50 Household Uses for White and Apple Cider Vinegar

I'm sure 52 household uses for white and distilled vinegar is just a small list of the things you can use vinegar for. It's so versatile, that we will probably be discovering its usefulness for years maybe decades to come.

The Babylonians might have been the first to ferment vinegar from date palms, and this was over 5,000 years ago! But in order to give it flavor, they added items like saffron, mint, lavender, tarragon, celery, absinthe, Ruta and portulaca..

The first bottled vinegar came about in 1880 by Heinz, and even though its main ingredient is alcohol, Heinz vinegar is made from either apples or corn that has been ripened by the sun, and does not contain any preservatives or additives.

Apple cider vinegar of course is made from apple juice that has been diluted with water. And the distilled white vinegar is made from the best grains that have been sun-ripened, and is also diluted with water. The dilution in both vinegars form an even strength that is 5 % acidity, which is suitable for the table and for pickling.

Medical Uses For Vinegar:

1. Yeast infections can be prevented by douching with 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1 quart of warm water, which helps restore your pH balance.

2. Dissolve warts by making a lotion from ½ cup of white vinegar, and ½ cup of glycerin. Apply to the wart everyday until it goes away.

3. Relieve Arthritis by mixing 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar into a glass of water, and for three weeks drink the mixture before each meal.

4. Remove corns by using a poultice that is made by soaking crumbled up bread for 30 minutes, in 1/4 cup of white vinegar. Put some of the bread on the corn and secure in place with a bandage. Apply the poultice every night until the corn peels up.

5. An upset stomach can be cured by drinking a mixture of 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of water.

6. Relieve itching from bug bites by applying white vinegar directly on the bite. This is good for bug bites and poison ivy.

7. Relieve your sore throat by mixing 2 teaspoons of white vinegar into the water of your humidifier.

8. Cure your hiccups by drinking a mixture of 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in 1 cup of warm water.

9. Relieve your cold by taking a tablespoon mixture of apple cider vinegar and honey. Make a days supply by mixing 1/4 cup of honey to 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and take a tablespoon of this mixture six or eight times a day.

10. Sooth your sunburn by applying white vinegar straight from the bottle.

11. Relieve your cough by making a mixture of 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 4 teaspoons of honey and ½ cup of water. When your cough flairs up take a tablespoon of the mixture, and another one when you go to bed.

Cooking With Vinegar:

1. Marinating in apple cider vinegar not only tenderizes, but it also kills bacteria.
Turkey (thawed)
Pot of water that covers turkey
½ cup of apple cider vinegar
Soak for 30 minutes
Pat dry, season and cook

Meats (2 to 3 pounds)
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
Herbs and spices
Marinate over night
Cook in the vinegar and herb mixture

2. Stop your hard boiled eggs from cracking by adding 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to each quart of water you use. Then add your eggs. This procedure also helps the shell come off easier.

Personal Uses Of Vinegar:

1. Clean your dentures by soaking them overnight in white vinegar, and in the morning brushing them will remove the tartar build-up.

2. Condition your hair with a mixture of 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and 2 cups of water. This mixture will soften your hair, so don't over-do it, or you will end up with limp hair. It also removes soap film, sebum oil, gives highlights to brunettes and restores the acid mantle in your hair.

3. Weight loss may be achieved by drinking a mixture of 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of honey before each main meal. If you're brave, you can try taking the vinegar straight, or try pouring the vinegar over cucumbers and eating it that way.

Cleaning With Vinegar:

1. Clean your washing machine hoses by adding 1 cup of white vinegar to a wash cycle once a month, without the clothes. This also cleans away any soap scum build-up.
2. Clean your shower curtain, bathtub and the tile of any mildew, grime and soap scum by wiping the surfaces with white vinegar then rinsing.

3. Clean your drip coffee maker by filling it with 2 cups of white vinegar, then running it through its cycle. Rinse with cold water by running the cycle 2 times. Do this once a month to keep your coffee maker free of calcium sludge and lime deposits.

4. Clean your pots and pans of food stains by pouring white vinegar in them and letting them sit for 30 minutes. Rinse in hot, soapy water to clean.

5. Clean your toilet bowl by pouring in 1 cup of white vinegar and leaving it for 5 minutes, then flushing.

6. Clean your iron by pouring white vinegar into the water tank and putting the control to the steam setting. Iron a towel or piece of cloth to remove the mineral deposits from the steam ports. Do this again using water, then complete the process by rinsing your iron out with clean water and wiping off the bottom.

