Clean Your Dishes And Dishwasher
Dish tablets make it easier for everyone to wash their dishes, however, if you ever run out of dish tablets and you can’t go out to buy new ones, here’s a simple solution for you. Simply add vinegar to the wash cycle and let it do its job! The vinegar is strong enough to remove the grime and grease on the dishes, which essentially means it cleans your dishes! Not only does it clean the dishes, but the dishwasher too as it will remove all of the hard water, lime, and soap scum that could have built up in there.
Wash The Windows Of Your Car
The natural course of things is for your car to see a ton of wear and tear after some time. You might have to use something strong to get rid of the grime if a normal glass cleaner does not cut it. When you next clean the windows of your car, use a little vinegar. All you have to do is spritz on a good amount of it on the surface, scrub it using a rag, and use water to wash off the liquid. This works due to the acidity of the solution. It will cut through the built-up dirt and leave the windows both clear and clean!
Make Your Smile Brighter
Do you want to have a brighter smile? If so, you probably know that brushing will not get rid of the stains on your teeth on its own. When it is not enough to scrub away at them, you might want to try out the vinegar. Dip a toothbrush in white vinegar and clean your teeth with it. Do this once a week, and you should enjoy pearly whites in no time. This is great since it removes plaque and stains from the surface.
Say Goodbye To Stinky Odors
We are sad to say that cleaning the house is not enough. The surfaces might be free from dirt, but it can be hard to get rid of lingering smells. This is important if you want to make your home as comfy as it can be. Vinegar is going to help you with this. Just combine some water with it and add a couple of drops of lemon essential oil. After that, spray this mixture around the house. Make sure to add in extra spritzes in stinky spots like the trash can or bathroom. By the end of this, the house will be free from gross odors.
Heal Your Mosquito Bites
Don’t you just hate mosquito bites? Anyone who has lived in places with mosquitos will agree with us. It is even more frustrating when bug sprays do not work to keep them away. No one enjoys waking up to an ugly welt in the morning and, trust us, it’ll only get worse if you scratch the itchy spot. It’s easier said than done, but you can at least be comfier once you do this trick. All you have to do is dab a cotton ball in vinegar and rub it on the bitten area. This will end the itching and disinfect the spot at the same time! We love this tip because it lets the bite heal quicker as well. The smell is not the best, but it’s worth it.
Get Rid Of Carpet Stains
It is annoying to find carpet stains. They look at you every single day as if mocking your failure to get rid of them properly. You can make your carpets look new with the use of vinegar. Mix a quarter cup of baking soda or salt and two tablespoons of vinegar in a bowl or bottle. After that, pour some of the mixtures on a carpet so that it covers the whole stain. Wait until it completely dries before you vacuum it! Once you do this, the stain should be nowhere in sight. Feel free to enjoy your clean carpet!
Bring Your Towels To Their Fluffy Glory
Towels tend to become less soft and fluffy once you use them again and again. They will instead look dingier and rougher. This is not ideal for covering yourself up after a nice shower! If the towels in your home can use a refresh, you just have to grab a bottle of vinegar. Make sure to add a half cup of it to the washing machine when it is time to clean your towels. This trick is going to give them a new shot at life!
Get Softer Skin On Your Feet
No time to head to the nail salon and get a pedicure? If so, you can actually do it yourself at home with a little vinegar. The truth is that painting your nails is only one element of the process – salons might also soak your feet in a liquid to get rid of dead skin! You can recreate this part of the treatment with a mixture of mouthwash and vinegar. Leave your feet soaked in the mixture for fifteen minutes or so. The next thing you have to do is to scrub your feet and bid adieu to the dead skin over there! It is that easy.
Remove Fleas From Your Furry Pals
It is pretty common for pets to get fleas, but this does not mean that you should just turn a blind eye to it. Instead of using a flea shampoo, you can use vinegar instead. You just have to mix water and apple cider vinegar in a 1:1 ratio inside a spray bottle. The next step is to spray it on your furry friend. Do this before you next shampoo your pet! Why does it work? Well, the vinegar makes their fur unpleasant for pests such as fleas. It is a good idea to do this regularly to make sure that your pet is free of fleas.
