Frugal Living

Uses of Vinegar

Used as a hair rinse, vinegar neutralizes the alkali left by shampoos.
A reader says 'it will give your hair an all out shine!'

A quarter cup in a quart of water makes a good window cleaner.
A reader adds: When you use vinegar in your water to wash windows, dry with newspapers. Your windows will sparkle!
Fabric softener and static cling reducer - use as you would liquid fabric softener.
Air freshener, used with baking soda - use 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 2 cups of water. After it stops foaming, mix well, and use in a (recycled) spray bottle into the air.
Chewing gum dissolver - saturate the area with vinegar. If the vinegar is heated, it will work faster.
Stain remover - for stains caused by grass, coffee, tea, fruits and berries. Soak clothing in full strength vinegar.
Corn and callus remover - soak a piece of stale bread (a cloth would probably do as well) in vinegar, and tape it over the callus or corn overnight.
Remedy for age spots - Mix equal parts of onion juice and vinegar and use it daily on age spots. This will take a few weeks to work, just like its expensive relative from the store.
Kill grass or weeds by pouring hot vinegar on it. This might take a couple of times to work completely.
Wash your windshield with vinegar in the winter to help keep ice and frost away.
If you have a septic tank, use vinegar instead of harsh chemicals to clean the toilet bowl. Let it set overnight if you can; it will help keep germs down.
Spray your hands with a mist of vinegar, or dip them in vinegar and dry after washing dishes or having them in soapy water to keep your hands soft.
It's an ongoing battle as to whether vinegar can help you lose weight, but the ones who say it will, say to drink a glass of water before each meal in which you've added a tablespoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of honey.
Use diluted 1:1 in water to take pet odors out of carpets. Find the spot, and saturate it with about 1 1/2 times the original volume. Let set for awhile then blot up. Repeat if your cloth is very dirty after blotting. I make sure to turn on a fan and open a window, especially for large spots!
Splash vinegar on your varicose veins. The vinegar is supposed to reduce the veins and relieve the pain and swelling. Of course, you might smell like a tossed salad!
I use about a tablespoon of vinegar in the water when poaching eggs. It helps the eggs to keep their shape. No taste of vinegar either.
A reader says; My best use for vinegar is to use 1 tablespoon vinegar to an 8 ounce glass of warm water for a sore throat. Gargle every hour and swallow after gargling, with two mouthfuls. I got this from a Vermont Folk Medicine book by D.C.Jarvis many years ago. If started at the first hint of a sore throat, it always works, usually within a night's sleep. I don't mind the taste, but some children might.
It is also helpful when children get lice, if you take warm vinegar and put it on the hair also take your nit comb and dip it in the vinegar. As you run it through the hair it helps remove the nits. It is supposed to be able to help break down the glue the nits use to stay attached to the hair.
Set a container (shallow bowl) of vinegar throughout the house to absorb unpleasant odors. Works great on burned food odors. Do not use styrofoam. It will soak thru it.
Use vinegar and olive oil as a frugal dressing with a selection of herbs on your salad. A different reader adds: I like to use vinegar the old-fashioned way: I eat it!! I use all sorts of vinegars as salad dressing ingredients (my favorite is the classic red wine vinegar mixed with olive oil). I also eat my fish with malt vinegar, which is also very good on french fries.
This reader says: I liked the 'spray mister' approach to air freshening, but as a sometimes poor bachelor cook, I have blackened fish when it isn't on the menu. Vinegar in a towel, twirled about the head will quickly stop the smoke detectors from screaming. It also freshens the air, and captures the smoke smell before the whole house is caught.
Added by another reader: Put vinegar on white bread around a house to get rid of smoke smell fom a fire.
Another reader writes: You can use vinegar to remove wall paper. I just redid my entire kitchen and it was a snap. First remove top layer of wallpaper. Then spray vinegar on and let set for a minute or two. Then pull backing away. Scrape excess glue off wall. Wipe remaining glue off with vinegar and rinse with water. You don't have to use harse chemicals and it is cheap, cheap, cheap.
This reader writes: My grandmother swears by vinegar as an antiseptic for abrasions,to reduce itch from poison ivy or mosquito bites,and even to help rehydrate sunburned skin.
She also uses it diluted 50/50 as a skin cleanser as most soaps are alkaline as compared to skin ph.
On a different note, most meat marinades are most effective if acidic, so an extra few spoonfuls of vinegar can't hurt.
On heavily tarnished copper or copper-alloy to be cleaned up, use a paste made of salt and vinegar.
A reader writes: I use white (not apple cider) vinegar mixed with water to rinse off the dishes after washing them to take the soap off and leave them squeeky clean. This also takes the soap residue off of my hands at the same time.
Another reader wrote: I am allergic to crabs. However, I love them. I have found that when I dip my crabmeat in vinegar, I don't get an allergic reaction. This may not work for everyone, but it works for me.
Pour vinegar around the sides of your pool and it helps keeps flies away.
Add 1/2 cup vinegar to a gal. of water to keep your vinyl no wax floors clean and shining.
A reader adds: Not only does it keep the floors shiny but it kills the dust mites! great for us since we have severe allergies.

