If you’ve ever examined your monthly budget closely, you’ve likely discovered that you spend quite a chunk of money every month on cleaning supplies and health and beauty items. To help take the pinch out of your budget, here are a
few household uses for vinegar. (A gallon jug sells for around $3.99 or less in your average grocery store.)
Equal parts of vinegar and water can be used to clean:
- Shower doors and soap scum
- Windows
- Fireplace soot
- Leather shoes and upholstery
- Dirty, smelly refrigerators
- Outdoor grills
- Urine stains from mattresses
Apply vinegar full strength to clean:
- Stains on white clothing
- Smelly, greasy laundry
- Stainless steel appliances
- Toilet bowl stains
- Smelly sinks and drains
- Gardening stains on
hands
- Greasy ovens
- Gold Jewelry
Mix baking soda and vinegar to clean:
- Plastic storage containers
- Pots and pans (when mixed with a tablespoon of liquid detergent)
- Stained coffee cups
- The air (mix 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon vinegar and 1 cup water in a spray bottle)
- Mud and dirt stains from plastic, fiberglass, or aluminum sports equipment
You can add 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar to a bucket full of warm tap water to clean no-wax floors, counter tops, dishes, and silverware.
Spray a mixture of equal parts of vinegar and water onto old wallpaper to loosen the adhesive for easy removal.
Unclogging the shower head is pain-free when you soak a cloth in vinegar and wrap it around the shower head, allowing the vinegar to soak into the clogged nozzles. Soak overnight, and the shower head will be like new by morning.
Polish your furniture to a
shine and remove dust and build up in propane heat and wood-burning homes by mixing equal parts of olive oil and vinegar. However, spot test in an inconspicuous place prior to using on any finish though just in case.
Health and Beauty
You can also use a vinegar rinse to help fight dandruff and leave hair shiny and free from oils. It works well to disinfect and soften cosmetic brushes.
Replace your facial toner in a pinch with equal parts of vinegar and water.
Use undiluted vinegar as an aftershave.
Whiten your teeth and get fresher breath by brushing with a toothbrush dipped in undiluted vinegar at least once a week.
Add two tablespoons of sugar and two tablespoons of vinegar to one quart of water to help cut flowers keep their bloom longer.
In the Laundry
Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle of your wash to remove excess soap residue and keep lint from sticking
to clothes. Adding vinegar to your washing machine helps remove:
- Smoke odors
- BBQ stains
- Ketchup stains
- Wine stains
- Spaghetti stains
- Mildew
- Musty odors
- And dingy tints on whites
Pouring 1 cup of vinegar into the empty washing machine and allowing it to run through a wash cycle will help keep your washer in top working order by removing soap scum and mineral residue.
There are thousands of ways to use vinegar in your household. What other household uses for vinegar have you found that help you save money?