Vinegar is not just for your salad. There are so many wonderful uses for both Distilled White vinegar and Apple Cider vinegar. It feels like the list is endless. The uses I'm going to share with you are barely even the "tip of the iceberg." Vinegar does a great job and of course as you know is non-toxic. So here is a short list of things that you can use this wonder product for.
1. Make a Vinegar Trap for Fruit Flies
Fruit flies can be so annoying. Sometimes it seems like no matter what you do, you can't get rid of them. I've had them a couple of times and I am very glad that I found this recipe to rid my house of them.
This trap definitely works. It may take a few days to a week for all or most of them to go. But once they're gone, they seem to stay gone. The reason why this works is because the flies are attracted to the scent of the apple cider vinegar. Therefore they fly into the concoction, trying to get to the yummy stuff. Once they do that, the dish soap and plastic/saran wrap traps them and they drown. Bye-bye buggies.
What you'll need:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Dish Soap
Glass Cup or Jar
Plastic/Saran Wrap
Toothpick (or similar object to poke holes in plastic/saran wrap)
Rubber Band
How to Create the Trap:
1. Pour about a cup of apple cider vinegar into the glass cup or jar.
2. Add a drop or 2 of dish soap. You don't need too much.
3. Take a piece of plastic/saran wrap and wrap the top of the glass/jar with it.
4. Secure the plastic/wrap onto the glass/jar with a rubber band.
5. Take your toothpick or similar object and poke several small holes in the plastic/saran wrap.
6. Place the trap in the area where you see the fruit flies. Now you just wait for the trap to do its job.
2. Bug Bite Relief
This is another one that I can personally vouch for. I seem to be a mosquito magnet. So I end up with lots of itchy, irritating bumps. Vinegar has proven to help me and others with soothing the itch and irritation.
All you need to do is moisten a cotton ball or pad with undiluted apple cider or distilled white vinegar, and dab on bug-bitten skin for instant relief. The acids in the vinegar neutralize the itch, while its anti-inflammatory properties ease swelling and its pH-balancing properties speed healing.
3. Apple Cider/White Vinegar Hair Rinse
Mix two tablespoons of apple cider/white vinegar with one cup of water. Use this to douse your hair after washing. Rinse thoroughly, and follow with a light conditioner. The acetic acid in apple cider/white vinegar will remove residue from product buildup and help you get shiny, lustrous locks.
This remedy also helps for people who suffer from oily scalp and hair. Though it may not smell great, white or apple cider vinegar can be a great remedy for oily hair. They both acidify the scalp and cleanse away oils and impurities. Shampoo and rinse with 1 cup vinegar mixed with 1 quart of water. Do this 3-4 times a week for best results. Be sure you rinse well though because it may not smell too good if you don't. Vinegar works as a potent tonic for the scalp to get rid of build-up on the scalp, so don’t pass this by just because of the smell.
4. Facial Toner
Mix together one tablespoon apple cider vinegar and two cups water. Moisten a cotton ball, and swipe the mixture over a clean, dry face to tighten skin. Don't rinse (the scent will dissipate quickly). Apple cider vinegar's natural alpha-hydroxy acids and acetic acid will stimulate circulation, as well as minimize pores. Not too shabby huh?
5. Sunburn Relief
Having a sunburn is not a fun time. I've had a couple bad ones in my life-time and it definitely killed like nobody's business. I was told about vinegar helping to relieve my burn. I thought people were crazy. I was like "won't that sting?" But to my surprise it does actually soothe and help heal it.
What to do:
Mix together a 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and four cups of water. Douse a washcloth with the solution, and apply to sunburned skin. Apple cider vinegar helps balance pH levels of skin, promote healing, and prevent blistering. Aahh, the relief!
6. Laundry
I love to smell and see fresh, clean, and soft laundry. Distilled white vinegar does a great job helping to make these desires happen for me. Here is a couple ways that I like to use distilled white vinegar in my laundry.
Fabric Softener:
Instead of using fabric softener, use about half a cup of white vinegar. It has close to the same effect without coating your clothes in chemicals and costs a lot less. I have even added hair conditioner to the mix. This adds a little scent to the mix.
If you would like to add the conditioner for scent, all you need to do is add 2 cups of cheap conditioner (whatever one you like) to 3 cups of distilled white vinegar and 6 cups of water. Put it in an old softener bottle or even a rinsed out soda bottle or gallon water jug. Give it a good shake and you're good to go.