Another reader adds: We moved into a new house 6 months ago, and it's a vinyl floor haven. Lots of vinyl floor! Since my old house was relatively small with only about a 10x8 vinyl floor in my kitchen, I usually just got down on my hands and knees to do the deed. Not now! My back isn't that great! I bought one of those mops with the detachable, washable heads, and I squirt pickling vinegar ('cause it's stronger) on the floor, mop it up and squirt more as needed. My floor is impeccable, my back is just fine thanks, and there's no need to buy any of that Mop and Glo stuff. It's affordable (read "frugal"!) and environmentally safe.
USE as a meat tenderizer. Add a tablespoon to water when boiling ribs or meat for stews, and even the toughest meat will be so tender you can cut with fork or will fall off the bone.
One teaspoon to one tablespoon of vinegar gets rid of hiccups.
Another reader writes: I've found that gargling with cider vinegar will stop the most horrible case of hiccups!

Vinegar is great for removing calcium deposit build up. Use full strength and allow to set. Time depends on condition.
Sunburn Remedy:

At bedtime, cover sunburns with a towel soaked in water and vinegar and try to persuade the victim to sleep this way. Younger ones, of course, will have a struggle with this, especially because of the smell!
Put vinegar in a spray bottle and spray on sunburn. It soothes for quite a length of time. Just like store bought stuff.
A reader wrote this: I used this on my son when his legs were sunburned. I used half and half which was half water and half vinegar. I saturated tea towels in it and layed them on his legs and he said it didn't smell too good but it sure took out the burning. You must do this several times but it works and then it gives you a nice tan.
Vinegar will take the sting out of a sunburn - just soak a paper towel and apply to burn. Smells bad but, hey, if you're in pain, who cares?
To relieve swelling and fluid from too much sun, mix a paste of baking soda and apple cider vinegar and apply. This reader says it will draw out the fluid.
I met a girl who was told by her doctor to sit in the sun (she had some sort of skin problem). She was to use diluted red wine vinegar to keep from burning. She was out in the sun everyday of the summer and had a nice tan.(You have to understand that she lived in Phila., PA and I was visiting from FL).
When I went on a trip to the Keys to spend a lot of time on the water, I used a spray bottle filled with undiluted red wine vinegar. I had my friend spray my back occassionally while spraying the front more frequently. My back did get somewhat burned, but from head to toes the front of me was nicely tanned. (I did look really red from the vinegar, but after showering...ta da...tan) I'm not sure, but using the red wine vinegar has seemed to help me tan faster.

Use 2 cups of cider vinegar in the tub to soak sore muscles and add potassium to muscles.
Use for a throat soother. Take equal amounts of honey and cider vinegar, stir or shake until dissolved. Take a tablespoon at a time to cut mucuous in the throat.
Heat vinegar to boiling point. Then poor over your fixtures that have deposits of lime. This will release or remove the deposit.
Use a cup of vinegar in two gallons of water in the diaper pail to neutralize the urine in cloth diapers. It also helps keep them from staining.
Keep a spray bottle of 50% vinegar, 50% water near the laundry station. Spray it on clothing stains before tossing the clothing into the washer (just as you would a commercial spray stain remover).
As a carpet spot and stain remover - take a trigger spray bottle and fill with one part white vinegar to seven parts water. Take a second spray bottle and fill with one part white, non sudsy amonnia and seven parts water. Saturate stain with vinegar solution. Let dwell for a few minutes and blot thoroughly with a clean, white cloth. Then go over the area with the ammonia solution, let dwell and blot again. Repeat until the stain is gone. Also works for pet stains to help remove the odors.
Keep a solution of 50/50 white vinegar and water in a spray bottle to use for clean ing windows.
From a reader: When I apply a weak bleach solution (to a counter after handling raw chicken, or to grout to whiten it), even after rinsing it still smells like bleach. Spraying it with the vinegar solution does away with the bleachy smell. This also works if you use bleach when washing fabric - try an extra rinse with a cup of vinegar in it to get rid of the bleach smell.
Note: A reader cautioned against using vinegar with bleach because it produces chlorine gas, so I asked about it on our chemistry guide's forum here at About.com. He said that, while the mixture does produce chlorine gas, using a few drops at a time (to rinse hands or counter, as opposed to gallons) as a spot neutralizer would cause no problem. You can read the posts yourself, if you like.

