Monday, August 22, 2011

My obsession with vinegar

I buy vinegar like it is going out of style.  Why?  Because I use it for almost everything.  Literally!  Check out some of the frugal tips with vinegar below.  You might be surprised.
In the Kitchen
  1. Clean your coffee pot and coffee maker by running a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water through as you would if you were making coffee.  This gets rid of hard water buildup.   It needn't be said that you do this without a filter and coffee grounds. :)  Just rinse through with fresh water afterwards.
  2. In keeping with the removal of hard water stains, soaking a cloth in vinegar and laying it across the area where there is build up will help get rid of it.
  3. I never use rinse agents in my dishwasher.  I just can't see spending more money on a product when vinegar can get the job done for less.
  4. Clean pewter, copper, and brass with 1 tsp salt and 1 cup vinegar.  My kids love shining up old pennies by soaking them in the salt-vinegar solution!
  5. Unclog a drain by pouring a handful of baking soda down the drain and 1/2 cup vinegar.  Rinse with boiling water.  (My second love is baking soda)
  6. Freshen and get rid of unwanted smells by cleaning trashcans, disposal, sink, etc...with vinegar.
  7. Out of buttermilk?  Mix 1 Tblsp vinegar with 1 cup of milk.  Let it stand 5 minutes before using.
In the Laundry
  1. Brighten your laundry and get rid of lint with 1/2 cup vinegar in the rinse cycle.  I promise your clothes will not smell like vinegar.  
  2. Remove perspiration stains by rubbing and/or soaking with vinegar.
Health & Beauty
  1. Relieve itching or stinging from insect bites by applying a cotton ball dipped in vinegar.
  2. Relieve sunburn by applying vinegar.  I like to put it in a spray bottle.
  3. After washing your hair, rinse with vinegar to remove build up.  After rinsing it out with water, I promise your hair will not smell like vinegar.  (You can use baking soda to wash your hair to get soft, oil free hair prior to rinsing with vinegar).
  4. Vinegar helps soothe sore throats with gargling.
Other
  1. Deter ants by spraying vinegar.
  2. Eliminate animal odors by cleaning with vinegar.
  3. Substitute weed killer with vinegar.  
  4. Clean windows by spraying with vinegar and wiping clean.
  5. Mop your floors with a mixture of 4 parts water, 1 part vinegar, and a few drops of liquid soap.
  6. Prolong the life of cut flowers by adding 2 Tblsp of vinegar to the water vase.
  7. Clean around toilets by spraying vinegar instead of harsh chemicals.
The list can go on and on.  If you have any ideas you would like to share, feel free to comment below.

4 comments:

  1. Love your vinegar ideas!!! Love the buttermilk! So many ideas! Thanks and keep them coming! =)

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  2. A mixture of baking soda, vinegar and soaking is the only thing that even comes CLOSE to removing the sulfur smell from my husband's clothing after he has had to fix one of the sulfur pots at the plant!

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  3. Wow! Sulfur has such a strong smell. I'm glad to hear it works. I bet he appreciates the effort you put into cleaning his clothes.
    I've heard that vinegar also gets rid of skunk smells, but I'll have to take the person's word on that one. =)

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