I will say that this is a pretty good softener. It does soften your clothes more than if you had nothing in the rinse cycle. But don't expect to get 'Downy' results.
Remove Slight Mold/Mildew Scent in Clothes:
Have you ever forgotten a load of clothes in the washer all night? Well I have and I can tell you that it doesn't smell very pretty. It ends up having a slight mold/mildew scent to it. Even though I've re-washed the load, sometimes it still holds the nasty smell. I have found that I can just put my clothes through a second rinse with about a cup or 2 of vinegar and the smell is gone. I do re-wash them with regular detergent after that, but I can already smell the difference beforehand. It's just simply amazing!
*Tip: Vinegar will also help to whiten and brighten your clothes. You just need to add 1/4 - 1/2 cup at the beginning of the load. But DO NOT mix vinegar with bleach because this can produce dangerous fumes.
7. Household Cleaning
Vinegar has the power to kick most of your cleaning supplies out the door. The main places that we like to make sure are extraordinarily clean are kitchens and bathrooms. Vinegar is fantastic at making these important places clean and sparkly.
Kitchen:
These are just a few of the many kitchen uses.
Countertops -
Wipe your kitchen countertops with undiluted vinegar once a day to shine them and keep your kitchen smelling fresh. You can dilute this with a little bit of water to cut down on the scent a bit. Either way, the scent will quickly dissipate so don't worry about having a stinky kitchen.
Furthermore, for everyday cleaning of tile and grout, rub with a little apple cider vinegar on a sponge. This gives off a clean scent and will help cut any greasy buildup.
Microwave -
If your microwave is spattered with old sauces and greasy buildup:
Garbage Disposal Odors -
The rubber seal on garbage disposals can retain odors. To deodorize it:
Coffeemakers -
Buildup in a coffeemaker's brewing system can affect coffee flavor. Get rid of buildup with these steps:
Bathroom:
These are also just a few of the many bathroom uses.
Germs
Kill germs on bathroom fixtures by using one part
vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle.
Spray the bathroom fixtures and floor,
then wipe clean.
Soap Scum, Mildew, and Grime
Clean soap scum, mildew, and grime from bathtub,
tile, and shower curtains. Simply wipe the
surface with Vinegar and rinse with water.
Clogged Shower Head
Unclog a shower head by unscrewing it, remove the
rubber washer, place the head in a pot filled with
equal parts Vinegar and water, bring to a boil,
then simmer for five minutes.
Toilet Bowl
Not only does vinegar clean the toilet, but it disinfects as well. Here are the steps to a clean and shiny bowl.
Mirrors
Forget the Windex, just combine equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Then shake the mixture, spray on your mirrors and wipe! Don't forget to stand back and admire yourself, I mean admire your work after it's clean.
8. Kill Weeds:
Vinegar makes a great non-chemical alternative to weed-killers such as Round-Up. There are many recipes out there used by gardeners. I will share some of them with you. You just mix these recipes in a spray bottle and apply them to the weeds.
*Tip: Vinegar has the power to kill weeds, but it does not discriminate in what it kills. It also has the power to kill good and desirable plants. For that reason, be sure not to spray it on or near plants you wish to keep.
~Hope you enjoyed reading about the many uses of vinegar. Have you tried any of the uses above? Or do you have way in which you like to use vinegar that you could share? Please comment below and let us know :) ~
**This blog contains affiliate ads or links. By clicking these links it will take you to a site that gives you the opportunity to view and/or purchase products relative and non-relative to the blog topic. Clicking these links will give Nikki-Liz-Blogs a small commission and does not increase your price on any product.
1. Make a Vinegar Trap for Fruit Flies
Fruit flies can be so annoying. Sometimes it seems like no matter what you do, you can't get rid of them. I've had them a couple of times and I am very glad that I found this recipe to rid my house of them.
This trap definitely works. It may take a few days to a week for all or most of them to go. But once they're gone, they seem to stay gone. The reason why this works is because the flies are attracted to the scent of the apple cider vinegar. Therefore they fly into the concoction, trying to get to the yummy stuff. Once they do that, the dish soap and plastic/saran wrap traps them and they drown. Bye-bye buggies.