Another reader wrote this: Fill the water reservoir half way and run the coffee maker as you normally do and then run it once full of water and the coffee maker will be spotless. (Well, cleaner anyway.)
Vinegar in drinking water is very effective in eliminating the low-grade fevers that are present in Chronic Fatigue sufferers. It also helps eliminate the 'thrush' coating in the mouth which is sometimes caused by antibiotic use. Mix four tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a gallon of drinking water. Drink up to one gallon each day.
Add a splash of vinegar, a tablespoon or so, to the water when you hardboil eggs. If one cracks, it will not boil out of the shell.
Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a quart of drinking water. Helps to deal with heat stress. Also helps to repel mosquitos.
From another reader: After years of suffering from athlete's foot, consulting doctors, and spending hundreds of dollars on so called cures (some presciption, some over the counter), I read in one of the magazines in which I subscibe to try soaking in vinegar. Something was said about it changing skin ph so that the fungus could not grow. I soaked three evenings in a row. Now, no more fungus and that has been several months ago.
This reader says: I feed vinegar to my horses to keep the flies away. I pour 1/4 cup of cider vinegar on their grain once a day and it really keeps the flies away from them! They seem to like it too.
I use cloth diapers and my baby kept breaking out in a rash. From another web site, it suggested adding a cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle. It equalizes the ph balance. I've been doing it ever since and, viola, no rash!
This readers says: I use white or cider vinegar to clean out the chicken's and cat's water containers. I pour a small amount in the container, take a rag and wash the gunky parts and rinse. I rinse an extra time and dump on my plants outside. It keeps the water containers clean without all that gunky buildup. I do it once a month.
Soak shower head in vinegar overnight, then rinse in hot water, to remove water deposits and keep it flowing freely.
From another reader: When my kids were small, sometimes they would not have a good car riding experience ...vomiting in the car. We cleaned it out and nothing would get rid of that small, especially when the car got warm. So, we placed a bowl of vinegar in a bowl on the floor of the car, closed it up for the night. In the morning, no more smell. And it never came back.
Yet another reader - We live in the country with 4 dogs as part of our family,they sit on the couch,etc. BUT,they love to chase skunks since I don't usually keep tomato juice around,vinegar has come to my rescue. It doesn't take it away completely but its bearable. Keep away from eyes, of course.
And this one: A nurse told me molds grow in humidifiers used in sick rooms. After a couple of days' use, she rinsed out a humidifier, then refilled it, adding maybe 1/4 cup vinegar. She would run this for a couple of minutes in the bathroom, with the door closed and the window open, to kill the molds. Then she'd rinse it, run it again with just clear water, rinse that, and declare it fit for service again. She was also adamant about not just pouring more water in to refill, but rinsed the reservoir out each time to retard growth of nasty stuff she didn't want spraying all around the sick room.
This reader says - I hate to wear gloves when gardening (except, of course when working with roses, blackberries or thistles) and once in a while I get a nick or scratch. Since I shoveled most of it INTO my garden, I know what my hands are in, and I'm 120 yards downhill from the bathroom sink and the disinfectant! My trusty spray bottle of full strength white vinegar to the rescue. Stings for a second or two until the endorphins kick in, but I don't have to stop what I'm doing and make a special trip back up hill. I've NEVER had an infection in a scratch since I discovered this trick.
From another reader: We have a distiller for our water. Every Saturday, I put a gallon of vinegar in the distiller and turn it on. When it boils, it's done. Then I let the vinegar cool down and use it for cleaning the coffee and tea pots. A gallon usually lasts a good month before losing it's efficiency.
. Remove water stains from leather by rubbing with a cloth dipped in a vinegar and water solution.
Drink a couple of spoonfuls a day to keep mosquitoes away - your perspiration will be unpleasant. (Only to mosquitoes! --Pat)
1 tsp cider vinegar with one tsp honey taken three times daily helps with arthritis. It dissolves the crystal deposits of uric acid that form between joints (and also in muscles as with muscular rheumatism). Also dissolves osteophytes (bony spurs) over long periods.
While this seems to be effective, we are not claiming to give medical advice. Always ask your doctor before attempting to diagnose yourself or deciding upon medication to alleviate any symptoms