Clean And Deodorize The Garbage Disposal
Doesn’t it feel like it is only inevitable for the garbage disposal to stink after a certain period of time? We are sure that you do not like the idea of sticking your hands in the dark to take out all the gunk and food bits in there. The thought is making us shudder! On the bright side, you can use vinegar to clean the garbage disposal in no time at all. You simply have to grab an ice tray and make cubes with one part water, one part vinegar, and a lemon wedge to boot. Leave it in the freezer until they freeze. You can just grab one or two of them and leave them in the sink before running the disposal. This is a painless way to get rid of any icky stuff that leaves nasty smells. It will instead leave behind the scent of lemon!
Speed Up The Healing Process Of Bruises
We all get bumps and bruises every so often. When it happens, we just want them to heal and go away as soon as they could. Well, you can make this come true with a little vinegar. If you have a bruise, soak a sheet of paper towel in white vinegar. After that, put it on the bruised area. The solution comes with properties that speed up the healing process, remove the mark from the skin, and get rid of any pain!
Clean Fruits To Make Them Last Longer
This is a tip that you should use as much as you can. When you buy veggies and fruits, wash them in vinegar as soon as you go home. You just have to fill the sink with warm water and pour in half a cup of vinegar. Let the produce sit there for ten minutes before you rinse them and store them in the fridge. This works since the vinegar gets rid of the extra gunk that spoils the food items more quickly. You will appreciate this trick because this will make the fruits and veggies last for a week longer!
Take Stains Out Of Clothes
It does not matter if you are careful because you will probably stain your clothes for one reason or another now and then. Do not use a stain remover to scrub away at it or toss out the garment! You can solve this problem with vinegar. Once you see a stain, you should lightly rub some vinegar on the affected area. After that, wash the item as usual. You do not have to wash it immediately because the vinegar will work even if you wait for a couple of days. After washing it, you should no longer find the mark! This is a great trick if you want to leave the item of clothing good as new.
Extend The Lives Of Your Cut Flowers
You can liven up any part of your house with some cut flowers. The only downside to this is that they do not typically last for very long. They start to wilt as soon as they are cut from the parent plant! In a matter of days, they will turn into dying disasters. You can extend the longevity of your blooms with the help of vinegar! Once you get a bouquet, add a teaspoon of sugar and two tablespoons of vinegar to the water. This will serve as flower food and let your flowers stay healthier for a little while longer.
Save Money On Clarifying Shampoo
We get it if you are not proud of your oily scalp. What makes this issue even worse is that it can be hard to clean your hair without damaging it! You do not have to spend a lot of money on a clarifying shampoo when you can make one of your own. Grab an old shampoo bottle and mix one part apple cider vinegar and two parts water. Shake it well, and then apply it to your hair evenly. Next, comb it from the roots all the way to the ends. Wait for five minutes before you wash it out. Once you are done, you should end up with clean and shiny hair! Keep doing this at least once per week to ensure that your hair is oil-free.
Get Scratches Out Of Your Discs
Most people turn to streaming services in this day and age when they want to watch a film. Back in the day, people had to rely on DVDs instead. The only problem was that they scratched up pretty easily. You don’t have to deem it a lost cause when you can fix the issue with vinegar. Who would have ever thought that this liquid will help repair scratches on DVDs? Try this out if your disc freezes or skips. Grab a soft cloth, soak it in white vinegar, and use it to wipe the bottom end of the disc! Isn’t that easy?
Kill Those Annoying Fruit Flies
You might be a big animal lover, but we doubt that you appreciate the company of fruit fruits. What if we tell you that you do not have to put up with them? All it takes to keep them out of the kitchen is a little vinegar. You only need to pour some apple cider vinegar into a small jar of sauce before adding a few drops of dish soap. Leave it in the area with the most fruit flies. They will go to it because of the smell, but they will then drown in the mixture. It is a morbid little trick, but we guarantee you that it works.
Get Rid Of The Mildew Smell In Clothes
We have all been there. It is so easy to throw your dirty clothes in the washer and then forget about them. You should avoid doing this for too long since clothes might develop a weird smell that you can’t remove right away. It is a good thing that vinegar is very good at getting rid of bad smells. If your clothes smell like mildew after being wet for a while, do not panic. After all, you can rewash the load with a half-cup of white vinegar and several drops of essential oil. No one will be the wiser after this.