What you'll need:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Dish Soap
Glass Cup or Jar
Plastic/Saran Wrap
Toothpick (or similar object to poke holes in plastic/saran wrap)
Rubber Band
How to Create the Trap:
1. Pour about a cup of apple cider vinegar into the glass cup or jar.
2. Add a drop or 2 of dish soap. You don't need too much.
3. Take a piece of plastic/saran wrap and wrap the top of the glass/jar with it.
4. Secure the plastic/wrap onto the glass/jar with a rubber band.
5. Take your toothpick or similar object and poke several small holes in the plastic/saran wrap.
6. Place the trap in the area where you see the fruit flies. Now you just wait for the trap to do its job.
2. Bug Bite Relief
This is another one that I can personally vouch for. I seem to be a mosquito magnet. So I end up with lots of itchy, irritating bumps. Vinegar has proven to help me and others with soothing the itch and irritation.
All you need to do is moisten a cotton ball or pad with undiluted apple cider or distilled white vinegar, and dab on bug-bitten skin for instant relief. The acids in the vinegar neutralize the itch, while its anti-inflammatory properties ease swelling and its pH-balancing properties speed healing.
3. Apple Cider/White Vinegar Hair Rinse
Mix two tablespoons of apple cider/white vinegar with one cup of water. Use this to douse your hair after washing. Rinse thoroughly, and follow with a light conditioner. The acetic acid in apple cider/white vinegar will remove residue from product buildup and help you get shiny, lustrous locks.
This remedy also helps for people who suffer from oily scalp and hair. Though it may not smell great, white or apple cider vinegar can be a great remedy for oily hair. They both acidify the scalp and cleanse away oils and impurities. Shampoo and rinse with 1 cup vinegar mixed with 1 quart of water. Do this 3-4 times a week for best results. Be sure you rinse well though because it may not smell too good if you don't. Vinegar works as a potent tonic for the scalp to get rid of build-up on the scalp, so don’t pass this by just because of the smell.
4. Facial Toner
Mix together one tablespoon apple cider vinegar and two cups water. Moisten a cotton ball, and swipe the mixture over a clean, dry face to tighten skin. Don't rinse (the scent will dissipate quickly). Apple cider vinegar's natural alpha-hydroxy acids and acetic acid will stimulate circulation, as well as minimize pores. Not too shabby huh?
5. Sunburn Relief
Having a sunburn is not a fun time. I've had a couple bad ones in my life-time and it definitely killed like nobody's business. I was told about vinegar helping to relieve my burn. I thought people were crazy. I was like "won't that sting?" But to my surprise it does actually soothe and help heal it.
What to do:
Mix together a 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and four cups of water. Douse a washcloth with the solution, and apply to sunburned skin. Apple cider vinegar helps balance pH levels of skin, promote healing, and prevent blistering. Aahh, the relief!
6. Laundry
I love to smell and see fresh, clean, and soft laundry. Distilled white vinegar does a great job helping to make these desires happen for me. Here is a couple ways that I like to use distilled white vinegar in my laundry.
Fabric Softener:
Instead of using fabric softener, use about half a cup of white vinegar. It has close to the same effect without coating your clothes in chemicals and costs a lot less. I have even added hair conditioner to the mix. This adds a little scent to the mix.
If you would like to add the conditioner for scent, all you need to do is add 2 cups of cheap conditioner (whatever one you like) to 3 cups of distilled white vinegar and 6 cups of water. Put it in an old softener bottle or even a rinsed out soda bottle or gallon water jug. Give it a good shake and you're good to go.
I will say that this is a pretty good softener. It does soften your clothes more than if you had nothing in the rinse cycle. But don't expect to get 'Downy' results.
Remove Slight Mold/Mildew Scent in Clothes:
Have you ever forgotten a load of clothes in the washer all night? Well I have and I can tell you that it doesn't smell very pretty. It ends up having a slight mold/mildew scent to it. Even though I've re-washed the load, sometimes it still holds the nasty smell. I have found that I can just put my clothes through a second rinse with about a cup or 2 of vinegar and the smell is gone. I do re-wash them with regular detergent after that, but I can already smell the difference beforehand. It's just simply amazing!
*Tip: Vinegar will also help to whiten and brighten your clothes. You just need to add 1/4 - 1/2 cup at the beginning of the load. But DO NOT mix vinegar with bleach because this can produce dangerous fumes.
