5 Vinegar Uses

Another item I discovered I had in multiple quantities in my pantry this week is gallons of white vinegar. I know I clean with vinegar and consider it a household friend, but four gallons? Even I am not sure what I was thinking.

What to do? I am going to use it for more than a disinfectant cleanser and laundry additive.

I called on my family and friends and asked them for their tips.

I can... use it as a super booster

One of my Aunts told me she adds a few tablespoons of vinegar to her liquid dish soap container. The grease fighting acetic acid in the vinegar increases the dish soaps efficiency, thus the soap can last longer and still clean grease and grime. She further told me, that for this to work every time, before each use, the container or bottle needs shaking a few times.

I can... use it as a de- clumper

One of my friends, a professional chef, told me she adds one tablespoon or so to a pot of boiling water before adding in pasta. She stated that this decreases the pasta's starch content, which is why sometimes pasts is sticky. She said she never has sticky pasts since she learned this neat trick. (She just now shared this trick... shame on her!)

I can ... use it as a smudge and streak preventer

My neighbor informed me that he uses vinegar to wipe down the windshield blades on his truck. By wiping down beach blade with a damp cloth saturated with vinegar, he is removing grime thereby preventing smudges and streaks. One of my pet peeves in how automobile windows are always so clean in movies and television shows. Now I know a trick that they use.

I can... use it as a bleaching agent

A few years back my parents updated the floors in their home. The very 1970's yellow linoleum floor was replaced with large porcelain tile. White tile with gray grout. (This is not a floor choice I would recommend in any kitchen.) My mom quickly learned that this was not the wisest choice, as white floor show everything. Even when clean, sparkling clean, the white could appear dingy because of the gray grout. She told me she bent down on her hands and knees... with an old toothbrush... and scrubbed the grout with undiluted vinegar. The acetic acid made the alkaline tinge and mildew vanish. Okay, I am lucky that I have concrete floors.

I can... use it in my first aid kit

A cousin employed as a school nurse told me she uses white vinegar to help prevent bruises. She secures gauze soaked in vinegar to the sore spot with a bandage. She leaves the bandage on for an hour or so and then removes. It works because the vinegar fuels the blood flow to the skin's exterior, dispersing the clustering red blood cells from forming a bruise.

What do you use it for?