And, More Vinegar Uses

Molasses catches more flies than vinegar.

• Bring a solution of one-cup vinegar and four tablespoons baking soda to a boil in teapots and coffeepots to rid them of mineral deposits.
• A solution of vinegar and baking soda will easily remove cooking oil from your stovetop.
• Clean the filter on your humidifier by removing it and soaking it in a pan of white vinegar until all the sediment is off.
• Vinegar naturally breaks down uric acid and soapy residue, leaving baby clothes and diapers soft and fresh. Add a cup of vinegar to each load during the rinse cycle.
• Saturate a cloth with vinegar and sprinkle with baking soda, and then use it to clean fiberglass tubs and showers. Rinse well and rub dry for a spotless shine.
• To remove chewing gum, rub it with full-strength vinegar.
• For a clean oven, combine vinegar and baking soda, then scrub.
• Clean and deodorize your toilet bowl by pouring undiluted white vinegar into it. Let stand for five minutes, then flush. Spray stubborn stains with white vinegar, then scrub vigorously.
• Clean windows with a cloth dipped in a solution of one part white vinegar and 10 parts warm water. This works for dirty TV screens, too!
• For brunettes, rinsing hair with vinegar after a shampoo makes hair shinier. Use one-tablespoon vinegar to one-cup warm water.
• Soak paint stains in hot vinegar to remove them.
• To clean drip coffeemakers, fill the reservoir with white vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly by brewing two cycles with water before using.
• To remove bumper stickers from car chrome, paint on vinegar and let it soak in. Next, scrape off the stickers. Decals can be removed similarly.
• Rid your refrigerator and freezer of bad odors by cleaning the insides with a solution of equal parts vinegar and water, then wiping dry.
• Apply full strength vinegar to mosquito or other insect bites to relieve the itching. (Caution: Do not do this if the affected area is raw.)
• To remove smoke odors on clothes, hang them above a steaming bathtub filled with hot water and a cup of white vinegar.
• To prevent mildew, wipe down surfaces with vinegar.
• Place a vinegar-soaked brown bag on sprains to ease pain and aid recovery.
• Use a sponge dampened with vinegar to clean shower curtains.
• To remove salt and water stains from leather boots and shoes, rub with a solution of 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1 cup water. Wipe over the stained area only, and then polish.
• To loosen a stuck jar lid, hold the jar upside down and pour warm vinegar around the neck at the joint between the glass and the top.
• Rub cider vinegar on your skin to repel insects.