Family Foodies

It’s Vinegar!

And since May is National Vinegar Month, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk about vinegar and its many practical uses.  Discovering
new uses for products I already stock in my kitchen always gets me excited!

Beyond vinaigrette and salad dressing recipes, beyond pickles and pickling – vinegar is a product that has multiple uses whether you are  cooking, cleaning, gardening or more!

Because it is so inexpensive, you can afford to use it in a variety of ways!

Here are some simple ways to clean with vinegar:

Sink Drain – clean and deodorize your sink drain by pouring 1/2 cup of baking soda into the drain.  Follow with 1/2 cup vinegar.   You will likely see and hear the foaming action that takes place.  Let it set for 5 minutes, and follow with running hot water for about 60 seconds.

Dishwasher – run your empty dishwasher once a month using 1 cup of vinegar.  This removes soap and scum buildup, and deodorizes, too!

Teakettle - to remove hard water buildup, add 1/2 cup vinegar to a teakettle and fill with water.  Allow it to sit overnight.  Rinse well in the morning.  I found this to be a beautiful solution to the nasty hard water buildup in my teakettle!!!  (If necessary, use full strength vinegar and boil for about one minute, allowing it to cool and sit overnight.)

Coffee Pot – another quick way to reduce limescale and hard water buildup is to run one cycle of 1 cup vinegar plus enough water to fill coffee pot.  Follow with one or two full water-only cycles to rinse thoroughly. This really cleans out the oily grime and buildup that coffee leaves behind.

Pest repellent – if you have trouble with ants, spray undiluted vinegar around counters, floors, and cracks to repel them.  To get rid of fruit flies, set out a small dish of undiluted vinegar, too.  This is a MUCH safer product than other insect repellents.

Germicide – to kill germs, spray undiluted vinegar to wipe counters, stove tops, and floors – another safer product for the kitchen or bath! (To improve the smell, add some freshly squeezed lemon juice…)

Scrub Cleanser – combined with baking soda, vinegar is “the bomb” for cleaning bathroom fixtures, too.  This combination helps remove soap scum and limescale, as well as deodorizing and killing germs!

In the Laundry, vinegar can be used in place of liquid fabric softener, and the result is noticeably softer clothes.  If you ever have trouble with a “sour” smell in your washer, run an empty cycle with 1 cup vinegar plus 1/2 cup baking soda, and you will probably be very pleased with the results!

Vinegar has its multiple uses in cooking, too!

Maybe you’ve heard of adding a little vinegar to the water when hardboiling eggs (it prevents the whites from running out of any cracks), but did you know you could use vinegar to:co

• Soak fish?  The flavor and texture of fish is improved when you soak it in a little vinegar before cooking.
• Refresh wilted vegetables? Just a little vinegar in cold water can refresh your wilted vegetables!
• Wash fruits & veggies?  Vinegar helps remove the residue left by wax or insecticides, and because of its antibacterial properties, ensures safer fruits & veggies!
• Make fluffier rice?  Add 1 teaspoon to the boiling water before adding the rice for a lighter, fluffier result!

Vinegar soothes and softens skin & hair, too!

Using vinegar as a hair rinse (allowing it to set for a couple of minutes), reduces dandruff and softens your hair in lieu of an expensive conditioner, too!

For sunburn, apply cold vinegar for cooling relief!

To treat athlete’s foot, apply undiluted vinegar with cotton balls.  Allow to dry.

For organic gardening, vinegar is your friend!

Vinegar can be applied undiluted (or mixed with dish soap) to kill weeds, for a chemical free alternative!  Multiple applications may be needed, but considering the alternative, vinegar may be your best option!

As an ant repellent, as well as a cat repellent (to keep out of the kiddies’ sandbox, too!)

To kill slugs, use 1 part vinegar to 1 part water.

To clean bird feeders or bird baths by removing residue and germs, use undiluted vinegar and rinse well with warm water.

While vinegar’s scent may leave a little something to be desired, it is renowned for removing nasty, lingering odors, so this minor detail can be easily overlooked.

So, what do you think of this inexpensive and handy product now?

photo credit: PinkMoose, photo credit: Sunshine Rabbit, photo credit: docentjoyce, photo credit: vonSchnauzer, photo credit: *Susie*