Valuable Vinegar

Vinegar has been used for thousands of years. It dates back to ancient Egypt; it was probably discovered by accident when wine went sour. The active component of vinegar is acetic acid which is a byproduct of a bacteria called acetobacter. Most table vinegars are about 5% acetic acid. Vinegar is extremely cheap and has a long shelf life.
Here is a list of handy tips that I have compiled from several internet sources. I do not claim that they work because I have not tried all of them yet but I guarantee that I will! Tips offered should be spot tested in an inconspicuous area first. And an important note that I came across was 'do not use full strength vingar on grout - it eats away at it - ALWAYS dilute with water in this case.' Also, make sure that vinegar does not come in contact with hydrogen peroxide. It makes Peracetic Acid. The toxicity is low however it can be extremely irritating to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract and can explode ast high temperatures. With all that out of the way here is a list of vinegar uses:

• remove calcium buidup in pots and kettles - boil 1/2 cup white vinegar and leave to soak for a while, rinse with fresh water, reboil with same water and your kettle should now be calcium deposit free
• 1/2 cup vinegar added to toilet left overnight removes odor - the smell will dissipate overnight
• a cotton ball soaked in vinegar and applied to bruises for an hour is said to speed healing process
• vinegar on minor burns and many sorts of stings can alleviate pain
• cleaning dishwasher - vinegar frozen into ice cubes - put a couple in bottom of dishwasher and run through cycle
• cleaning dishwasher - put a cup filled with vinegar on the bottom rack of your dishwasher and run it through a cycle to
• old stiff paintbrushes - dip in heated white vinegar for a couple of hours, follow by a rinse in soapy water (beats using turpentine!)
• broad leaf weed killer - spray undiluted onto the leaves of weeds, avoid plants you wish to keep - set on stream, not mist - next day, brown and dead
• grass in cement driveway joints - mix of vinegar and salt
• pet stains on carpet - white vinegar poured on pet urine then blotted up with towel
• pre-spray for laundry - spray undiluted on deoderant and other stains on garments just prior to washing
• shower doors and screens - spray 50/50 mix of vinegar and water on soap scum, let sit, wipe or rinse off
• Neat (undiluted) vinegar sprayed on mold will kill the mold
• Fabric softener - add half the amount of vinegar as you would of your usual softening agent
• If using a fabric softener 'ball' place white vinegar to the fill line and then add 3 drops of lavendar essential oil
• Dishwasher rinse aid - add vinegar instead of rinse aid

Hair conditioner - many variations of this......

• use a tablespoon of vinegar as a replacement for hair condition
• Apple Cider Vinegar and water 50/50 as a rinse aid for hair (vinegar deters head lice)
• cleans dandruff off of your scalp
• furniture cleaner - 1 cup white vinegar with 6 drops of jojoba oil
• glass cleaner - 50/50 water and vinegar or vinegar neat in a spray bottle
• If you have ever used the blue glass cleaner you might have to add a little bit of liquid soap to the water/vinegar mixture to get rid of the wax left behind by commercial cleaners
• polish chrome and stainless steal - full strength vinegar
• iron - use 50/50 vinegar and water mix to clean your iron, add mixture to your iron and allow it to steam itself clean (some say it causes brown gunk so don't use on clothes until perfectly clear of this byproduct)
• pour boiling white vinegar down a clogged drain to remove obstruction
• clogged drain - pour a couple tablespoon of baking soda down drain, add vinegar, let foam, follow with some boiling water, rinse clean
• room deodorizer - use in a fine mist atomizer (sprayer)
• Ants hate vinegar - spray around doorways and repel ants (I wonder if it works for spiders - I will definitely try this!
• Zits - dab zit with a cotton swab or qtip dipped in vinegar
• Hardwood floors - works great - diluted, of course
• Cheese - wrap in wax paper, a vinegar-sprayed paper towel, and a plastic bag - slows molding
• Toe nail fungus - dab on every morning and every night
• Fungal infections - undiluted or 50/50 with water and left in contact for at least an hour, 2xs daily
• Leg cramps - swab area with cloth or paper towel wet with white vinegar
• Clean your bird bath with vinegar
• Outdoor fixtures come clean with vinegar/water
• Tools can be cleaned with vinegar
• gardening containers - kill mold with vinegar
• Pet's ears - clean your bets ears with vinegar (not sure on the process)
• skunk odor - remove with vinegar
• Cat deterant - vinegar deters cats from prowling around your yard, also racoons, rabbits, and other varmits
• Coffee pot - fill 1/2 full with vinegar and run it through, rinse with another pot full of clean water - I rinse it out 2xs!
• Degreaser - vinegar is a natural degreaser
• Stove top - spritz on and leave for 5-10 minutes, burnt on gunk should come right off - use scrubber and Vinegar's Best Friend .... baking soda if more severe
• Oven cleaner - spray interior of the oven with vinegar and let sit for 15 minutes, wipe, and rinse with water
• Limescale remover - mix 75% vinegar/25% water - spray on sink and wrap cloth soaked in mix around taps and leave for a couple of hours and they are like new
• ..... not to mention vinegar is great for chips and salad dressings :-)
• and the list goes on and on..........

Now, I found an important bit of information. Vinegar can be derived from Petroleum. Make sure your vinegar is NOT! Possible toxins will be emitted. It your vinegar says fermented from "synthetic ethyl alcohol" then there's likely a fossil fuel link - the key work is 'synthetic.'

From gathering all of this information I have deducted this.... go out and buy a big 'ol bottle of non-synthetic vinegar and get busy!