That staining that occurs in clay and plastic flower pots and their saucers comes right out--no scrubbing needed. Just fill the kitchen sink with cold water and add plain white vinegar about 2/3 water-1/3 vinegar. Soak pots and saucers til they look clean and new (sometimes takes an hour). Wash with soap and water before reusing.
Same thing works in the commode; just flush, pour in good cup of vinegar and let set overnight. Switch out with brush.
Mix 1/3 rubbing alcohol and 1/3 white vinegar and 1/3 water. Store it in any old clean dropper bottle (like Visine eye drops) and use it to clean out your ears!! It also works fine on dogs and cats. As a matter of fact my VET gave me this tip years ago when I had a cocker spaniel that got fequent ear infections. Just squirt 8-10 drops in ear holding head to side; let it stand in ear for a minute then drain. With my three dogs, while I'm holding their head tilted I message the ear around in a circle then tilt and wipe out with Kleenex; usually apply one a month or if they are ear scratching. My current VET laughed and said 'Well, I've got animal ear cleaning drops here and it only costs 8 dollars a bottle but what you are using seems to be working. Your dogs ears are certainly clean.' Warning: If applied daily for 3 days and dogs are still scratching or rubbing ears--see VET; they have mites or bacterial infection.
Vinegar is an excellent grease cutter. In college cafeterias we boil out our fry vats every week with vinegar and water. Very cost effective and very safe-no harsh chemicals, no risk of fire. We also use straight vinegar to clean the grill hoods. Again, very inexpensive and does a fantastic job.
Pour 1/4 cup vinegar with dish soap- water must be hot (not boiling hot). This is great for cleaning your Corningware dishes (it removes all the stains and grease), cleaning your stainless steel pots and pans ect., clean your oven and all of stove top ( this is better than oven cleaners. it will remove all of the grease. just dab on and let it set for a few minutes then wipe clean), and cabinets in kitchen.
Rinse water for face- pour 1/8 cup in rinse water, rinse face and let it air dry (it seals the moisture in the skin) (great for all over especially when weather is dry)
Vinegar restores the natural acid base of your skin, so it's good for skin problems, too. --Pat
One to two table spoons of vinegar with your meat help tenderize it while you are cooking.
To keep your freshly-cleaned oven from stinking up your house next time you bake something, wipe it with white vinegar poured directly on the sponge as a final rinse. It neutralizes the harsh alkali of oven cleaners.
Pour 1/4 cup vinegar to your dishwasher rinse cycle for streak free, sparkling dishes everytime!!
When you have to leave your car outside overnight in the winter, mix 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water and coat the windows with this solution. This vinegar and water combination will keep windshields ice and frost-free.
Medicine for toe nail fungus can be very costly, but you can use one part vinegar to one part warm water and soak your feet.
Another reader writes: My daughter had toe nail fungus, causing the nail to grow up instead of out, like it should. I started putting a few drops of white vinegar several times a day. To my amazement, her nail is almost normal again! Try this one, for those who have the above problem, it really works!

