30 Handy Uses For Vinegar

It's always a great idea to use the products that are already sitting in your kitchen for other purposes. You're saving green and being green! Not to mention, using these natural products will be less toxic for you and the other dwellers in your household. Here are a few great uses for vinegar.

  1. Fabric softener: Add about 1/4 cup of vinegar to your laundry load to soften your fabric.
  2. Static-cling remover: Add the same amount to reduce static cling.
  3. Stain remover: Soak your clothes in vinegar to get rid of all kinds of stains.
  4. All-purpose spray: Make your own all-purpose spray with vinegar and lemons.
  5. Grout cleaner: Clean your bathroom tub and tiles with a no-scrub vinegar mixture.
  6. Gum remover: Heat up some vinegar in the microwave, and soak the area that's stuck to the gum. The chewing gum will dissolve.
  7. Stainless-steel cleaner: Wipe down stainless-steel surfaces with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar.
  8. Leather furniture cleaner: Clean leather furniture with a mixture made from vinegar and olive oil.
  9. Natural whitener: You can use vinegar to whiten your laundry naturally. Adding vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to your wash will bring dingy pillows back to life.
  10. Frost prevention: Keep your car windows free of frost by wiping them down with a mixture of vinegar and water. This coating will last a few weeks.
  11. Air freshener: Remove odor by putting a bowl of vinegar in the place where the smell is emanating. You can also put it in a spray bottle with equal parts water to deodorize the air.
  12. Water-ring remover: Mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil, dip a cloth in the mixture, and wipe the water ring, moving with the grain of the wood. For leather furniture, use vinegar only.
  13. Cat repellant: Sprinkle an area with some vinegar to repel cats.
  14. Rust cleaner: If you have a rusty tool or object, soak it overnight in vinegar. Rinse the objects with water after soaking so the vinegar won't affect them.
  15. Athlete's-foot cure: Soak your feet in some vinegar three nights out of every week, and it will help to kill the fungus.
  16. Fridge cleaner: Clean your fridge by wiping it down with a mixture of water and vinegar (equal parts).
  17. Chopping-board disinfectant: Clean your chopping boards by wiping them down with vinegar after every use.
  18. Drain unclogger: Put a bit of baking soda in your drain, then pour some vinegar over it. Let it bubble over, then flush it with some boiling water.
  19. Microwave cleaner: Add 1/4 cup vinegar to a bowl with one cup water. Heat up the mixture in your microwave for a few minutes, and let it evaporate. Then, wipe down your microwave and the condensed drops after removing the bowl.
  20. Garbage-disposal cleaner: Freeze a mixture of one cup vinegar along with enough water to fill up an ice-cube tray. Grind them up in your garbage disposal, and then rinse it with cold water after.
  21. Coffee-maker cleaner: You should be cleaning your coffee pot every month. Clean it with ease by running a brew cycle with equal parts water and vinegar.
  22. Dishwasher cleaner: Run your dishwasher with vinegar and baking soda for a good cleaning.
  23. Shoe shiner: Wipe vinegar on your scuffed leather shoes to help them shine.
  24. Window cleaner: Mix equal parts vinegar and water, put the liquid mixture into a spray bottle, and spray your windows. Wipe them down with newspaper to prevent streaking.
  25. Meat tenderizer/bacteria killer: Add some vinegar to your marinade to kill the bacteria in your meat and to help tenderize it. Experiment with the amount and how it affects the taste. You can also soak the meat in vinegar overnight and wash it off the next day.
  26. Fruit and vegetable washer: Mix three parts water with one part vinegar, and put the mixture in a spray bottle. Before washing it, spray fresh produce with the liquid to remove bacteria and pesticide residue.
  27. Egg-cracking prevention: Add two tablespoons of vinegar to water when you're boiling the eggs. This will help prevent them from cracking.
  28. Dandruff remover: Rub vinegar on your scalp, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then rinse it off. Do this once a week, and you should see less flaking.
  29. Sunburn treatment: Dab vinegar on your sunburns. It will help sooth the affected areas.
  30. Eyeglasses cleaner: Rub a few drops of vinegar on your glasses to clean them.