Kill Weeds With It
Do you want to keep your garden alive and well? If so, you need to pull out weeds as soon as you can. We do not recommend using chemical weed killers since they might damage your plants and poison pets and family members! It is a better idea to instead rely on vinegar. Get one with high acidity and then transfer it to a spray bottle. You can use this to get rid of the pesty weeds in the garden. You will see results after using it on its own. You can also combine a gallon of white vinegar, a tablespoon of dish soap, and a cup of salt to make it work better. As you can see, you do not have to use harsh chemicals!
Buff Out Imperfections In Wooden Furniture
Doesn’t it annoy you when you get scratches on your gorgeous wooden furniture pieces? This is only natural, but it does not mean that it is a good look. You can keep them in good condition with vinegar. You just have to mix iodine and apple cider vinegar in a bottle or bowl. After that, you can spread the liquid on top of the scratches and dents. It will then buff out all imperfections and leave behind smooth wood. You can use more iodine to get the right shade if you are working with darker wood.
Soothe Your Painful Sunburns
No one in the world likes getting sunburnt. It is a good idea to put on sunscreen if you are spending a lot of time under the sun. Despite this, we sometimes forget to do this. Your skin does not have to suffer if you have a bottle of vinegar in your home. Put the entire bottle of distilled apple cider vinegar in the fridge. When it has cooled, pour some of it on a soft piece of cloth and pat the burned spots. Vinegar comes with properties that come in handy when you want to minimize itching and peeling. The bright red color might not go away, but this will make the healing process a lot smoother.
Smooth Wrinkles Out Of Clothes
In case you have not figured it out by now, white vinegar is useful outside of the kitchen too. You might even want to keep it in the laundry room. Once you wash the clothes, you might feel the need to iron certain pieces to eliminate wrinkles. But no one really enjoys ironing, right? You do not have to waste time since vinegar can also work as a wrinkle remover. Add a tablespoon of it to a spray bottle with two cups of water and a teaspoon of hair conditioner. Mist your clothes with this after they come out of your dryer! This spray is great because it relaxes the fibers of your clothes and smoothens out wrinkles.
Make Your Windshield Wipers Less Streaky
We already know that vinegar helps with cleaning the windows of the car. However, you might not have known that it can help make your windshield wipers more effective. When your wipers get old, you might notice that they stick and streak as well. It is annoying when they simply smear the water and dirt on the windshield instead of cleaning them. There is no need to chuck out the whole thing, however. You only need to soak a rag in distilled white vinegar and clean the rubber with it. The vinegar is going to get rid of all the grime that leads to streaky glass. This is a simple hack that will make life a lot better.
Fix Your Sore Throat
Do you find yourself shuddering at the thought of drinking vinegar? It might not be the best thing to do regularly, but this will help when you are suffering from a sore throat. If your throat ever feels a bit raw, you can just add a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a cup of hot water. You can even add a little honey to it to improve the taste. Make sure to drink all of it! Trust us – this is going to make you feel a lot better.
Get Dust Out Of Your Computers
Your computer is bound to get a little dusty after some time. This is not always ideal since computers can be hard to clean. It feels like the dust is not going anywhere, no matter what you do! If you really want to clean your laptop, vinegar is going to help. The first thing you have to do is turn off the device—mix water and white vinegar in a 1:1 ratio. Get a soft cloth and soak it in the mixture before squeezing all the liquid that you can. Gently and carefully wipe it over the computer. By the end of this process, you should wind up with a clean laptop since the vinegar will clear out the dust. You can also clean out the difficult spots around the keyboard keys with a cotton swab!
Make Water Rings Disappear From Furniture
Those stubborn water rings on wood make up another pet peeve of ours. Coasters are ideal if you want to prevent this from happening, but no one really has it in them to use these things all the time. We are here to share a tip with you if the water rings are already set in place. You should not give up on your furniture because you can out the stains with equal parts of olive oil and vinegar. Once you mix them, pour the resulting mixture on a soft cloth and rub the stain with it. Make sure to move with the grain of the wood. Wipe the surface with a clean cloth, and voila! The water rings will no longer be there.
