Vinegar - The all purpose everything

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Ever since I had posted a few weeks ago about how to get a hem crease out of a pair of pants I was lengthening, I have discovered more and more things to do with plain old vinegar

To be honest, soaking the pants in a almost boiling vinegar and water solution, and ironing under a wet vinegar soaked cloth did not really take out the crease, but it works in so many other ways.

I've been adding it to the rinse cycle instead of fabric softener, and when they come out of the dryer there's no static, no vinegar odor, and there's really a lot less lint in the lint trap. Supposedly it makes the soap come out in the rinse better.

I steam cleaned the carpet yesterday (I own my own steam cleaner with my initials monogramed on the handle), and went over the carpet a 2nd time with a vinegar and water solution. The carpet looks nicer, like it picked up more soap residue.

I'd bought a navy blue knit shirt the other day, and they said to soak it in water & vinegar and it'll keep it from fading. I'll bet that works too.

I think when I run out of window cleaner, I'll just use a vinegar/water solution there also.

I've always used vinegar to run through the coffee maker, but that's about it.

It felt good not using so many chemicals.

Does anyone else use vinegar in ways that are even better than products bought from the store?

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Hmmm -- I know I use a lot of vinegar for different things, some that you've mentioned. Also, for general bathtub drain maintenance -- throw some baking soda down the drain, pour in some vinegar, rinse with water after a few minutes -- won't work on a solid clog, but if you do it about once a month, you won't get clogs.

A bit of vinegar in the water used for boiling eggs will prevent any mineral stains on the metal pot. I've heard that it also stops that greenish coating on the hard-boiled yolk, too, but I'm not so sure about that.

For that matter, it's great for dissolving the scale (water mineral build up) in any appliance that uses tap water -- iron, humidifier, etc.

Probably the most unorthodox: My skin type is a little oily, so in the warm weather, I use unpasteurized organic cider vinegar instead of moisturizer, after washing my face at night. Must be unpasteurized, not the usual stuff. It balances out the alkalinity that causes oiliness, I guess. My skin feels great and the smell doesn't last too long. Mr. Green

Got that tip from an organics magazine long ago, and it really does work well. (Although my husband used to get cravings for English-style fish & chips at bedtime.)

I'll have to try the rinse cycle thing.

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Vinegar is far better than products bought from the store.
Always use apple cider vinegar for personal care. White vinegar is best for cleaning.

Used as a hair rinse, vinegar neutralizes alkali left by shampoos. It will give your hair an all out shine!

Corn and callus remover - soak stale bread (a cloth would probably do as well) in vinegar, and tape over the callus or corn overnight.

Age spot fader - Mix equal parts of onion juice and vinegar and use it daily on age spots. It will take a few weeks to work, just like its expensive relative from the store.

Spray your hands with vinegar, or dip them in it and dry after having them in soapy water to keep your hands soft.

When you use vinegar in your water to wash windows, dry with newspapers. Your windows will sparkle!

Chewing gum dissolver - saturate the area with vinegar. If the vinegar is heated, it will work faster.

If you have problems with ants and other insects invading your home, they are probably crossing your door and/or window sills, baseboards, etc. if you 'pour' vinegar across the opening sill, it stops their coming in. For some reason, they will not cross it.

It will even remove wallpaper as it dissolves paste.

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Tryagain = Heloise

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My mother always used a vinegar rinse on my hair when I was little -
it is still shiny Laughing

Vinegar is also a good fertilizer for alkali thriving plants like Azaleas,
and keep fresh flowers longer if you put a teaspoon of vinegar in the vase.

Chrome becomes very shiny with vinegar too.

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I pour a little salt and vinegar on the bottom of my copper pans and it shines them right up. Grandma always had copper pans and cleaned them this way.

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1/2 vinegar + 1/2 rubbing alcohol , put a few drops into ear to prevent swimmer's ear - or you can buy a squeeze bottle of it at the drugstore for about $ 5 - but it will have a fancy name .
hbg

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Tryagain wrote:

...It will even remove wallpaper as it dissolves paste.

Works even faster if you heat it up first. Er, the vinegar, not the wallpaper.

Has anyone tried to use it for laundry stains? I like the idea of the rinse cycle, but I'm talking about also pouring it on a stain (I've never heard if this works or not, I'm just curious).

I also dump it down the disposal if too much smelly stuff has gone down there recently -- vinegar and baking soda.

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tico, I'd never heard of unpasturized vinegar, I'll have to look that up.

when you use it as a hair rinse, does it take out the tangles like conditioner does?

Or, would you use the conditioner, then give it a rinse of vinegar?

Oh. BTW, not to get of vinegar, but I have bought shaving creme/foam for years...Hair conditioner works great.
Just a tiny bit goes a long way, and it moisturizes your legs at the same time. I still put lotion on afterwards, but they are itchy, and I'd tried all kinds of sensitive skin foam.

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The original purpose of a vinegar rinse was to get all of the lye based shampoo out of your hair.

If you lived in a soft water area, rinsing was no problem. Unfortunately a lot of the women of the world were washing long, long hair in hard, hard water.

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If you have a smelly room, a bowlful of vinegar and water absorbs the odor.

A tsp of vinegar in your rice as it's finished cooking keeps it looking really white.

And it's fantastic as a hair rinse - it really makes your hair shine and bounce.

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Chai wrote:

when you use it as a hair rinse, does it take out the tangles like conditioner does?

Or, would you use the conditioner, then give it a rinse of vinegar?

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I haven't used vinegar in years, but I only started using conditioner recently and not that often either. Embarrassed

But I remember it left the hair feeling very shiny and soft.

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Chai wrote:

Chai wrote:

when you use it as a hair rinse, does it take out the tangles like conditioner does?

Or, would you use the conditioner, then give it a rinse of vinegar?

A vinegar rinse really makes your hair squeak and I don't think it will help a lot with the tangles (and if you perspire, er, I mean glow, your head will smell like a salad). I like to use apple cider vinegar as a rinse after shampooing and then use just a little conditioner for softness and detangling.

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I remember my mother washing her hair with an egg and putting mayonnaise on her face for a skin softener, and cucumbers on her eyes to reduce the puffiness... she also washed her face with ground up oatmeal. Funny, eh?

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There's a series of books on the many uses of vinegar, baking soda, lemons, etc. I keep meaning to buy it but never have the money when I see them for sale.

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Mame wrote:

If you have a smelly room, a bowlful of vinegar and water absorbs the odor.

I took your suggestion and tried it in my living room and the effect was startling. Everything was sucked into the bowl, leaving only a black hole where there was once a room.

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gustavratzenhofer wrote:

Mame wrote:
If you have a smelly room, a bowlful of vinegar and water absorbs the odor.

I took your suggestion and tried it in my living room and the effect was startling. Everything was sucked into the bowl, leaving only a black hole where there was once a room.

How is it you're still here?

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I soak my feet in vinegar. It not only softens calluses, it kills athlete's foot fungus readily and is much cheaper than the over-the-counter ointments.

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My mom used to use vinegar as a hair rinse as well...wow it's been a long time.

I don't know if this is a problem in other parts of the world, but there are these hairy catterpillars here and if I get their fuzz on my skin it turns bright red, bumpy and TERRIBLY itchy. rubbing vinegar on my skin helps muchly.

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plain white vinegar half and half with water as a gargle will strip your throat of phlegm and help to cut way down if not eliminate completely, hoarseness and singer's throat.

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