Try white vinegar underarms and other areas of the body as a natural deoderant. Will not stop perspiration (which is not healthy anyway) but will neutralize odor.
If you have problems with ants and other insects invading your home, they are probably crossing your door and/or window sills, baseboards, etc. I've found that if you 'pour' vinegar across the opening sill, it stops their coming in. For some reason, they will not cross it.
Add approximately 5 tsp. of apple cider vinegar to your horse's oats morning and evening to dramatically reduce fly bites. We have a Quarterhorse who was literally covered in welts from fly bites. After starting on the vinegar, the bites disappeared and were kept under control for the remainder of the season.
Vinegar in the horse feed also can help with mobility and breathing problems.
1/2 cup Vinegar to a quart of water sprayed onto the coat of a horse or dog works like a vinegar hair rinse. Their coats gleam! An extremely economical alternative to expensive show shine products.
I'll add this: Add vinegar to chicken's water, especially in the winter, to keep them laying better and stay healthy. If your chickens don't have access to wild, natural food, give it to them year 'round.
When waxing a floor after scrubbing with a floor stripper, use 1 cup of vinegar to rinse water. It neutralizes the chemicals and makes wax or floor finish adhere better.
This reader says: My 6 year old cocker spaniel has chronic skin infections. After his weakly bath, I rinse him with a solution of 1 part cider vinegar to 3 parts water. His skin seems better.
Sip on one teaspoon in a half to three-fourths cup of water. Honey may be added if desired to enhance flavor. I have used it for years for myself and family and it always stops that nauseous feeling without medications of any kind.. vomiting is rare when this started in time. There have been a few times when I felt the 'stomach flu' coming on and I have sipped on this vinegar mixture for 4-5 hours and been relieved of it completely. Pickle juice can be used if you are out of vinegar. My daughters used to drink pickle juice and stayed healthy!
Because of such a severe case of contact dermatits from overuse of yeast medicines, I was left unable to walk or sit comfortably, and my skin was too sensitive for any topical medications, and oral cortisone only worked temporarily. My mother suggested using 4 tbs. of white vinegar with some juice to kill the taste. I'm glad to tell you that the vinegar, along with rest, has put me on the road to recovery in only 4 days after battling this illness for 4 months!
Anyone who uses plaster or clay will find relief from the ph imbalance of the alkali in the material if they wash their hands with soap (more alkali), then rinse well with one to one solution of white vinegar and water each time they are done. Heard this years ago from a master artist in plaster figurines for churches.
This is what I call my GoGo Juice. Take 2 cups of grape juice, 2 cups of white grape juice, 2 cups of apple juice and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. Mix well and refrigerate. Every morning before you do anything else, drink a small cup of it. Each batch lasts a week or two depending on how much you drink each morning. It tastes sort of like a strong wine. Since I have done this my energy level has increased dramatically and my coffee consumption has gone down. I also feel better altogether.
I keep my drains clean and working great with vinegar. When they seem to be getting a bit sluggish, or even stopped up, pour white vinegar down the kitchen and bathroom sinks and shower drain. It works like a wonder and no toxics.
A little vinegar on the tongue of a sassy toddler or preschooler works just as well as soap!
Quite often muscle cramps, or 'charlie horse', are caused by too low a level of potassium. I take a tsp. of vinegar when suffering from a muscle cramp to quickly bring my potassium level back up and relieve the cramp.
When making soup stock (as all good frugal-ites do), squirt in a tablespoon of white vinegar, to help leach (extract) all the calcium from the bones being used. There's no vinegar taste, and most of us can certainly use the additional calcium.
It's never failed me yet: Mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with one cup of honey and store this mixture in an air-tight container. Anytime you have trouble drifting off, take two teaspoons of this mixture and you'll drift off in less than a half hour. And you won't be groggy in the morning like over-the-counter sleep aids.
-White vinegar can also be used to clean raw wood, such as a wooden cutting board. Pour straight vinegar onto the wood and then use a sponge to literally push the dirt away. Be sure to wipe in the direction of the wood grain, starting at one end and working to the other. This way the dirt you are trying to get rid of won't be pushed back into the wood grain.
White vinegar is also a solvent for most glues. To dissolve any unwanted glue bonds, simply apply vinegar to the glued area and let sit until the bond becomes weak (how long depends on what kind of glue and how much was applied).
White vinegar can also be mixed with water-based inks to make a wonderful stain for wood. The resulting finish is the color of the tint with a silvery sheen. Simply pour vinegar into a mixing jar, add the ink until the desired color is achieved and apply to wood with a brush or rag. Wipe off excess and let dry. Since the bulk of the mixture is vinegar, wood-warpage is minimal.
To use up all those bits of tomato sauce (ketchup) or chutney etc., that come in bottles add some vinegar, oil and shake. The liquid will pour out easily; this makes the base for marinades, just add onion, garlic and spices.
A teaspoon of vinegar relieves hiccups more effectively than anything else, including lemon juice or sugar...
Wiping down clean metal surfaces with a vinegar solution (1 part vinegar to 5 parts water) preps the surface for painting, and reduces the incidence of peeling...
De-gas (or at least lower to amount produced) beans by adding Apple Cider Vinegar (1/8-1/4 c) to soaking water. Soak overnite, then rinse thoroughly. Add a little to the water when you cook them also. Works for split peas and garbanzos also.
Using apple cider vinegar to wash windows attracted fruit flies, so this reader's mother set a bowl of it to rid her house of them. The reader says: 'I've had to do this a time or two myself when I've had a problem with fruit flies. I just set out a bowl of apple cider vinegar and they come a runnin'!!'
Vinegar makes excellent fabric/leather glue: 1 sachet clear gellatin, 3 tablespoons of white vinegar, 3-4 tablespoons of water, 1 teaspoon of glycerine. Melt the gellatin and water on low fire,then add the other ingredients and mix well. The glue has to be applied when warm. Store the remaining glue in a small plastic or glass jar. Warm it up next time before use. Cheap, efficient, and clear glue for fabrics and leather.
Try 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water in a spray bottle, spray your dog when he doesn't behave. The dog minds instantly.
I have poured vinegar around my children's sand box to keep cats from using it as their litter box. About every two months I reapply just to be sure. It has worked so far.
My grandmother got me started doing this. I do it once or twice a week. Dipping a wet toothbrush in white vinegar and brushing my teeth. It does away with any bad breath, especially after eating onions. And it also whitens my teeth.
I was advised to pour 1 gallon of white vinegar into the water of our whirlpool tub, once a year and run it. This will keep the jets from clogging up from soap scum, etc. everyweek I mop with water and white vinegar, not only does it keep the floors shiny but it kills the dust mites! great for us since we have severe allergies.
When the weather changes and the sinus start running I get that nagging cough, I simply take 2 tablespoons of any kind of vinegar and that nasty cough stops.
Cheap solution to replace those expensive PERGO flooring cleaners (got this from a PERGO Distributor)

