Clever Ways To Use White Vinegar Around The House For More Than Just Cooking

#1 REINVIGORATE HAIR.

Wash away product buildup and improve shine with a simple rinse. Mix 1 cup distilled water and ¼ cup vinegar, then pour over freshly washed wet hair. Let sit for 15 to 30 seconds before rinsing with cool water.

#2 Sticky stickers.

Don’t scratch at the residue left by stickers or price tags. Instead, apply vinegar to the gunk, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe the glue away.

#3 There’s no need to use chemicals near pets when vinegar can handle most cleaning and bathing tasks.

Wipe out itchy ears with undiluted vinegar to keep dogs and cats from scratching at them.

Cats avoid vinegar, so to keep them from scratching furniture or sitting on certain areas, spray a vinegar solution onto the spot.

For outdoor areas, soak a sponge in vinegar and place it in the forbidden area to keep cats away. If kitty likes to mark his territory, spraying the area with vinegar can help eliminate the smell and deter recurrences.

Vinegar also gets rid of skunk odor. Soak the animal with a half-and-half vinegar and water solution, and then rinse with fresh water.

Vinegar can disinfect, deodorize and de-gunkify just about everything. From shower curtains to sofa cushions, there’s not much that it can’t do. As an alternative to expensive and harsh cleaning chemicals, vinegar is something you can feel good about keeping in your cupboards. White vinegar and baking soda can even remove product buildup from hair and leave it soft and manageable. A product that can clean you, the dog, your car and your house is what I’d call a good, green buy.

#4 To kill weeds

Instead of using dangerous chemicals to kill weeds, combine a quarter of a cup of table salt and half a teaspoon of Dawn dish soap with a half-gallon of apple cider vinegar, and then pour it all into a spray bottle. All you need to do is spray the weeds! Not only is this far safer than traditional weed killers, but it’s super effective, and it might even save you some money.

#5 Cleaning of Garden Tools

Obviously, it’s difficult to use garden tools when they’re rusty, but rust is almost inevitable when you leave your tools in a damp shed or out in the grass over time. Instead of scrubbing your tools with steel wool, though, you can just soak them in a vinegar solution!

For this method, you’ll also need rubber gloves, a large bucket, rags, water, mineral oil or linseed oil, penetrating oil, and possibly a wire brush. Pour equal parts water and vinegar into the bucket, and soak your tools in there for 15 to 30 minutes. Remove the tools one at a time, wipe them with a rag, then rinse with more of the water-vinegar solution if necessary. Use a wire brush to reach around tight areas. After the tool is dry, wipe it down with linseed or mineral oil, then dab hinges with the penetrating oil.

#6 growing beautiful plants

Don’t neglect to make sure that your soil is properly balanced for growing beautiful plants, because that may be why your garden isn’t doing as well as it should. You can use vinegar to test the dirt’s pH values!

Drop a small amount of soil in a mug and mix in two spoonfuls of vinegar. If it starts bubbling, you know that the soil is alkaline. Similarly, if you do the same thing with baking soda and enough water to make the combination muddy, you can tell that it’s acidic if that mixture becomes bubbly.

#7 Copper Fixtures

Copper fixtures and wares are a great addition to just about any home, so if you want to keep them nice and shiny, use vinegar to easily clean the metal. You’ll also need salt and a scour pad.

Sprinkle the salt on the bottom of your copper pan, than spray or gently pour on the vinegar. You’ll know it’s working when it starts to change color! Then use the scour pad to rub the vinegar into the salt. Repeat the process as many times as necessary to make it perfectly shiny.

#8 Cleaning of Clay Pots

The exterior of clay pots naturally have mineral deposits. Some people actually like that look, but if you don’t—and you prefer to keep your pots looking new and clean—you can soak them in vinegar to get rid of the white marks. This also helps prevent any further build-ups.

All you have to do is wash the pots with vinegar the same way you would with soap and water.

#9 KEEP FLOWERS ALIVE.

Prolong the life of your bouquet by adding 2 Tbsp white vinegar and 2 Tbsp sugar to the water. Change this mixture every couple of days to help provide the nourishment that cut blooms need.

#10 Unclog and deodorize drains

The combination of vinegar and baking soda is one of the most effective ways to unclog and deodorize drains. It’s also far gentler on your pipes (and your wallet) than commercial drain cleaners.

Use a funnel to pour 1/2 cup baking soda followed by 1 cup vinegar into the drain. When the foaming subsides, flush with hot tap water. Wait five minutes, and then flush again with cold water. Besides clearing blockages, this technique also washes away odor-causing bacteria.

#11 Revitalize leather furniture

Has your leather sofa or easy chair lost its luster? To restore it to its former glory, mix equal parts white vinegar and boiled linseed oil in a recycled spray bottle, shake it up well, and spray it on. Spread it evenly over your furniture using a soft cloth, give it a couple of minutes to settle in, then rub it off with a clean cloth.

#12 Clean your window blinds

You can make the job of cleaning mini-blinds or venetians considerably less torturous by giving them “the white glove treatment.” Just put on a white cotton glove and moisten the fingers in a solution made of equal parts white vinegar and hot tap water. Then slide your fingers across both sides of each slat and prepare to be amazed. Use a container of clean water to periodically wash off the glove.

#13 Erase ballpoint-pen marks

Has the budding young artist in your home just decorated a painted wall in your home with a ballpoint original or scribbled all over your desk while playing “office?” Don’t lose your cool. Rather, dab some full-strength white vinegar on the “masterpiece” using a cloth or a sponge. Repeat until the marks are gone. Then go out and buy your child a nice big sketch pad.

#14 Clear dirt off PCs and peripherals

Your computer, printer, fax machine, and other home office gear will work better if you keep them clean and dust-free. Before you start cleaning, make sure that all your equipment is shut off. Now mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a bucket. Dampen a clean cloth in the solution — never use a spray bottle; you don’t want to get liquid on the circuits inside — then squeeze it out as hard as you can, and start wiping. Use cotton swabs to get in tight spaces (like around the keys of your keyboard).

#15 MAKE TOWELS MORE ABSORBENT.

Add a solution of 1 cup white vinegar to your regular rinse cycle once the machine is filled at least a quarter-way with clean water. The acid will break down minerals, salt and other chemicals that have accumulated on your towels, leaving the fabric more absorbent.

#16 REMOVE RUST.

Acetic acid, found in vinegar, can easily dissolve rust. Revive old tools by soaking them in undiluted vinegar for several hours, then rub away any stubborn residue with an old rag.