Vinegar! The pungent scented clear liquid with a very strong flavor is not just for food! Do you know about the wonders of vinegar? A bit of history always enlightens me, and the history of vinegar is fascinating. Vin Aigre means sour wine in France and that it is indeed. Do you know that it has been around for over 10,000 years and was discovered quite by chance? It was a cask of wine that had gone way past its flavorful date and then became what we now know as vinegar.
It's basically fermentation of natural sugars to alcohol then another fermentation to vinegar.
White vinegar, which is actually clear vinegar, is made from allowing a distilled alcohol, like white wine, gin, vodka, sake, or others to oxidize. Oxidation combines oxygen with chemicals in a substance in a way that reduces the atom content of the substance. When a distilled alcohol is oxidized its chemical components change, and it becomes much more sour, and frequently, quite unpleasant to taste.
Combining the chemical compound acetic acid to water can also make white vinegar. This second type is very sour, and is more commonly used to clean and disinfect, than for food. In fact, much of white vinegar, especially when sold in gallon units, is not used in cooking. People tend to prefer red vinegars or apple cider vinegar for cooking purposes.
Beyond flavoring salads or using it for pickling or adding into foods you can use vinegar for many other uses in your home.
Its a wonderful non toxic cleaner that promotes a green lifestyle if you are looking for something that will clean and disinfect without any toxins or chemicals.
Also its a natural deodorizer and makes a great way to freshen up your place from odors or smells by absorbing them. What a wonderful inexpensive way to clean your house. Here are some of the wonderful uses for white and apple cider vinegar, try one or a few and see if you find that vinegar becomes more of a household name around your home!
Clean and Freshen your microwave:
Put a cup of vinegar in your microwave for 30 seconds then wipe clean with a damp rag.
Dissolve warts -
Mix one part Apple Cider Vinegar to one part glycerin into a lotion and apply daily to warts until they dissolve.
Remove stubborn stains from furniture upholstery and clothes -
Apply White Vinegar directly to the stain, then wash as directed by the manufacturer's instructions.
Grow beautiful azaleas -
Occasionally water plants with a mixture of two tablespoons White Vinegar to one quart water. Azaleas love acidic soil.
Relieve arthritis -
Before each meal, drink a glass of water containing two teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar. Give this folk remedy at least three weeks to start working.
Kill unwanted grass -
Pour White Vinegar in crevices and between bricks.
Clean the hoses and unclog soap scum from a washing machine -
Once a month pour one cup of White Vinegar into the washing machine and run the machine through a normal cycle, without clothes.
Cure an upset stomach -
Drink two teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar in one cup water to soothe an upset stomach.
Kill germs on bathroom fixtures -
Use one part Vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle. Spray the bathroom fixtures and floor, then wipe clean. Clean soap scum, mildew, and grime from bathtub, tile, and shower curtains. Simply wipe the surface with Vinegar and rinse with water.
Deodorize the air -
Vinegar is a natural air freshener when sprayed in a room.
Relieve itching -
Use a cotton ball to dab mosquito and other bug bites with Vinegar straight from the bottle.
Clean lime deposits and calcium sludge from an automatic drip coffee maker -
Once a month fill the reservoir with White Vinegar and run through the brew cycle. Rinse thoroughly with two cycles of cold water.
Relieve a sore throat -
Put two teaspoons of Vinegar in your humidifier.
Soothe sunburn pain -
Apply undiluted Vinegar to the burn.
Clean food-stained pots and pans -
Fill the pots and pans with White Vinegar and let stand for thirty minutes. Then rinse in hot, soapy water.
Clean rust from tools, bolts, and spigots -
Soak the rusted tool, bolt, or spigot in undiluted White Vinegar overnight.
Prevent bright colored clothes from fading -
Before putting the article in the washing machine, soak it in White Vinegar for ten minutes.
Keep a garbage disposal clean and smelling fresh -
Mix one cup of Vinegar in enough water to fill an ice cube tray, freeze the mixture, grind the cubes through the disposal, and flush with cold water.
Clean a toilet bowl -
Pour in one cup of White Vinegar, let it stand for five minutes, and flush.
Clean dentures -
Soak dentures overnight in White Vinegar, then brush away tartar with a toothbrush.
Remove perspiration stains from clothes -
Apply one part White Vinegar to four parts water, then rinse.
Deodorize a room filled with cigarette smoke or paint fumes -
Place a small bowl of White Vinegar in the room.
Cure the hiccups -
Mix one teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar in one cup of warm water, and drink.
Eliminate odors from used jars -
Rinse peanut butter and mayonnaise jars with White Vinegar.