1/3 part white vinegar
1/3 part rubbing alcohol
1/3 part water
3 drops diswashing liquid
Mix this into a (recycled) spray bottle and you have the equivalent of the Pergo floor cleaner. Just spray and mop; also great for deodorizing a room and for a fast cleanup. I also use this on my tile floors with great results.
I have a history of having problems with boils and bear the scars of them. They are quite painful and at times have had to have them lanced. A few people in my family told me about vinegar tea. One tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar , one tablespoon honey mixed in a cup of hot water at least twice a day has dissolved more than one of my boils. Not only the vinegar tea but also: the recommended daily amount of water. Stay away from sodas and chocolate, as they seem to agravate the infected area even more. If the boil does come to a head where it is going to open contuine to drink the vinegar tea and the water. Use hot packs on the boil for 15-20 minutes three times a day. Doing this has more than once saved an unwanted visit to the doctor. What is also important is not to squeeze a boil. I hope this will help someone out there.
Soak (rinsed and dried) egg shells in vinegar until they dissolve. Dilute with water, and drink your (very easy to assimilate) calcium supplement. Oyster shells can also be dissolved in vinegar until dissolved, then drunk, for a calcium supplement. [Pearls may be dissolved also, but this is not very frugal ;-) ]
When taking calcium-magnesium tablets/or powder, wash it down with something acidic (like vinegar diluted in water), so that it will dissolve the cal-mag, so that your body can assimilate it.
Any time you take vinegar internally, be sure to rinse your mouth with plain water. Acid remaining on teeth will eventually (over time), dissolve your teeth, as it does with calcium deposits around the sink. [I never thought of my teeth as calcium deposits, but, hmmm, I guess they are...like my bones...]

