Household Uses for Vinegar

• Bring a solution of one-cup vinegar and four tablespoons baking soda to a boil in teapots and coffeepots to rid them of mineral deposits.
• A solution of vinegar and baking soda will easily remove cooking oil from your stovetop.
• Clean the filter on your humidifier by removing it and soaking it in a pan of white vinegar until all the sediment is off.
• Vinegar naturally breaks down uric acid and soapy residue, leaving baby clothes and diapers soft and fresh. Add a cup of vinegar to each load during the rinse cycle.
• Put white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray shower stalls and shower doors. Let set a short while and rinse and dry. Removes water spots and soap residue. Or saturate a cloth with vinegar and sprinkle with baking soda, and then use it to clean fiberglass tubs and showers. Rinse well and rub dry for a spotless shine.
• To remove chewing gum, rub it with full-strength vinegar.
• For a clean oven, combine vinegar and baking soda, then scrub.
• Clean and deodorize your toilet bowl by pouring undiluted white vinegar into it. Let stand for five minutes, then flush. Spray stubborn stains with white vinegar, then scrub vigorously.
• Clean windows with a cloth dipped in a solution of one part white vinegar and 10 parts warm water. This works for dirty TV screens, too!
• For brunettes, rinsing hair with vinegar after a shampoo makes hair shinier. Use one-tablespoon vinegar to one-cup warm water.
• Soak paint stains in hot vinegar to remove them.
• To clean drip coffeemakers, fill the reservoir with white vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly by brewing two cycles with water before using.
• To remove bumper stickers from car chrome, paint on vinegar and let it soak in. Next, scrape off the stickers. Decals can be removed similarly.
• Rid your refrigerator and freezer of bad odors by cleaning the insides with a solution of equal parts vinegar and water, then wiping dry.
• Apply full strength vinegar to mosquito or other insect bites to relieve the itching. (Caution: Do not do this if the affected area is raw.)
• To remove smoke odors on clothes, hang them above a steaming bathtub filled with hot water and a cup of white vinegar.
• To prevent mildew, wipe down surfaces with vinegar.
• Place a vinegar-soaked brown bag on sprains to ease pain and aid recovery.
• Use a sponge dampened with vinegar to clean shower curtains.
• To remove salt and water stains from leather boots and shoes, rub with a solution of 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1 cup water. Wipe over the stained area only, and then polish.
• To loosen a stuck jar lid, hold the jar upside down and pour warm vinegar around the neck at the joint between the glass and the top.
• Rub cider vinegar on your skin to repel insects.
• Put vinegar on a cotton ball and rub on dry skin. Within a few uses skin will be soft.
• Pour vinegar on head to remove pimples on scalp. Do not get into eyes.
• To prevent puppy chewing, put 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water in a spray bottle and spray everything (couches, shoes, carpet) three times a day for a couple of weeks. There will be a strong vinegar smell during that time, but it should stop the chewing.
• To help keep fleas off pets, put one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a gallon of water and keep it in the refrigerator. Use this water to fill the water dishes of cats and fleas will mostly disappear. It also clears up dry skin conditions, and makes their coast shiny.
• White vinegar kills spider infestations. Fill an empty dishwashing detergent bottle and spray streams around foundations, patios, etc.
• Use vinegar to spot-kill weeds. Note that when you pour vinegar onto weeds and hence into soil, nothing will grow in that soil for years, so use carefully/
• A couple of tablespoons of ordinary olive oil in a cup of vinegar works well to dust and polish wood furniture.
• To open clogged drains, pour a couple of tablespoons of baking soda on top of your drain, pour 1 to 2 cups of boiling vinegar onto this; it will fizz and bubble, but keep on until all the baking soda is gone. Let sit for about 10 minutes, then pour very hot water down the drain. This works well and is even safe on septic tanks.