I’d be willing to bet that most homes across America today have vinegar stored away in them. But while that may be the case, vinegar isn’t used near as often as it should or could be.
As it turns out, the household ingredient is far more versatile than you might realize. Want to find out more? These are 25 amazing things that you can do with vinegar that you probably didn’t even know about.
1. Removes tough Stains
Before you toss a stained shirt or pair of slacks in the washing machine, rub vinegar over the stain. You’ll be amazed at the outcome!
2. Unclogs Drains
Don’t waste your money on buying expensive plumbing products to help solve the clogged drains problem you’ve been having. Instead, take half a cup of vinegar and a handful of baking soda and pour it down the drain. After about 15 to 20 minutes, rinse the drain with hot water.
3. Deters Ants
Are you dealing with an ant problem in your home? Spray a vinegar solution around your windows, doorways, and especially kitchen appliances where they may be hanging out.
4. Clean Your Eyeglasses
With just a drop of vinegar, your eyeglasses should have a crystal clear appearance after wiping them.
5. Freshen Cut Flowers
Do you love having flowers in a vase often but grow tired of how quickly they seem to wilt? Mix a teaspoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of vinegar to your vase water and those flowers should last much longer!
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6. Kills Weeds
Liberally spraying the weeds in your yard with vinegar will help put a stop to them.
7. Kills Sidewalk Grass
Even just the smallest bit of grass peeking up through your sidewalk can be an eyesore when you have a pristine yard. Instead of always having to take a weed wacker to it, try spraying the unwanted grass with vinegar.
8. Increase Your Soil’s Acidity
If you enjoy gardening, but the soil quality in your yard isn’t what it needs to be, there’s a solution. For every gallon of water, you have to use, take a 1/2 cup of vinegar, mix them together, and then sprinkle it over your garden’s soil.
9. Relieve Dry and Itchy Skin
Believe it or not, vinegar can be used to help with itchy and dry skin. Simply add two tablespoons of vinegar to your bathwater over the next few days and you should start to notice a difference.
10. Soothe a Sore Throat
Need some relief from a sore throat? Try taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar combined with a glass of water and gargle it.
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11. Treats Chest colds and Sinus Infections
Vaporizers can help a great deal on their own, but you can speed up the recovery of an irritating chest cold or sinus infection for you or one of your family members by also adding 1/4 of a cup of vinegar to the water.
12. Freshen Up a Lunch Bag
Notice your child’s lunchbox smelling a wee-bit unusual lately? Freshen it up by soaking a piece of bread with vinegar and leaving it in the lunch bag overnight.
13. Clean the Refrigerator
While using equal parts of vinegar and water, spray and wipe down your refrigerator to help make it look brand new again!
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14. Clean Your Microwave
The microwave is one appliance that can get pretty dirty, pretty quickly. To clean it, vinegar will do the trick! Simply mix vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio and use it to wipe down the inside of your microwave. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it will be to clean afterward.
15. Clean the Dishwasher
A lot of people don’t realize that even the dishwasher needs to be cleaned every once in a while. About once a month, run an empty cycle while using vinegar. You should notice a significant difference in how clean it will get your glassware afterward.
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16. Deodorize Your Trash Can
No one likes a smelly trash can. To get rid of the odor, vinegar can help. Simply pour vinegar into the bottom of your trash can and let it sit for a few hours. The vinegar will absorb the bad odor, leaving your trash can smelling fresh and clean.
17. Clean Your Washing Machine
Over time, your washing machine can start to build up grime and dirt, which could lead to it not running as efficiently as it used to. To clean it, simply add vinegar to an empty cycle and let it run.
18. Shine the Faucets
If your faucets are looking a bit dull, vinegar can help with that too! Simply scrub them with vinegar and they’ll be shining in no time.
19. Clean Your Bathtub
If your bathtub is looking a bit grungy, vinegar can help! Simply mix vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio and use it to scrub the tub. You’ll no longer be embarrassed to have guests over when they use the restroom.
20. Make a Fruit Fly Trap.
Fill a small bowl with vinegar, add a drop or two of dish soap, then place it where you’ve seen the most fruit flies. The vinegar will attract them, while the dish soap will ensure they can’t escape.
21. Eradicate Fleas
If your pet has been dealing with fleas, vinegar can come to the rescue! Mix vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio and spray it onto your pet’s fur. The vinegar will kill the fleas while also acting as a natural deodorizer.
22. Eliminate Odors from Carpets
If you’re noticing a musty smell coming from your carpets, vinegar can help eliminate it. Just pour vinegar onto the affected areas, let it sit for about an hour, then vacuum it up.
23. Clean Your Carpets
If your carpets are looking a bit lackluster, vinegar can help! Simply mix vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio and use it to scrub your carpets. Don’t say that I didn’t warn you about how much brighter they’ll look afterward.
24. Clean Your Blinds
Over time, blinds can become quite dirty. To clean them, vinegar can be your best friend. Simply mix vinegar and water in a 50/50 solution and use it to wipe down the blinds. You’ll be shocked at how much brighter they’ll look afterward!
25. Removes Rust from Metal and Tools
You don’t have to throw out your tools or bolts after they’ve become rusty. All you have to do is soak them in vinegar and use a bristle brush to scrub any residue off.
More Cleaning Tips:
These were just a glimpse of some of the many ways that you could be using vinegar in and around your home. And as you’ve discovered, it can even help to improve a person’s health in several different ways. Do you know of any other purposes along with the benefits that vinegar can bring to others? I’d love to hear from you!