7. Household Cleaning
Vinegar has the power to kick most of your cleaning supplies out the door. The main places that we like to make sure are extraordinarily clean are kitchens and bathrooms. Vinegar is fantastic at making these important places clean and sparkly.
Kitchen:
These are just a few of the many kitchen uses.
Countertops -
Wipe your kitchen countertops with undiluted vinegar once a day to shine them and keep your kitchen smelling fresh. You can dilute this with a little bit of water to cut down on the scent a bit. Either way, the scent will quickly dissipate so don't worry about having a stinky kitchen.
Furthermore, for everyday cleaning of tile and grout, rub with a little apple cider vinegar on a sponge. This gives off a clean scent and will help cut any greasy buildup.
Microwave -
If your microwave is spattered with old sauces and greasy buildup:
- Place a glass measuring cup with 1 cup water and 1/4 cup vinegar inside microwave.
- Boil for 3 minutes.
- Then remove the measuring cup and wipe inside of oven with a damp sponge.
Garbage Disposal Odors -
The rubber seal on garbage disposals can retain odors. To deodorize it:
- Remove the seal.
- Let it soak in vinegar for 1 hour.
Coffeemakers -
Buildup in a coffeemaker's brewing system can affect coffee flavor. Get rid of buildup with these steps:
- Run 1 brewing cycle of cold water and 1/4 cup vinegar.
- Follow with a cycle of clean water.
- If you can still smell vinegar, run another cycle using fresh water.
Bathroom:
These are also just a few of the many bathroom uses.
Germs
Kill germs on bathroom fixtures by using one part
vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle.
Spray the bathroom fixtures and floor,
then wipe clean.
Soap Scum, Mildew, and Grime
Clean soap scum, mildew, and grime from bathtub,
tile, and shower curtains. Simply wipe the
surface with Vinegar and rinse with water.
Clogged Shower Head
Unclog a shower head by unscrewing it, remove the
rubber washer, place the head in a pot filled with
equal parts Vinegar and water, bring to a boil,
then simmer for five minutes.
Toilet Bowl
Not only does vinegar clean the toilet, but it disinfects as well. Here are the steps to a clean and shiny bowl.
- Pour one cup of vinegar into your toilet bowl, swish it around the bowl with your scrub brush and allow to sit for at least 5-10 minutes.
- Scrub your entire toilet bowl (don’t forget to clean under the rims) with your scrub brush.
Mirrors
Forget the Windex, just combine equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Then shake the mixture, spray on your mirrors and wipe! Don't forget to stand back and admire yourself, I mean admire your work after it's clean.
8. Kill Weeds:
Vinegar makes a great non-chemical alternative to weed-killers such as Round-Up. There are many recipes out there used by gardeners. I will share some of them with you. You just mix these recipes in a spray bottle and apply them to the weeds.
- Vinegar alone - Full strength, undiluted 18 percent acidity vinegar can be an effective weed killer.
- Vinegar and Soap - Mix dishwashing soap at a rate of one ounce per gallon of full strength vinegar. This mixture can double as an insecticide. Be aware of this as you're using it. Also remember that it will kill your good plants as well, so be sure not to get it onto any of your flowers or vegetable plants.
- Vinegar, Soap, Water and Salt - One gallon vinegar, one cup of salt, one tablespoon dishwashing liquid. Mix together and apply.
- Vinegar and Lemon Juice - Many people say that adding lemon juice to vinegar increases its effectiveness as a weed killer. This is because it increases the acidity levels. Adding anywhere from one tablespoon to one cup per gallon is a common recipe.
- Vinegar and Essential Oil - Mix full strength vinegar with one tablespoon of essential oil of clove or orange. Some gardeners say the oil helps the mixture stick to the plants better to increase effectiveness.
*Tip: Vinegar has the power to kill weeds, but it does not discriminate in what it kills. It also has the power to kill good and desirable plants. For that reason, be sure not to spray it on or near plants you wish to keep.
~Hope you enjoyed reading about the many uses of vinegar. Have you tried any of the uses above? Or do you have way in which you like to use vinegar that you could share? Please comment below and let us know :) ~
**This blog contains affiliate ads or links. By clicking these links it will take you to a site that gives you the opportunity to view and/or purchase products relative and non-relative to the blog topic. Clicking these links will give Nikki-Liz-Blogs a small commission and does not increase your price on any product.