20 Great Uses for Vinegar in the Home & Garden

20 Great Uses for Vinegar in the Home & Garden

 

 

White distilled and apple cider vinegar are all you need to effectively clean and tidy your home! Vinegar is known as an effective household cleanser that can be used to remove mold, bacteria and germs due to its high level of acidity. Using vinegar is a great way to avoid the use of harmful chemicals, to be more friendly to the environment and is entirely more economical than store-bought cleaning products.  Here are some great tips on how to use vinegar around the house. Try out some of these solutions and vinegar will never just be a salad dressing again!

For Appliances  1. Clean mineral deposits from steam irons Fill up the iron's water tank with white vinegar and turn the setting to steam. Steam-iron a used rag to clean out the steam ports and then refill the tank with water. Finish by thoroughly rising out the inside of the iron to remove the smell of vinegar.  2. Remove soap scum from the washing machine Once a month, add white vinegar to the washing machine and run it on a normal cycle without any clothes. 3. Clean rust from tools and bolts Soak the rusted tool in white vinegar overnight, and when you wake up in the morning, the rust will have disappeared! 4. Keep the garbage disposal smelling fresh and clean Mix one cup of vinegar with water and fill up and ice cube tray. Freeze the mixture overnight, then put the cubes in the garbage disposal and grind them up. Flush down the ground cubes with cold water to finish.  In the Kitchen 5. Remove stubborn stains from cups and pots Fill up the stained cups and pots with vinegar overnight, then rinse with hot soapy water in the morning.  6. Prevent misty spots on glassware Place a cup of white vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher and run it for 5 minutes, and then for a full cycle. If you add a cup of white vinegar through an entire cycle once a month to reduce soap scum.  7. Eliminate odors from used jars To clean out the peanut butter or mayonnaise jars with white vinegar to remove any odor.  For Fabrics 8. Prevent lint from clinging to clothes in the dryer Add one cup of vinegar to each wash load. We promise that you will get used to the smell! 9. Deodorize a wool sweater Wash the sweater regularly and then rinse it in equal parts vinegar and water to remove the odor. 10. Remove sweat stains from clothes We all have at at least one shirt with dreaded sweat stains on it. Apply a mixture of one pat white vinegar and four parts water and then rise in washing machine. 11. Prevent colors from fading Soaking the article in white vinegar for 10 minutes before putting it in the washing machine.  12. Remove pet urine from carpets Blot up the urine and flush it a few times with lukewarm water. Then apply a mixture of equal parts vinegar and cold water, blot it up again, rinse it with water and then let it dry.  For the Garden 13. Grow perfect azaleas It is good to water the plants occasionally with two tablespoons of white vinegar and one quart water. Azaleas love the acidic soil.  14. Kill off weeds Kill of weeds in the garden by pouring vinegar on them. Soon they will disappear! In the Bathroom 15. Clean soap scum, mildew and grime Wipe the surface of a bathtub, tiles or a shower curtain with white vinegar and then rinse it with water.  16. Unclog the shower head Begin by unscrewing the shower head and removing the rubber washer. Place the show head in a pot filled with equal parts vinegar and water. Bring the contents to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. The shower head will come out clean and shiny as new.  All Over the House 17. Wash walls Remove stains and odors from white walls by wiping them down with a vinegar-water mixture.  18. Prolong the life of flowers in a vase Add two tablespoons of white vinegar and three tablespoons of sugar to a quart of warm water. Water the flowers when their stems are in three to four inches of water.  19. Repel ants Fill a spray bottle or mister with equal parts water and vinegar and spray it around the door jambs, window sills, water pipes and foundation cracks.   Image by: Grant Cochrane/ freedigitalphotos.net In the Car 20. Prevent ice from forming on the windshield overnight Coat the window with a solution of three parts vinegar to one part water and the ice just won't form!