Condition dry hair -
Shampoo, then rinse hair with a mixture of one cup Apple Cider Vinegar and two cups water. Vinegar adds highlights to brunette hair, restores the acid mantel, and removes soap film and sebum oil.
Clean mineral deposits from a steam iron -
Fill the water tank with White Vinegar. Turn the iron to the steam setting and steam-iron a soft utility rag to clean the steam ports. Repeat the process with water, then thoroughly rinse out the inside of your iron.
Remove light scorch marks from fabrics -
Rub lightly with White Vinegar, then wipe with a clean cloth.
Repel ants -
Use a spray bottle or mister filled with a solution of equal parts Vinegar and water around door jambs, window sills, water pipes, and foundation cracks.
Keep drains open -
Pour one-half box of old baking soda down the drain followed by one cup White Vinegar. When the bubbling stops, run the hot water.
Prolong and brighten propane lanterns -
Soak new wicks for several hours in White Vinegar and let them dry before inserting. Propane lanterns will burn longer and brighter on the same amount of fuel.
Remove decals or bumper stickers -
Soak a cloth in Vinegar and cover the decal or bumper sticker for several minutes until the vinegar soaks in. The decals and bumper stickers should peel off easily.
Deodorize a wool sweater -
Wash sweater, then rinse in equal parts Vinegar and water to remove odor.
Prevent lint from clinging to clothes -
Add one cup Vinegar to each wash load.
Prevent ice from forming on a car windshield overnight -
Coat the window with a solution of three parts White or Apple Cider Vinegar to one part water.
Prolong the life of flowers in a vase -
Add two tablespoons of White Vinegar plus three tablespoons of sugar per quart of warm water. Stems should be in three to four inches of water.
Prevent cracked hard-boiled eggs -
Add two tablespoons of White Vinegar per quart of water before boiling to prevent the eggs from cracking. The egg shells will also peel off faster and easier.
Clean windows -
Use undiluted Vinegar in a spray bottle. Dry with a soft cloth.
Eliminate unpleasant cooking odors in the kitchen -
Boil one tablespoon of White Vinegar with one cup of water.
Remove wallpaper -
Mix equal parts Vinegar and hot water. Use a paint roller to wet the paper thoroughly with the mixture. Repeat. Paper should peal off in sheets.
Eliminate animal urine stains from carpet -
Blot up urine, flush several times with lukewarm water, then apply a mixture of equal parts White Vinegar and cool water. Blot up, rinse, and let dry.
Relieve a cold -
Mix one-quarter cup Apple Cider Vinegar with one-quarter cup honey. Take one tablespoon six to eight times daily.
Deodorize a stale lunch box -
Soak a paper napkin in Vinegar and leave it inside the closed lunch box overnight.
Prevent soapy film on glassware -
Place a cup of White Vinegar on the bottom rack of your dishwasher, run for five minutes, then run though the full cycle. A cup of white vinegar run through the entire cycle once a month will also reduce soap scum on the inner workings.
Unclog a shower head -
Unscrew the shower head, remove the rubber washer, place the head in a pot filled with equal parts Vinegar and water, bring to a boil, then simmer for five minutes.
Relieve a cough -
Mix one-half cup Apple Cider Vinegar, one-half cup water, one teaspoon cayenne pepper, and four teaspoons honey. Take one tablespoon when cough acts up. Take another tablespoon at bedtime.
Retard patching plaster from drying -
Add one tablespoon white vinegar to the water when mixing plaster to slow the drying time.
Bumper stickers:
Remove bumper stickers by repeatedly wiping the sticker with white distilled vinegar until it is soaked. In a few minutes, it should peel off easily. Test on a small invisible area of the car to ensure there will be no damage to the pain.
Paintbrush softener:
Soak the paintbrush in hot white distilled vinegar, and then wash out with warm, sudsy water.
Cleaning the Radiator Vent
Turn down the thermostat. Unscrew the air vent, soak it in vinegar to clean it, then turn the thermostat all the way up. After a few minutes, you'll hear a hissing sound followed by a little bit of water spurting out. Finally, steam will start exiting that hole. Turn off the radiator valve and replace the vent. It should be straight up and hand tight. You should not need or use a wrench.
Frosted windows:
For those rare winter mornings when there is frost on the car, wipe the windows the night before with a solution of one part water to three parts white distilled vinegar. They won’t frost over.
Furniture
Mix olive oil and vinegar in a one-to-one ratio and polish with a soft cloth. Try in an inconspicuous place first.
Cleaning Leather Shoes
Make a solution of one part water to one part white vinegar, and use it sparingly on the shoes. Dip a cloth into the solution, and dab it over the salt-streaked parts of your shoes.
