Weird Things You Can Do with Apple Cider Vinegar

Plus a Free Handy Homemaker Bonus Tip from Lindy Lou

Linda Louise Johnson
Clean Your Toilets with Apple Cider Vinegar.

If you happen to have hard water, and an older toilet with a permanent ring that seems to have been etched in lime, worry not. After scrubbing and even brillo padding toilet rings that just got worse, Lindy Lou dumped apple cider vinegar in the toilet, and left it overnight. It made the whole bathroom smell nice and apple-y. Of course, it's a good thing no one needed to use the toilet because they might take one look at it and think they had already tinkled. Due to the fact that apple cider vinegar is roughly the same color as tinkle. (Don't you hate people who can't bring themselves to say urine?)

But back to the problematic ring around the toilet. By morning it was gone. Just one swipe with the toilet bowl brush and apple cider vinegar had won the Sparkle Bowl. You can bet your rubber gloves that LL was jazzed, immediately thinking "What else can I do with this wonderful apple cider vinegar that only costs a couple of bucks a gallon? Drink it?" Well yes but that's three tips from now.

Make Your Dishes Sparkle with Apple Cider Vinegar.

If you are plagued with spotty glassware and dull stainless steel flatware, if you look at the contents of the dishwasher and can't figure out if you ran it or not because you can't see your face in the china plates, apple cider vinegar to the rescue. Just load up the dishwasher, put in the dishwasher detergent and slosh apple cider vinegar on top of it. You'll see it immediately start to fizz and know that same fizzing action is going to cut through soapy film, hard water spots and grease on your dishes. Your glassware will look like you're in a Cascade commercial! And speaking of fizzing.. .

Make a Mini-Volcano with Apple Cider Vinegar

Here's an apple cider vinegar project that will make you Mom of the Century: Have the kids put a small empty soda bottle in a baking pan and pack clay or mud around it until it resembles a mountainous volcano shape. Don't get any mud in the soda bottle. Fill the bottle ¾ full with warm tap water, add 6 drops of dishwasher detergent, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, and even food coloring if you want colorful lava. Then carefully pour apple cider vinegar into the bottle and step back when you hear the fizz! Your volcano is erupting! (Hope you're doing this outside.) To find out how to use this same idea to make an exploding birthday cake, click here.

How to Lose Weight with Apple Cider Vinegar

Raw apple cider vinegar is full of all kinds of healthy stuff like potassium, pectin, malic acid, calcium, acetic acid and ash, so it's good for everything from your blood pressure to your blood sugar. Plus apple cider vinegar is anti-bacterial, may lessen joint pain, end heartburn and clear up skin problems.

But who cares about all that, apple cider vinegar helps you loose weight!!! Apple cider vinegar helps to break down fats so that you will use them instead of storing them. And burning fats gives you more energy which makes you more active which makes you lose more weight. Just ask Kim Linton, or better yet read her apple cider vinegar weight loss article.

Even if you don't spend the extra money for the organic weight loss vinegar, the grocery store brands work just as well for weight loss as far as I can tell. Now, you may be saying "But, Lindy Lou, it tastes like....vinegar! Ok, ok, just mix a tablespoon with water and Splenda. And add a little baking soda if the acid bothers your stomach. Or mix it with honey. Don't swallow it plain, or excessively, because it could burn your esophagus and turn you into Gravel Voice Gertie. (Check with your doctor including your psychiatrist before beginning any weight loss program Lindy Lou may suggest.)

Be Lady Fragrant Fingers with Apple Cider Vinegar

Chopping onions and realize your hands smell like ....well, onions? From now on just rub a little apple cider vinegar into them before and after handling onion, garlic or fish, and you will be Lady Fragrant Fingers. Or, Lord FF, as the case may be.

Other Weird and Not So Weird Things You Can Do With Apple Cider Vinegar

. Pour apple cider vinegar on weeds, reapply as needed, and watch them die.

. Saturate a cotton ball with apple cider vinegar and apply to relieve sunburn pain.

. Use apple cider vinegar for tasty vinegar and oil salad dressing.

. Somehow trick your dog into taking apple cider vinegar to help rid him of fleas and improve his coat.

. Put a little apple cider vinegar in the water to keep hard boiled eggs from cracking.

. Marinate meats in apple cider vinegar with seasonings.

. Keep the empty apple cider vinegar jugs, cut off the tops and use them for luminaries.

Medical Fun with Apple Cider Vinegar

Partially fill a small jar with apple cider vinegar and then tell the doctor it's your urine sample. Bwahahahhah.

Free Bonus Handy Homemaker Tip: Shave Your Legs in Hair Conditioner

Hair conditioner is cheaper than shaving cream! It gives your legs volume and shine and gets rid of the frizzies. O no wait, that's when you use it on your hair. We're talking legs. Hair conditioner leaves your legs really smooth and kind of, well, conditioned. So, use up all those dribs and drabs of hair conditioner leftovers you have, or buy the cheapest brand at the dollar store. Your legs aren't as fussy as your hair.

For more Lindy Lou Handy Homemaker tips, go to:

Weird Things You Can Do with Ziploc Bags

Things a Gorilla Knows About Bananas

Weird Things You Can Do With Baggies and Shaving Cream

Can Fabric Softener Sheets Kill Your Clothes Dryer?

How to Keep Squirrels Out of Your Plants

Get Rid of Windshield Fog With a Chalk Eraser

Carpet Cleaning and Kitty Cat Puke

Published by Linda Louise Johnson

Linda Louise Johnson is an animal lover, crafter and hobbyist, graphic art afficionado and veteran writer. Her work has been featured on Associated Content, Yahoo! News, and eHow as well as in Poetry Garden,...  View profile

58 Comments

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  • Vikki Keller3/15/2012

    You are so right about apple cider vinegar! I just used it to boil baby back ribs for an hour of pre-cooking before baking at 300 degrees, smothered in barbeque sauce, for most of the day. They came out of the oven gorgeously brown and caramelized with sauce and flavor and mouthwateringly delicious. I could still taste the tang of the apple.

  • Nancy P. Goodman, in Tennessee3/7/2012

    back for a visit!

  • Nancy P. Goodman, in Tennessee12/16/2011

    Merry Christmas! (and thanks for playing 'Words with Friends' on Facebook with me, I am enjoying it!)

  • Nancy P. Goodman, in Tennessee5/23/2011

    back to visit!

  • Jeanne Baney5/19/2011

    I hope you will be writing again soon!

  • Nancy P. Goodman, in Tennessee5/16/2011

    and another visit to you today!

  • Teila Tankersley5/15/2011

    I love to rinse my hair with vinager it makes it shines

  • Shana Dines5/9/2011

    Wow these are great tips, love the toilet bowl ring one and the flea and dishwasher tips. Haven't heard of these!

  • Nancy P. Goodman, in Tennessee5/1/2011

    back to visit, Lindy Lou!

  • Snidely Whiplash4/30/2011

    The volcano tip is my fave.

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