10 Tips and Uses for Vinegar

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I am sure you are well aware that May is National Vinegar Month. (Wait, you didn’t know? Shhh… me, neither).

In honor of the occasion, I took some time to learn some new uses for the versatile liquid. Of course, vinegar is a fabulously frugal cleaner for windows and mirrors, but it has a plethora of other uses as well.

Here are 10 of the most interesting tips I came across:

1. Kill weeds
: Spray white distilled vinegar full strength on tops of weeds. Reapply on any new growth until plants have starved.

2. Keep Flowers Longer
Keep flowers fresh longer. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a 1-quart vase of water. Trim stems and change water every five days.

3. Pest fighter:
A teaspoon of white distilled vinegar for each quart bowl of drinking water helps keep your pet free of fleas and ticks. The ratio of one teaspoon to one quart is for a forty-pound animal.

4. Get Rid of Odor on a Smelly Dog
Wet the dog down with fresh water. Use a mixture of 1 cup white distilled vinegar and 2 gallons water. Saturate the dog’s coat with this solution. Dry the dog off without rinsing the solution. The smell will be gone!

5. Worn DVDs:
If you have a worn DVD that has begun to stick or suffers from the occasional freeze-frame, wipe it down with white distilled vinegar applied to a soft cloth. Ensure the DVD is completely dry before re-inserting in the DVD player. (Note: This only works on DVDs that are scratched of dirty through normal wear.)

6. Freshen baby clothes:
The addition of 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to each load of baby clothes during the rinse cycle will naturally break down uric acid and soapy residue leaving the clothes soft and fresh.

7. Getting the last drops:
When you can’t get the last bit of mayonnaise or salad dressing out of the jar, try dribbling a little of your favorite vinegar into it, put the cap on tightly and shake well. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ve been wasting.

8. Fluffier Rice
For fluffier and great tasting rice, add a teaspoon of white distilled vinegar to the boiling water before adding rice. Rice will be easier to spoon and less sticky.

9. Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting:
Douse with vinegar. It will soothe irritation and relieve itching.

10. Lessen Morning Sickness
Drink some apple cider vinegar in water, with honey added. This concoction can help calm a queasy stomach.

So what exactly IS this magical liquid?

The dictionary defines vinegar as “sour wine” or “a sour liquid obtained by acetic fermentation of dilute alcoholic liquids and used as a condiment or preservative.

What are your favorite uses for vinegar? Please share here in comments!

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Comments

  1. Patricia lee says

    I have 2 faves:
    First I like to mix it with soy sauce to make the best dipping sauce for dumplings or potstickers.
    Second I like to mix with milk to make “buttermilk” pancakes!

  2. Lori @ Shine Like Stars says

    When pans have stuck-on foods, vinegar will release the “stuff” and make them easier to clean. Soak overnight or at least several hours. Use straight vinegar if really stuck and part water/part vinegar if not too bad.

  3. Michelle says

    It also works well to remove the cat urine smell… if you add some to a sink of water and let the clothes soak… it works like a charm!

  4. Stacy says

    We put white vinegar in our dishwasher in the spot where you’d put Jet-Dry, or even just poured into the door. It gets rid of the white chalky residue on dishes.

  5. BusyMom says

    Vinegar, cut with water, makes a great wallpaper stripper. The smell can be a little intense, but when I removed the wallpaper in my 1/2 bath, it worked great.

  6. Liz @ Frugally Blonde says

    I use it to mop my floor (mixed with hot water). It’s inexpensive, child-safe, and makes me think of dying Easter eggs every time I mop!

  7. Jill says

    Using it more and more as a disinfectant cleaner. I keep a small recycled spray bottle by my kitchen sink- polishes the stainless steel sink very nicely!

  8. The Thrifty Geek says

    Wow I had no idea that this little bottle of clear stuff could do so much. Has anyone tried it on the smelly animal yet?

  9. Becca says

    I found out from a carpet store owner that the best way to clean your carpets, and have them last is to spray them with vinegar then ‘rinse’ them with a steam cleaner. No need to buy those bottles of cleaner, just a bottle of vinegar.

    I also use vinegar in the rinse aid spout in my dishwasher. Its less expensive and not full of dyes and chemicals that might be hurting our water.

  10. Anonymous says

    The drip tray for the water dispenser on my refrigerator becomes discoloured. I soak it in white vinegar for a few minutes and it looks brand new!

  11. ~Holly~ says

    Make a carpet stain cleaner mixing 1 part vinegar to 1 part water (I fill up a spray bottle) and add 1 TBSP of dish soap. I’ll also use the same bottle for stains on clothes!

  12. Anonymous says

    I use apple cider vinegar half and half water and spray the ants…. the ants will not go over the apple cider barrier…. it really works !!! Leah Clare of Woodstock, Ga.

  13. Your Frugal Friend, Niki says

    I use vinegar as fabric softener a lot (it also lessens the stink if you forget to take the laundry out of the washer for a day or two).

    I never thought to use it to wash the dogs..love that idea! We have 2 puppies and they get stinky when they play outside in the rain together.

    I will ttoally have to try that carpet cleaner idea too!

    🙂

  14. Amy says

    I line-dry my laundry, and adding vinegar to the wash makes the clothes much softer.

    I also spray it on fresh fruits and veggies before rinsing them with water. It gets rid of any residue or chemicals.

    And, I use it as a frugal, child-safe cleaner!

    Totally cannot wait to try it on my pooch!

  15. Sarah Peck says

    I pour baking soda down the drain and then add vinager. it starts to bubble and really freshens the drain and cleans out some of the residue. can work in your toliets too.
    I also use vinager in place of jet dry.
    clean windows with vinager and newspaper as the towel.

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