Peel Off Entire Bumper Stickers
We agree that bumper stickers can be fun and cute, but you will not feel the same way when it is time to remove them. There is no need to worry if you plan to sell your car! You can let out a sigh of relief since we have a trick for ensuring that they will disappear along with the weird sticky residue. Grab a bottle of undiluted distilled vinegar and pour some of it on the sides and top of the sticker in question. Let it sit for ten to fifteen minutes before you use some kind of plastic card to scrape it all off. This is great because the pesky sticker will be gone! No one will even be able to tell that anything was there.
Make A Dusting Spray
By now, it is clear that vinegar is great when you have to clean your house. On top of that, you can also use it to keep things from getting dirty. You do not have to reach for a feather duster since this tip will prevent dust from settling due to its repel dust properties. All you need to do is mix a cup of water, a quarter cup of vinegar, two teaspoons of olive oil, and a couple of drops of lemon essential oil. This liquid will cut through the grease and grime on surfaces and add a shiny protective layer on top of the wood. In the end, you get a nifty mist that is going to save you a lot of time and effort!
Whip Up A General Cleaning Spray
It is so great to hear that vinegar is a viable alternative to all kinds of harmful chemicals. While those products will leave your house clean and sparkling, they are not ideal for our health. The good news is that you do not have to fill your house with these toxins because you can whip up a natural cleaning spray using vinegar. Add one part water and one part white vinegar to an empty spray bottle for this. You can also add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil to the mixture if you want it to make your home smell nice. This is how you make a spray that is ideal for cleaning just about anything!
Clean The Toilet Tank
Without a doubt, the toilet bowl is one of the things in the house that you need to clean regularly. For some reason, however, people seem to forget this. Aside from the bowl, you should pay attention to the tank as well. Grime, dirt, and stains then tend to build up over time. This is going to impact the function of the toilet if you do not address this. Vinegar is here to save the day! You can just add some of it to the toilet tank to keep it clean and efficient. This works because the liquid clears out mineral deposits and keeps the toilet in tiptop shape. It is not going to damage anything and requires little effort. You should be good to go as long as you do this every so often. Even though it is a simple trick, it works wonders.
Unclog The Sink
Just like the shower drain, it is only natural for your sink to clog after a while. Some particles might build up inside the pipes, which results in a huge mess that prevents your sink from draining properly. You do not have to reach for a harsh chemical drain cleaner when you have everything you need in a bottle of vinegar. The first thing you need to do is boil water and pour it down the train. After that, throw in a cup of baking soda and then a cup of vinegar. Once this is done, cover the sink with a drain plug and let it sit for five to ten minutes. The ingredients will react with each other and cause a bubbling effect that clears out the pipes. You can also pour in more cups of boiling water to make sure that the pipes are cleared!
Clean The Microwave In No Time
The microwave oven makes life so much easier, but it can be difficult to clean. It is a given that there will be small bits of food stuck inside of it. They will stick even more stubbornly if you do not get rid of them immediately. You might even think that it is hopeless after a little while. This trick is handy as vinegar is going to make it a breeze to clean this appliance. You just have to pour distilled white vinegar into a bowl and add the same amount of water. Warm the mixture up inside the oven for two to three minutes or until you see steam coming from it. Grab a cloth and dip it in the mixture before wiping the inside with it. Why does it work? The steam first loosens the grime and lets you wipe off the residue with ease!
Clean Any Burnt Pan
We all burn our pans now and then. There is no need to panic, even though it might look like a complete disaster. After all, all it takes to bring your pan back to its former glory is some vinegar. This is going to work even if you scorched its bottom. Just return the pan to the stove and add a cup of vinegar and a cup of water to it. Bring this to a boil. As soon as you see the mixture bubbling, take it out of the heat and then add two tablespoons of baking soda. Let it sit for a few minutes before you toss out the liquid and clean the pan using a scouring pad. The pan will be clean and normal by the time you are dong washing it!
Get Dirt Out Of Tiles
Vinegar comes in handy in the house because it disinfects, deodorizes, and cleans all in one go. Aside from that, this is a natural product that does not have any harsh chemicals in it. This product offers so many amazing benefits that you might never want to run out of it ever again. It is also perfect if you need to clean your tiles. We are sure that they are full of grime and stains. Isn’t it neat the vinegar can get out those stubborn marks? You just need to mix half a cup of vinegar and a gallon of warm water. Wipe the tiles down to get rid of loose dirt. After that, wipe over the tiles or mop them with the solution. The vinegar is going to lift the stains and grime easily to leave behind clean and sparkling tiles.
