Laundry brightener: Add 1 cup of vinegar to your laundry to add an extra boost to your detergent's cleaning and brighten your colors. Just add in your washer where you normally put the liquid fabric softener. (I've yet to find any machine-washable fabrics affected by the vinegar, but you may want to spot test new items.)
Wrinkle Spray: Mix 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar in a small spray bottle and spray on wrinkly clothes to soften wrinkles.
Flea & Pest Deterrent: Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle or pour in laundry to deter fleas. Soak rags in vinegar and place on stakes around your garden to deter garden pests. Re-saturate the rags every 7 to 10 days.
Analgesic: Saturate a cotton ball with vinegar and dab on the skin to help relieve sunburn, bug bites, poison ivy or poison oak rashes.
Fruit & Veggie Wash: Mix 4 tablespoons vinegar in one gallon of water (for future use, store in a clean used milk jug.) Rinse store bought produce in the mixture to remove sediment and wax buildup.
Deodorizer: To rid the air of smoke and paint smells, fill several bowls 3/4 full of vinegar and set out all day. (This will greatly reduce smells, but further deodorizing may be needed.) Up to once per week, pour 1 cup of vinegar down the kitchen drain, let stand for half an hour, and rinse with cold water. To remove foul food smells (like fish, onions, and garlic) from your hands, simply rub them with vinegar.
Furniture Restorer: Remove white "water" rings from wood furniture by mixing equal parts vinegar and olive oil and applying with a clean soft cloth in the direction of the wood grain. Use a fresh cloth to polish and shine.
Mildew Remover: Spray on painted surfaces, tubs and showers, tile (ceramic, but NOT stone--especially marble, limestone, and travertine), plastic curtains, and bathroom fixtures.
Astringent: Mix with water in a 3:1 ratio (as with the wrinkle spray above) and dab on your face with a cotton ball twice daily. This formula is gentle enough to use as an infant acne remedy.
Flower & Christmas Tree Preservative: In one quart of warm water, dissolve 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Keep the stems in 3 to 4 inches of this solution for longer lasting blooms.
Some of these are new to me! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI recently learned that vinegar can be used to help eliminate that kind of musty smell that towels develop after a long time. Wash a load of towels on hot water with about 1/2 c. of white vinegar, and then wash them again with your usual detergent. They smell so much fresher! :)