Vinegar, it’s for more than fish & chips!
Our grandparents used it, and before them their parents did and so on and so forth. Vinegar is more than just a tasty addition to a meal or salad dressing. It’s an incredibly versatile product that most households will have, it’s inexpensive and will leave your home sparkling! So, what sort of things can you use vinegar for (please note we are referring to white/clear vinegar).
-
Keep cut flowers fresh
Yes, that’s correct! If you want your freshly cut flowers to last longer than add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sugar to a 1 litre vase. Trim the stems of your flowers at an angle and change the water every few days when the water begins to get cloudy.
-
Clean up the microwave
Mix a ¼ cup of white distilled vinegar and 1 cup of water and boil it in the microwave until the window steams up. Wipe everything clean!
-
In the dishwasher
Add between 1 ½ to 2 cups of white distilled vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher and then wash your dishes and glasses on a regular cycle using the normal amount of detergent. Your china will gleam and your glasses will sparkle!
-
Keep shower doors from building soap scum
No one likes to scrub away the soap scum that builds up over time on shower doors, so a good way to prevent it in the first place is to wipe the shower doors with a sponge and white distilled vinegar, you don’t even need to rinse it off!
-
Clogged shower head
Over time shower heads begin to have a mineral build up, so in order to dissolve this simply add a cup of vinegar to a water tight storage bag, position this over the showerhead so that it sits in the vinegar and leave it overnight. In the morning simply remove the bag, turn on the shower and rinse.
-
Pet urine on the carpets!
We love them, but they can be messy at times! First of all blot as much up as possible. Before reaching straight for the vinegar test it on an inconspicuous area to make sure it wont discolour the carpet/rug, if it doesn’t have any effect then it’s good to go! Saturate the stain with equal parts distilled vinegar and water and leave it on the area for about 10 minutes, then blot as before and remove as much liquid as possibly. When the carpet is almost dry you can sprinkle some baking soda (which is just as versatile as vinegar) on the area to help absorb any odours, vacuum once the area is completely dry, about an hour after.
-
Use it in your laundry
Vinegar is a great addition to laundry when you feel your detergent needs an extra boost, head here to read more!
-
Deodorant and underarm stains
Rub the area or white clothing with white distilled vinegar and then wash as normal. Make sure to check if the stain is gone once it has finished washing, if there is still a mark then do not machine dry, instead repeat the process but before washing place the garment in the sun to naturally bleach the area.
-
Keep the kitchen drain smelling clean
To keep drains fresh you can pour a cup of distilled vinegar down the drain and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes, rinse through with cold water and repeat the process once a week.
-
Prevent your car windows from frosting
Stepping out in winter to a frosted over car window is a bit of a bummer, but you can help prevent this by mixing 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water and spraying the windows.
-
Toilet cleaner
Want to make the porcelain shine? Simply pour 2 cups of vinegar down the loo and leave it overnight to soak, in the morning flush and voila! Shiny shiny!