Remove Ballpen Marks
Has your budding young artist scrawled all over your desk while playing “office” or decorated a painted wall in your home with a ballpoint original? ” Maintain your composure. Instead, use a cloth or a sponge to dab some full-strength white vinegar on the “masterpiece.” Rep until the marks are no longer visible. Then go out and buy a good big sketch pad for your child.
Clean Your Sticky Scissors
If your scissor blades become sticky or dirty, don’t wash them with water; you’re more likely to rust the fastener that keeps the blades together—or the blades themselves—than to clean them. Instead, use a cloth drenched in full-strength white vinegar to wash off the blades, then dry it with a rag or dish towel.
Clean Your Piano Keys
Here’s a quick and easy way to clean your piano keys of dirty fingerprints and stains. Dip a delicate cloth into a solution of 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 cups water, wring out the excess liquid until no drips remain, and then carefully wipe each key clean. Use a second cloth to dry off the keys as you walk along, then let the keyboard uncovered for 24 hours.
Using Vinegar To Repair Rugs
Brush your rugs or carpets using a clean push broom dipped in a solution of 1 cup white vinegar in 1 gallon (3.7 liters) water if they’re looking old and dingy from too much foot traffic. Your faded threads will brighten, and you won’t have to rinse the solution off. By sprinkling the backs of rugs and carpeting with full-strength white vinegar from a spray bottle, you may prevent mildew from growing on the bottoms. Try these cleaning tips for difficult-to-clean household items.
Make Bricks Appear Brighter
To freshen up your home’s exterior, try some using vinegar like this. How’s this for a simple way to keep your brick fireplace clean? Simply wipe the bricks off with a moist towel dipped in a solution of 1 cup white vinegar and 1 gallon (3.7 liters) warm water. The hearth will be so beautiful that you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner! This same method can be used to brighten any other exposed brick, including brick floors.
Remove Wax & Polish Buildup With Vinegar
When furniture polish or wax accumulates on wood furniture or leather tabletops, use diluted white vinegar to remove it. Dip a cloth in equal parts vinegar and water and squeeze it out well to remove built-up shine from wood furniture. Then, working in the direction of the grain, remove the polish. Using a soft towel or cloth, wipe the surface dry. The majority of leather tabletops can be cleaned with a soft cloth soaking in 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup water. Dry any residual liquid with a clean towel.
Return Your Leather Furniture’s Shine
Has the sheen on your leather sofa or easy chair faded? Mix equal parts white vinegar and boiled linseed oil in a repurposed spray bottle, shake it thoroughly, then spray it on to return it to its former brilliance. Apply it evenly to your furniture with a soft cloth, wait a few minutes for it to soak in, and then rub it off with a clean cloth.
Remove Smoke Odor With Vinegar
We’ve shown several ways to remove odor with vinegar, but this one is for when you’ve recently charred a steak or if your chain-smoking aunt paid you an unexpected visit. You can remove the residual smoky stench by filling shallow bowl three-quarters full of white or cider vinegar and placing it in the room where the stink is strongest. If the odor pervades the entire home, use numerous bowls. In less than a day, the stink should be gone. By dampening a towel with vinegar and waving it around a bit, you may quickly get rid of the smell of fresh cigarette smoke inside a room.
Deodorizing Lunch Boxes
Does your kid’s lunchbox have leftovers of week-old tuna? With a short deodorizing treatment, you can stop holding your breath every time you open it and save them from lunchtime embarrassment. Place a slice of white bread in the lunchbox overnight after soaking it in white vinegar. By morning, the odor should be gone.
Clean Cutting Boards With Vinegar
Wipe your wood cutting boards or butcher block countertop with full-strength white vinegar after each use to disinfect and clean them. The acetic acid in the vinegar acts as a disinfectant, killing hazardous bacteria like E. coli. Staphylococcus, and Salmonella. Water and dishwashing detergent should never be used since they can weaken the surface wood fibers. When your wooden cutting surface has to be deodorized and disinfected, sprinkle it with baking soda and then spritz it with undiluted white vinegar. Allow for five to ten minutes of foaming and bubbling before rinsing with a clean, cold towel.
