Angel Dee’s Household Tips-The Many Uses of Vinegar

Growing up my mom always had us clean with white distilled vinegar. It wasn't until I got older that realized it worked better than most store bought cleaning products. I use vinegar on tons of stuff, but here are some of my favorite uses. On sinks and bathtubs: You can mix vinegar with some salt and make a paste to clean chrome faucets. But you can also use it to get the soap scum and grim off of showers and counter tops. Just make sure to never use on marble surfaces, the acid can damage the surface. To remove white rings on wood furniture: This is one of the best ways to keep your wood looking great. Get a mixture of equal parts vinegar and vegetable oil. Then rub with the grain. To clean your microwave: Do you ever open your microwave and smell the last thing you heated up? Or open it up and someone left splatter all over? Well here is a quick solution. Get 1/2 cup of vinegar and mix with 1/2 cup water, put it in a microwave save bowl, and bring to a boil. Baked on food will be loosened odors will disappear. Then just wipe clean. To clean your coffee pot:After a while, your coffee doesn't taste that fresh or your coffee pots start to get slower because of mineral deposits. Don't go buy a new one, just run some vinegar through as if you were making coffee. Then run a cycle of plain water, to rinse, once or twice before using. Now I could go on and on about cleaning tips with vinegar but these are my favorites.

Most people would never think to use a household item like vinegar outside, but it has so many uses and it's non toxic. So not only will you be getting help, your children and pets will be safe from pesticides and chemicals. Another bonus is that it is relatively cheap. It kills weeds and grass growing in unwanted places: All you have to do is pour full strength distilled white vinegar on them and they are gone. I like to use on the sidewalk crevices and around my driveway. Get rid of anthills: I have a three year old son, so the last thing I want in my yard is an anthill. Just pour in some vinegar and problem solved. Clean outdoor furniture: Just mix a little vinegar with a gallon of water and you will have clean, sanitized furniture in no time. Get rid of rust: Soak an item overnight or for a few days until the rust dissolves.

Vinegar is great to keep whites white and colors bright. First off you can use it as a pre treater. Depending on how bad the stain, you can dab or spray a little vinegar directly on it, and let it set for a few minutes. Next, if you want to stop lint from sticking to your clothes, you can add 1/2 a cup to your wash cycle. Works like a charm. Do you ever wash a black t-shirt and it ends up with some soap residue? Add some vinegar to your final rinse and problem solved. The next tip is my favorite. Have you ever gone to a barbecue or club in some really nice clothes and come home smelling of smoke? Fill up the bathtub with really hot water and a cup to two cups of vinegar. Then hang the clothes directly over the water. The steam will clean the fibers of your clothes.

Pets need love too. Vinegar is an inexpensive way to groom and keep your pets. Use one cup of vinegar to each quart of water. Then you can spray or rub this on your dogs coat and make it shiny and clean. Kill Fleas. This is a great tip. Add a small amount of white distilled vinegar to your cat or dog's drinking water. Sounds weird, but it works. Cats hate the smell of vinegar, so if you want to keep your cat off the window seal, out of the garden, or off the sofa just spray a little vinegar on the area. Of course, always test on a small spot to make sure its is safe.

You can use vinegar to make salad dressings and tenderize meat. To make basic vinaigrette salad dressing use 1 part white distilled vinegar to 4 parts oil. And to tenderize you meat, use it in marinades or when slow cooking any tough, inexpensive cuts of meat. Another great tip is to reduce the salt. If you’ve added too much salt to a recipe, add a spoonful of white distilled vinegar and sugar to try correcting the taste. Soothe sunburn with a spray of white distilled vinegar, repeating as often as you like. Ice-cold white distilled vinegar will feel even better, and may prevent blistering and peeling. You can also get rid of foot odor by washing feet well with antiseptic soap daily, then soaking them in undiluted cider vinegar for 10 minutes or so.