Pages

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Works-for-Me Wednesday: Favorite Uses for White Distilled Vinegar


When I was a little girl, I remember my mom mopping with vinegar. It just smelled so clean. But as we got older my mom stopped using it and used a "real" cleaning product to mop the floors.

Now, that our budget has changed I've stopped buying "real" cleaning products and started to make my own. And white distilled vinegar is in almost all of them. I've had to start buying the larger size because we use it often.

Here are some of my favorite uses for vinegar:
  • Mopping the linoleum floor: 1 cup vinegar to every 1 gallon of water and 3 tbsp baking soda
  • Removing the "ant" scent after an infestation: spray undiluted vinegar to the "ant trail" and the source (will not kill the ants, but will remove their scent and deter them from coming again)
  • Cleaning my counters and spot cleaning the floor: spray equal parts vinegar and water over areas and wipe **DO NOT USE ON MARBLE**
  • Remove mineral deposits in the coffeemaker: fill the water reservoir with 1 cup or more of white distilled vinegar and run it through a whole cycle; run it once or twice more with plain water to rinse clean (make sure to check the owner's manual first)
  • Remove body odor or pit stains (and ring around the collar) from shirts: spray undiluted vinegar onto affected areas before washing
  • Laundry rinse (removes build-up which can lighten your darks, acts as a fabric softener, removes musty smells from clothes): add 1/4 cup vinegar to rinse cycle
  • Wash fresh veggies: add 1 tbsp vinegar to 1 1/2 quarts water
  • Preserve flowers or liven up droopy ones: add 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp vinegar to 1 quart water
Here are some ideas that I'd like to try:
  • Rinse your hair for increased shine: mix equal parts water and vinegar to a bottle and keep in the shower, rinse with mixture after washing (courtesy of Pioneer Woman)
  • Clean deposits off your teapot: add 1/2 cup vinegar to water and let sit overnight, rinse well
  • Clean dishwasher: pour 1 cup vinegar in empty dishwasher and run through a cycle, do monthly
  • Clean the wheel of a can opener: using vinegar clean with a toothbrush
  • And Many More!!

White distilled vinegar is an amazing product!! Most of these ideas come from Vinegar Tips.

Do you use white distilled vinegar in any exciting ways?

For more Works-For-Me Wednesday tips head over to We Are THAT Family.

4 comments:

Live.Love.Eat said...

That's pretty cool. I never knew it would take out arm pit stains :)

Jenny said...

We just made a vinegar/water/baking soda solution at MOPS last month, and I've enjoyed using it.

Denise said...

i recently read it makes a great shampoo. i'm too afraid to try it.

really, it get stains out of pits!! gonna try that.

Cindy said...

I use vinegar for lots of things too, but you have some new ones I haven't tried yet.

My best tip is using it to clean the toilet. I pour about 1 cup into the toilet before I leave for work or anytime I can let it set for 1+ hours, then scrub. It has removed mineral deposits commercial cleaners didn't even touch for me.