Air Freshener: We used to live in an apartment with a heavy smoker as a neighbor. To keep the smell down as much as I can, I boil 2 cups of white vinegar and split it up into a bowl for each room. For this dry desert heat, I need to replace it every 3 days or so. It still ends up cheaper than buying air fresheners, an air purifyer, and is far better than just dealing with the stench. It also helps clear up the "oops I burned dinner" smell within 15 minutes. One more tip: if you were around smokers and find yourself smelling like one, hang your clothes on your shower curtain rod, add a few cups of vinegar to a half full tub of hot water. By the time morning comes, you'll smell fresh!
Bad Kitty: Putting vinegar around your garden, or just around the perimeter of your home can keep that darn cat away. Keep it around your child's sandbox or sand/water table to keep the cats from confusing it for a litter box. Ew.
Buttermilk: Instead of spending $3 on a quart of buttermilk, just add a tablespoon of vingear per cup of milk! I do this for my famous buttermilk pancake/waffle recipe. Just let the mixture stand for 5 minutes and you'll notice it is thicker and ready!
Cloth Diapers: Soak those soiled cloth diapers in a 1:8 mixture of vinegar:water to balance the pH. It usually is a great cure for diaper rash.
Corns: Apple cider vinegar and regular white vinegar can work wonders on those corns. Soak a bandaid or piece of gauze in apple cider vinegar and leave on the corn for a day or two. Or just give yourself a nice pedi with white vinegar. After either, or both, methods, you can scrub off the corn with a pumice stone.
Dips and Dressings: One of my favorite things with Italian dishes, is to dip the Italian bread in an olive oil and balsamic vinegar mix. I also make some of my best salad dressing with balsamic vinegar. Try some vinegar varieties to find what you like best: rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, etc. Experiment.
Dishwasher Yuck: The soapy film that covers your dishwasher after many washes can be simply removed by running and empty dishwasher with vinegar. It helps with the smell too!
Ear Pain: Uh oh, is that an ear ache coming on or have you been in the pool too long? Just mix vinegar and water 1part to 5 parts and put a bit in your ear. If you do this 3-4 times daily, it should be pain free in just a couple of days. Vinegar is a great anti-bacterial.
Fresh Flowers: Instead of using those commercial plant food packets that come with the beautiful flowers you recieved, put 2 Tbsp of vinegar in the water along with a teaspoon of sugar.
Glass: Any sort of glass (stemware, windows in your home or car, mirrors, etc) can be spiffy with just a rinse of vinegar. Just warm up the vinegar slightly above room temperature. Another tip with windows and mirrors, use black and white newspaper to wash with instead of a rag or paper towel. That will help with the streaks!
Greasy Hair: Shampoo your hair just like normal and rinse. Put 1/4 C vinegar in your hair and rerinse! Be ready to lose that greasy glare.
Hard-Boiling Eggs: Whenever we make hard boiled eggs, my 4 year old's favorite, I put a tablespoon of vinegar in the water. It keeps them from oozing out if they crack. Another egg tip, crack a portion of the shell and cover afterwards to help the shell come off.
Insect bites and stings: Just blot some vinegar on the area and the pain will ease shortly.
Ironing Magic: Clean your dirty iron with vinegar. Please wait for it to cool first! You can also spray some vinegar on your clothes to make crisp creases and to prevent yellowing!!
Jell-O: If your jell-o is runny and just not as firm as you like, add a teaspoon of vinegar. It will keep it from turning too watery.
Laundry: Use as a fabric softener, lint reducer, and odor remover. Try it, you'll be happy you did! It also keeps those blankets and sweaters nice and fluffy!
Pesky Labels: Ever have that sticky icky label mess? If you just can't get it off of the container, saturate it with vinegar, wait a minute, and that mess will be behind you in no time!
Rice: If your rice is heavy and just not fluffing up, add a couple of drops of vinegar. You will have fluffy rice and a happy meal. It also cuts the starch in those starchy foods like rice and pasta.
Shower Cleaner: Leave a spray bottle with one part vinegar + 10 parts water in the shower. As soon as you are done, spray spray spray! It won't hurt items in the shower (including the kids' toys) but it will leave it fresh and clean.
Spring Flower Pots: If your old terra cotta or clay planters are stained, soak them in a 1:3 vinegar:water solution for 45-60 minutes. Wash with soapy water, and use your brand new looking pots for those beautiful plants!
Stain Remover: Put some straight vinegar on your stains (grass, juice, chocolate, even tar, etc) and then wash with your laundry.
Sunburn, Ouch!: It hurts just thinking about it. When you get too much sun and don't know what to do, just dab vinegar gently all over the burned areas. Immediately feel the cooling and soothing sensation. Sure, you'll smell like a summer pasta salad, but hey, the pain easing will make up for that!
Sweat stains: For those annoying stains around your husband's white shirt, or even your own, just soak it in vinegar for 10 minutes or so. It will also take any smell that might be in there. If it needs a little scrubbing, add baking soda for a bubbly scrub. Then just wash it like normal.
Tenderizing: Vinegar tenderizes meat proteins. Use it in your marinades.
Weed Killer: Simply pour vinegar over your pesky weeds. Within days, they won't be coming up nearly as often. Just make sure you're only getting the weeds, otherwise your plants won't be coming up too well.
If anyone else has any tips they know of, let us know so we can add it to our list. We love finding new uses for natural products.
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