I use vinegar to get rid of the hard water deposits around my sink and it's so simple. Soak a paper towel(s) with vinegar and place them around the area that needs to be cleaned, or for cleaning the faucet you can soak the towel and wrap it around and then rubberband it in place. I do this overnight and the next morning it's a cinch to wipe clean. This has been safe on my brass faucets as well.
My dad is 77 years old and his skin on his face is just so smooth and soft looking. His secret is he uses vinegar for aftershave. Also if he gets any rashes or pimples he uses vinegar for that as well. He drinks apple cider vinegar, honey and hot water every morning. The vinegar odor goes away very quickly when he uses it for aftershave. He started this when he always broke out in a rash after using the regular aftershaves.
To clean my microwave, I put 1 Tablespoon of vinegar, one cup of warm water & 1 or 2 drops of dish soap in a small microwave safe bowl. Put it in the microwave on high for 3-4 minutes and let stand for 15 minutes. Then wipe the microwave out with a damp sponge. The steam & use of vinegar loosens up the build up in the microwave.
Use boiling vinegar (no water) to clean hardened acrylic paints from paint brushes. Don't soak them too long, since it could loosen the hairs from the brush.
Make your own very frugal furniture polish using equal parts of white vinegar and vegetable oil. Wipe it on and buff with a soft cloth. To clean brassware to like-new condition without scrubbing, soak in 1:10 parts of white vinegar:water. To clean brass lamps, unscrew sections, soak in bucket. All green and black tarnish comes off in no time. Learned this from a band director who uses vinegar to clean student's brass instruments.
I find most Americans I've talked to overlook the easiest and most delicious way to use it...on french fries! I don't know how many American friends I've made cringe at the mere mention of it but when you live in Canada it's as much a condiment for french fries as ketchup. Who knows, before you know it your fast food restaurants will supply little packets of it as a necessity if it catches on over there.
We use 1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar to 1 tbsp rubbing alcohol to prevent swimmers ear.
I have used vinegar for removing rust on the screws of hand me down baby equipment. I have also removed rust from nails (you know the big and expensive ones) that were left out in the rain. The trick is to put the metal object(s) in a container and cover with vinegar, seal the container and shake, let stand over night or 24 hrs.
To remove rust from bolts and other metals, soak them in full strength vinegar.
Strange as it sounds, vinegar soothes the itching and burning of hemorrhoids. Just take a cotton ball and dab the affected area with full strength apple cider vinegar! Caution: some people find the full strength solution stings. If this happens to you, just dilute the vinegar half and half with water.
My husband insists that we wash any flesh foods with vinegar before cooking to reduce the bacteria, especially chicken. It makes the foods more pleasant to work with, and I feel more confident about working with, cooking and serving the food.
Keep cut flowers fresh longer (or even perk up droopy ones) by adding two tablespoons of vinegar and one tablespoon of sugar to each quart of water.
We have very hot weather here, and from time to time a load of laundry doesn't get dried soon enough or fast enough. I rewashed a load of clothes and dumped some white vinegar in the rinse cycle. Presto, no stinky mildew smell.
I use vinegar full strength on a clean white cloth to clean spots from my carpeting. This will dissolve most substances except for waxy stains. With young kids and a husband we have plenty of food spots.
My friend from the Dominican Republic taught me that if you put a few drops of vinegar in pasta as it boils, the starch is cut. This makes the pasta less sticky.
Vinegar is extremely effective on yeast infections. When I get an infection, I pour about 1 cup of white vinegar in my douche bottle and finish filling with warm water. I douche twice daily and in about 2 days my infection is gone. The vinegar smell leaves in about an hour.
Another reader writes: I have found that the vinegar bath also cures yeast infections, not only mine but also my infant daughter. My midwife suggested the vinegar bath while I was pregnant and it cured it and hasn't come back since. Twice daily and in about two days it's gone.

To clean grout pour white vinager full strength let sit and scrub with a tooth brush. This works great!
I discovered that vinegar works great to remove tempera paint like you use when you decorate your windows for the holidays. It takes it right off almost immediately, sponge vinegar over paint then wipe off finish removing residual with paper toweling, or, as I prefer, reusable terry cloth towel:)
I have found that the vinegar bath also cures yeast infections, not only mine but also my infant daughter. My midwife suggested the vinegar bath while I was pregnant and it cured it and hasn't come back since. Twice daily and in about two days it's gone.
I nurse my daughter who has extremely sensitive skin. It seems that everytime I turn around, I have eaten something that breaks her out. I started giving her vinegar baths. I run her bath water and pour about a cup of apple cider vinegar in. It has been weeks now and her skin is smoother than it has ever been.
I have four cats, and anyone who has cats know that cat urine is almost impossible to get out. Just mix 1/2-1 cup vinegar to you laundry, and wash as normal. Vinegar is great if you want to rid pet odors.
Put 1/2 cup into a pan to soak your feet in before a pedicure. It softens your skin.
I rinse fresh fruit and vegetables in it. This replaces the expensive advertised vegetable wash.
I put it in my steam vac to rinse my carpets with after shampooing. The carpet will stay fresh longer, because it removes any detergent residue. I use a quarter of a cup, per gallon of water.
I have seen many posts about using vinegar on a sunburn. When I burn myself when cooking I splash some white vinegar on a bit of paper towel and put it on the burn. It stops hurting immediately and if you keep it on, you will not develop a blister.
Another reason to use vinegar in the rinse cycle is that it cuts down on the lint. I put 1/2 to 1 cup in the rinse cycle. I have a long haired white cat and I have definitely noticed the reduction in lint on my family's clothes since I started using vinegar.
This reader got this from a column in a newspaper in 1953 and has used it to clean walls ever since.