Bring Back Your Silver’s Shine
Soak your silverware, as well as your pure silver bracelets, rings, and other jewelry, in a mixture of 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 teaspoons baking soda for two to three hours to make them sparkle like new. Rinse them with cold water and pat dry with a soft cloth.
Refresh Your Ice Trays Using Vinegar
A couple of glasses of white vinegar can help you clean your plastic ice trays if they’re covered with hard-water stains or if you haven’t cleaned them in a while. Allow your trays to soak in undiluted vinegar for four to five hours to remove the spots or disinfect them, then rinse well with cold water and dry.
Sanitize Containers Using Vinegar
Do you dread scraping out a jar of mayonnaise, peanut butter, or mustard in order to reuse it? Or, even worse, removing residue from a sticky vase, decanter, or container? Here’s what you could do: fill the object halfway with vinegar and halfway with warm, soapy water, and set it aside for 10-15 minutes. If you’re cleaning a bottle or jar, seal it and give it a good shake; otherwise, scrape out the remaining residue with a bottle brush before fully rinsing.
Remove Bugs Using Vinegar
Are there moths or other insects in your pantry or cupboard? 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar, plus a few drops of liquid dish detergent, in a small bowl Leave it in there for a week; the bugs will be attracted to it and will drown if they fall into the bowl. After that, unload the shelves and scrub the interior with dishwashing soap or 2 cups of baking soda in 1 quart (1 liter) water. All wheat products (bread, pasta, flour, and so forth) should be thrown away, and canned goods should be cleaned before you reuse them.
Whiten Your Socks Using Vinegar
If finding white socks in your sock drawer is becoming increasingly tough, here’s an easy method to make them so brilliant you can’t miss them. In a big pot, combine 1 cup vinegar with 1 1/2 quarts (1.5 liters) of tap water. Bring the solution to a boil, then strain it into a bucket with your soiled socks. Allow them to soak for the night. Wash them the next day as you normally would.
Make Your House Smell Better
Now and then, we have to deal with weird odors in the house. Your home might not smell the worst, but it is not ideal to smell a musty and unpleasant scent that lingers. Luckily for you, this issue will go away once you follow this tip. You only need a slice of white bread and a little vinegar, which does not sound appetizing to us whatsoever. The good news is that you are not going to eat this disgusting combination! You only need to leave the bread soaked in the vinegar and then leave the bowl in question in any smelly area of the house for a day. The acid in the liquid and the yeast in the white bread will absorb the foul odor so that you can live in a house that smells fresh and clean.
Getting rid of hiccups
There are countless folk remedies for hiccups, ranging from holding one’s breath while swallowing three times to standing on one’s head. While most of these don’t work, there is an easier solution that actually does: vinegar contains a compound that resets the muscles in the diaphragm, and simply swallowing a spoonful should do have you hiccup-free within minutes.
Stop your pets from scratching their ears
It’s not unusual for cats and dogs to get itchy ears and, while this isn’t a problem in and of itself, they can often shed hair all around your home in the process of scratching themselves. Washing your pet’s ears in diluted vinegar will significantly reducing the itching, meaning they won’t spend so much time scratching.
Get rid of ants
Ants are prone to wondering into homes from time to time, and a few individual insects won’t cause any harm. Ant infestations, on the other hand, can quickly result in damage to wood, fabrics and wiring, not to mention the general horror of seeing your home swarming with creepy crawlies. Fortunately, ants hate vinegar, and you can generally send them packing by spraying down any surfaces they’re crawling on.
Clean water stains
Water stains are caused by mineral deposits left when water evaporates, and they are extremely common in bathrooms and kitchens. While they can be seriously stubborn to clean, vinegar can make short work of the stains thanks to its high acid content, which dissolves the minerals and allows them to be effortlessly wiped away.
Clean sticky scissors
Scissors are fantastic kitchen tools, allowing you to cut anything from pizza to raw meat with ease and precision. Unfortunately, scissors are prone to getting sticky, making them frustrating to use. While water and soap might not be sufficient to thoroughly clean your scissors, leaving them to soak in a diluted vinegar solution for a few hours will get them working perfectly.
