Beyond Salad Dressing; Other Uses for Vinegar

Vinegar is great stuff! It is safe to have around kids and pets, and it has a lot of uses besides salad dressing. Try using it for these common tasks:

Weed killer: Weeds and grass growing in the cracks in your sidewalk? Pour vinegar on them and watch them die.

Ant killer: Ants bugging you? Pour vinegar on the ant hills. For ants inside, try mixing 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Put in a small container or piece of tin foil on the counter where you see ants.

Laundry: For laundry needing a little extra sanitizing, add 1/2 to 1 cup to your laundry load; it will help soften the water too. Use when you pre-soak laundry too.

Deodorizer: When a pet has an "accident" on the rug, try pouring a little vinegar on the stain. Be sure to test in a hidden area for color fastness first though.

Lime build up: Just a trickle coming through your kitchen faucet, sprayer or shower head? Sounds like lime buildup. Unscrew the aerator from your faucet and take it off. Put it in a small bowl or plastic bag, and add enough vinegar to cover. For sprayers and shower heads, you can either remove the head or fill a plastic bag with vinegar and attach it with rubber bands so the vinegar covers the head. Let sit for 24 hours; 48 for tough cases. For lime build up around your faucets, apply vinegar and let it sit a few minutes. The lime will soften up; if not, apply vinegar a second time. Use a scrubby, steel wool or a table knife to remove (but be careful not to scratch your faucets).

Coffee pots: Does your pot lack perk? Mix 1 cup vinegar with enough water to make a full pot. Let brew as usual, then discard mixture. You may need to run plain water through a second brewing cycle to get rid of the vinegar taste.

Smelly Drains: Phew! Pour 1 cup vinegar down the drain. Let it sit; should smell better.

Mirrors and windows: Does your regular cleaner leave them spotty and streaky? Spray or wipe on vinegar and wipe until dry with a cloth, paper towels, or old newspapers. Nice shine!

Kitchen and Bathroom cleaner: Use vinegar the same way you would a commercial spray cleaner. No fumes; leaves a nice clean smell too.

Toilet tank limed up and dirty? Put 1 cup vinegar in your tank; let sit. Safe for pets that drink out of the toilet, and kids who "dabble" in it too, though pets may not like the taste much.

Dish Washer: Smelly, especially for those into "rinse & hold?" Pour in 1 cup vinegar and let it sit. Next full load, wash as usual. Vinegar is also nice for the rinse cycle, as it leaves glasses and silverware clear and streak-free.

Hair Rinse: Yes, you can even use vinegar on your hair! After shampooing, pour 1 cup vinegar mixed with 2 cups water through your hair. Rinse out. Gets rid of shampoo build-up and makes hair squeaky clean.

I am always finding new uses for vinegar; bet you can too. Try it!