7. Clean your windows by spraying undiluted white vinegar on them, then clean and dry.

8. Clean your carpet of animal urine stains by using 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 cup of cool water. Try blotting up the urine, wipe the stain several time using warm water, then apply the vinegar and water mixture, then blot, rinse and protect area until it dries.

9. Clean your faucet, tools and bolts free of rust by soaking these items overnight in undiluted white vinegar.

10.Clean your bathroom fixtures and floor, and kill the germs by using 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. After spraying your bathroom floor and fixtures, wipe them dry.

11.Clean the shower head of lime build-up by removing it, then removing the rubber washer, and putting the shower head in a pot of equal parts water and white vinegar. Boil the shower head, then let it simmer for five minutes before rinsing and reattaching. This procedure will unclog and keep your shower head clean.

12. Clean milking equipment by first cleaning it with dish detergent that isn't perfumed, then rinsing with white vinegar. All the hoses, pipes and tank comes out clean, odorless and with a lower bacteria count.

Deodorize With Vinegar:

1. Deodorize the air and remove any unpleasant scents and odors in a room by spraying white vinegar. The vinegar neutralizes odors.

2. Deodorize your garbage disposal by pouring 1 cup of white vinegar and a tray of ice cubes down the disposal, then flush with cold water.

3. Deodorize your room and eliminate cigarette or paint odors placing a small container of white vinegar somewhere in the room.

4. Deodorize used jars that still have the scent of what it contained by rinsing them with white vinegar.

5. Deodorize your wool sweater by washing it, then rinsing the sweater in an equal part mixture of white vinegar and water.

6. Deodorize your lunch box by closing a napkin soaked in white vinegar inside the box and leaving it overnight.

7. Deodorize your kitchen after cooking by boiling 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in 1 cup of water.

Vinegar Used For Preventive Measures:

1. Prevent your colored clothes from fading by soaking it in white vinegar for 10 minutes before washing it.

2. Prevent ants from coming into the house by spraying a mixture of 1 cup of water to 1 cup of white vinegar. Spray this mixture around the windowsills, doorjambs, foundation cracks and the water pipes.

3. Prevent clogged drains by pouring a box a baking soda down the drain, then 1 cup of white vinegar.

4. Prevent lint on your clothes by pouring in 1 cup of white vinegar with your wash cycle. This stops lint from sticking to your clothes.

5. Prevent your glassware from getting a soapy film in the dishwater. Get cleaner glasses by putting a cup of white vinegar in the dishwasher, on the bottom rack, then run the dishwasher for 4 to 5 minutes. After wards, run the complete cycle.

6. Prevent your windshields from forming ice by putting a cover of 2 cups of white vinegar and cups of water over them.

Using Vinegar To Remove Things:

1. Remove any perspiration stains in your clothes by hand washing the item in 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 quart of water. After washing you need to rinse the item.

2. Remove scorch marks from your clothes by wiping them very lightly with white vinegar, then wipe with a soft cloth.

3. Removing stains on clothes and furniture upholstery is done by rubbing the stain with white vinegar then washing according to manufacturer.

4. Remove sticky decals by covering them with a cloth that has been soaked in white vinegar for about 10 minutes. If the vinegar hasn't soaked through yet, re-apply until the decal loosens. You can also use this to remove bumper stickers.

5. Remove wallpaper by using rolling a mixture of hot water and white vinegar (equal parts) onto the area until it is soak through. Keep rolling the mixture on with the paint roller until the wallpaper peels up.

Use Vinegar On Flowers And Grass:

1. Grow azaleas by watering them with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to 1 quart of water.

2. Kill grass in unwanted spots by pouring white vinegar directly on the spot where the unwanted grass is growing.

3. Prolong the life span of cut flowers by putting them in a vase and filling it with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 3 tablespoons of sugar for each quart of water you use. Make sure the stems are emerged at least 4 inches in the solution.

Miscellaneous Uses For Vinegar:

1. Slow the drying time of plaster by mixing 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into the water and plaster.

2. Prolong your propane lantern by soaking the wicks in white vinegar for a few hours, then let the wick dry. This allows the lantern to burn brighter and much longer.

This completes my list of 50 Household Uses For White and Distilled Vinegar, I hope you discover something your didn't know and something you could use.