Test the alkalinity of your soil
If you’re thinking of growing your own vegetables, knowing the alkalinity of your soil can be extremely useful when it comes to deciding what to plant. An easy way of finding this out is to place some soil in a container and pour in a cup of vinegar. If it fizzes, it’s more alkaline, whereas if there’s no reaction, it’s more acidic.
Make perfect poached eggs
Next time you’re poaching some eggs for brunch, add a spoonful of vinegar to the pan of boiling water before you start cooking. This will help the whites congeal faster, reducing the chance of the eggs drifting apart as they poach and allowing you to get perfect results every time.
Treat jellyfish stings
As it turns out, the oft-repeated advice to urinate on a jellyfish sting is completely useless. Thankfully, there’s a less gross way to alleviate the pain. The acid in vinegar will help neutralise the stingers that are still embedded in the skin around the affected site, preventing them from injecting more agony-inducing venom.
Help with spice
If you’ve bitten off more than you can handle in the spice department, skip the milk and head straight for a bottle of vinegar. While the idea of throwing the acidic liquid into your already burning mouth might seem less than appealing, the acid will counteract the capsaicin that’s responsible for the pain you’re in.
Clean microfibre couches
Microfibre couches are incredibly comfortable to sit on, but they are notoriously challenging to clean in the event of spills. You can, however, remove stubborn stains by making a solution of water, vinegar and baking soda, spraying it onto the affected area and then thoroughly wiping clean with a damp cloth.
Make your nail polish last longer
If you’re constantly frustrated with your nail polish fading quickly, try dipping each nail in a mixture of warm water and vinegar and allowing it to soak for around one to two minutes before painting. This will strip the oils off your nail, allowing the polish to stick more effectively.
Make leather shoes fit better
Ill-fitting shoes are often extremely uncomfortable and can lead to blisters and other foot problems. If you’ve got a pair of leather shoes and they’re slightly too large for you, you can soak a pair of socks in vinegar and put one in each shoe for a few hours. The vinegar will cause the leather to shrink, leaving you with snugly fitting footwear.
Make boiled eggs that peel more easily
When it comes to cooking eggs, vinegar can do more than help you poach. When you’re boiling eggs, add two tablespoons of vinegar for every litre of water that you use. This will soften the shells as the eggs boil, allowing for much easier peeling after you’ve removed them from the water.
Clean cloudy glasses
Over time, buildups of dirt and mineral deposits can give your drinking glasses a cloudy appearance. To return them to their dazzling former glory, simply soak them in a solution of vinegar and water overnight. The acid in the vinegar will break down the minerals, and you can them simply rinse them off.
Kill bed bugs
Bed bugs are infamously durable and hard to get rid of. Vinegar is capable of killing the bloodsucking parasites, but it needs to be a potent concoction. Mix around one part vinegar to one part water and thoroughly spray every part of your bed. Once you’re done you’ll have to get your bed professionally cleaned to get rid of the vinegar smell, but it’ll be cheaper than a new mattress.
Clean dry erase boards
Dry erase boards are incredibly handy, whether you’re using them for educational purposes or just to keep track of your shopping list. You’ve probably noticed that wiping your dry erase board fails to fully remove traces of ink, but you can get it spotless by giving it a wipe with some vinegar and a cloth.
Treat cold sores
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus, and they tend to break out during times of stress or when your immune system is struggling. If you suffer from cold sores, dab them with a solution of diluted vinegar several times a day. The vinegar’s acid will cause them to scab, speeding up the healing process.
Clean your mirrors
For gleaming, streak free mirrors, simply make a solution that is one part vinegar for four parts water, and then either spray it onto your mirrors or apply directly with a cloth. As well as making mirror cleaning an easy process, you’ll also save considerable amounts of money on commercial cleaning products.
Prevent earwax
While it can’t treat an existing buildup of earwax, vinegar can be useful for preventing it from forming in the first place. Simply put around four drops of distilled white vinegar into each ear a couple of times a week and leave it there for a minute or two before getting in the shower.
Treat athlete’s foot
Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that can cause extremely uncomfortable itching, and it can be difficult to get rid of. Since vinegar has anti-fungal properties, you can treat the condition by bathing your feet in warm water and vinegar at least once a day. Serious cases, however, may require more potent treatments.