May have to repeat the cleaning a few times before all the salt is removed. Salt actually can damage leather, so it's best to clean shoes as quickly as possible. Don't let the salt stains build up.
Fireplaces
Wash fireplaces with a 50/50 ratio of water and vinegar to remove the blackened soot on glass front doors. If the doors have a spring-loaded clip, remove it, then take out the doors.
Lay them flat on newspapers, spray with the vinegar/water solution and soak. Wipe it off with newspaper.
Cleaner for Gold Jewelry
Use one cup apple cider vinegar. Submerge solid gold jewelry item in vinegar for 15 minutes. Remove and dry with cloth.
Remove Lime Stains from Car
Pour a small amount of white vinegar on a clean cloth. Gently rub the area of lime staining with the cloth until the stain is gone. Test a small are first to ensure no discoloration.
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.)
Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards:
Wipe with full strength white distilled vinegar.
Brass polish:
Brass, copper and pewter will shine if cleaned with the following mixture. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of white distilled vinegar and stir in flour until it becomes a paste. Apply paste to the metals and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Rinse with clean warm water and polish until dry.
Cleaning Stainless Steel Appliances
Apply vinegar with a soft cloth to remove streaks from stainless steel appliances. Try in an inconspicuous place first.
Cleaner Dishes and Glasses
Pour 1 ½ cup to 2 cups white distilled vinegar in the bottom of dishwasher, along with regular dishwasher soap. Wash full cycle.
Remove Refrigerator Smells
Place 1 cup apple cider vinegar in a glass and set in refrigerator. Within 2 days, any smell is gone!
No-wax floors:
To wash no-wax floors, add ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to a half-gallon of warm water.
Carpet stain removal:
A mixture of 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent and 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar in a pint of lukewarm water will remove non-oily stains from carpets. Apply it to the stain with a soft brush or towel and rub gently. Rinse with a towel moistened with clean water and blot dry. Repeat this procedure until the stain is gone. Then dry quickly, using a fan or hair dryer. This should be done as soon as the stain is discovered.
Carpet Cleaning Solution:
Fill the machine with equal parts white vinegar and warm water; then, clean according to the manufacturer's instructions.
So grab a gallon or two of vinegar next time you head to the store and a fresh new empty spray bottle and make your own quality inexpensive cleaner! You will be cleaning your house literally for pennies.
Beauty at its BEST!
New Azaleas on the side of my house to accent the once sickly rose bush that I spent last year nursing into a nice healthy bush. It's full of buds right now and will be absolutely gorgeous when they all bloom. Sadly, this bush among a few others will require extra special attention because they were originally planted in a less then desirable location.
A fill in across my shrub hedge in the front there was an empty spot where an azalea had died. It's taking well to it's new home.
Shade gardening can be very frustrating learning where and what to plant when you have an area that gets little to no sun. It's very exciting to see things take off in such elements and it's a good idea to make sure you investigate your plants before planting them. The soil in shade gardening needs to be maintained and your plants need to be specific for the location. Partial shade is very different from full shade so you must learn where your sun is hitting if at all and you must watch to see how long and what kind of sun you get in a shadier garden. You can't go wrong with hostas and you can see my lavender azalea happily full of blooms. The bird bath was damaged during a storm and I have it ready to fill with soil and will plant ivy around the base and in the bowl as well as adding a pot with a nice lush fern. Of course I will add a photo when I have that completed.
This bed was full of weeds and untended when I started, I mulched and conditioned the soil for a full season before adding my new rose bushes. Last spring I put in two and they did well, I bought them off the clearance cart and they were quite sad looking. But, my heart is soft for a plant that needs love and will always drag it home like a child with a stray pet. I nursed them and they grew well and bloomed a good bit last year. This spring I've added two more hopeless souls from the clearance cart and they already look like they are smiling in their rooted hearts. The four triangled corners of the beds last year had annuals. My daughter planted some seeds in there this year and they are sprouting, but my intentions are to add a rose bush in each corner to make this a full rose bed. It's my sunniest spot in the yard and I just adore roses. They do require more time and tenderness and work but the joy of seeing the abundance of sweet smelling blooms is a great reward.
Another peek at my lavender azalea its just a beautiful site to behold when those big wide eyes blooms wake up and scream hello world. I can't wait to accent its beauty with my creation planned in the birdbath.
Open my front door and I am greeted every day with such beauty as the azaleas begin to bloom. This hedge runs from one end to the other across the front of my porch and its a delight every time I see it. What better way to feast your morning eyes than to behold such delight when you greet the day.
