleaner can be made from 1 cup borax and 1 cup vinegar. Pour the vinegar all over the stained area of the toilet. Then sprinkle the borax over the vinegar. Allow it all to soak for 2 hours. Then simply brush and flush.
12. Add a cup of vinegar to your mop water or mop floors with vinegar and water after a normal mopping. Vinegar removes the soap scum.
13. Annie Berthold-Bond says her favorite window cleaning recipe is to combine 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar, and up to 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap or detergent in a spray bottle. Annie says the liquid soap helps remove the waxy residue.
14. Boil vinegar and water on the stove to soak up bad smells from your house.
15. Fill your water reservoir halfway with vinegar to clean your coffee pot. Follow up by running 1-2 pots of clean water through to remove the vinegar.
16. Vinegar also works as a safe degreaser. No harsh fumes. Use it on grease, undiluted.
17. Clean vaporizers and humifiers by soaking unit in vinegar. Soak unit and then run water through it. I know, I got this tip from the actual directions that came with my vaporizer, but it really does help to remove the deposits and also to sanitize.
18. After washing your whites with bleach, run another rinse cycle with vinegar. The vinegar will help to remove the bleach smell.
19. If you have fruit flies, put some vinegar in a jar on your counter. (I wish I would have known this one a few years ago. I had some fruit flies and bought an expensive fruit fly trap. It probably just had vinegar in it. Errrr!)
20. If your puppy (or child) has an accident on the carpet, apply full-strength plain white vinegar for about 10 minutes and then blot dry. You may want to test an inconspicuous spot first.
21. Adding a cup of vinegar to a dishwashing cycle will help clean your dishwasher and will also help prevent spots from forming on your glasses.
22. Vinegar helps to kill bacteria. Mix up a solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Keep it in your kitchen to spray your sink and countertops.
23. Use vinegar to clean your garbage disposal. Run a tray of ice cubes with 1/2 cup vinegar poured over them.
24. Use vinegar, hot water, and a little soap to clean baby’s toys. Rinse well.
25. I have Pergo floors. I was glad to find this tip from Frugal Living. Mix 1/3 part white vinegar, 1/3 part rubbing alcohol, 1/3 part water, and 3 drops diswashing liquid. Mix this into a (recycled) spray bottle and you have the equivalent of the Pergo floor cleaner. Just spray and mop; also great for deodorizing a room and for a fast cleanup. I also use this on my tile floors with great results. Pergo is better off when water doesn’t sit on it too long, the alcohol is added to make it dry faster.
January 5, 2007 by Karen Weideman