1 GALLON OF WATER
1 CUP BOTTLED AMMONIA
1/2 CUP BOTTLED VINEGAR
1/4 CUP BAKING SODA.
Put the ammonia, vinegar and baking soda into the bucket of water. STIR TO MIX THOROUGHLY. Wash the walls from the bottom up for if you get drips on the uncleaned surface,(any other cleaner used will do the same) it will leave marks that are very difficult if not impossible to remove. (This caution was printed in the paper along with the recipe for the solution.)
To remove food residue, mineral deposits, soap scum and chemical residues caused by water from your dishwasher:
Set TIMER to WASH CYCLE (to prevent any water from being added to vinegar). Pour 1 gallon of white vinegar into bottom of dishwasher. Activate washer and allow to complete cycle to wash with vinegar and rinse with clean water.
To get ride of calcium buildup on brick or on limestone, use a spray bottle with half vineger and half water, then just let it set. The solution will do all the work.
If you have a recipe that calls for sour milk (or buttermilk), add a bit of vinegar to the milk, it works!
We use vinegar on wasp/yellowjacket stings. Just soak a cotton ball in cider vinegar and hold to the sore spot (can tape it on with bandage tape). Within a few minutes the pain stops. It would work on bee stings too, only you'd probably need to get the stinger out.
I was recently told to buy a product to clean the white deposits on the tray in my refrigerator's water/ice dispenser. I boiled vinegar and let it set for one minute and poured it (while still hot) into the tray, waited just a little and wiped it clean.
I use a white vinegar solution 2 parts vinegar 1 part water to clean the rust off cast iron pans. I collect antique cast iron pans and after cleaning the old grease off them many times they are rusty under the old seasoning. I soak the pan overnight in the vinegar solution and the vinegar just dissolves the rust. Very rusty pans many take an extra evening. Don't leave it in there too long or you will not have a pan. The vinegar actually dissolves the metal. This would work on new cast iron pans also.
It used to be that when anyone in my family saw a roach, they'd go running for the bug spray and hit him with a blast. The critter would run in a frenzy to escape, and then we'd find him turned over somewhere half an hour later, whereupon he'd be flushed down the toilet in a paper towel.
The problem with this method is that toxic chemicals from the bug spray would end up on the carpet or furniture. One day, after seeing a roach, I tried an experiment. I got one of the children's squirt guns and filled it with vinegar. Since the vinegar is non-toxic, I wasn't afraid to blast him if he got on the furniture. As it turned out, it didn't take much. With the bug sprays, roaches would scurry away to escape the fumes, but one hit of the vinegar and he stopped in his tracks. Now I always keep a spray bottle handy for the next bug that gets brave.

My wife and I have been raising rabbits as a food source for several years. When we put the Doe into the Bucks cage for breeding and she is non-receptive, we put her back into her cage and add one tablespoon of white vineger to her fresh water. After 24 hours the Doe will be VERY receptive, and the Buck seems happy too. :o}
I use white vinegar in my wash if washing something that will bleed. I just pour some white vinegar in the washer filling with cold water and then add my soap and clothes. It works great.
This was taught to us when we first moved to the south. (You've never truly experienced ticks 'til you've been to Tennessee) I didn't believe it until I tried it. Take 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar a day. (I mix mine with orange juice.) You'll never get a tick. (I walk through tall grass, woods, etc...) Dosen't seem to work for chiggers though.
Hot vinegar can be used to remove paint from glass (works great around windows where you've accidentally gotten paint on the glass...). Just heat up vinegar on stove and use a cloth to wipe away paint -- it's that easy.
I have been dealing with a problem of symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. If I sip water with apple cider vinegar during the day, those symptoms disappear. It works for me and would certainly be worth a try for those who experience this distressing problem.
White vinegar is the *best* cleaner for rabbit litter boxes. If it's used each time the litter box is cleaned, it keeps the litter boxes like new. If there is already a buildup of dried urine in the box, scrubbing with vinegar will get rid of it.
Take 3 gallons of fresh goat milk, heat for about 45 minutes, stirring constantly. When the milk is hot and foam is on the top, cook for another 15 minutes, add 1/4 cup vinegar and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring slowly. After 15 minutes, strain, using a very clean towel. When most of the whey is drained, add 1/2 tablespoon of salt and stir into the cheese. Grab all the edges and middle of the towel, wrap a rubber band around the top and then hang from a kitchen cabinet. Leave bowl under it as the remaining whey drains out, about an hour or so. Cheese will be cooled and hard. Remove cloth and place in zip lock bag, and refrigerate.
It is now ready to eat on sandwiches, with pasta, use on pizzas, fried cheese, etc.. anytime you use store bought cheese, you can use this homemade cheese.
This doesn't taste like vinegar. The vinegar separates the cheese from the whey.

Use vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser of the dishwasher to keep spots of dishes and glasses also it helps keep the washer clean. The dishwasher service man said it works better than these pricey store bought solutions.
My great grandmother swore by vinegar for almost everything. Two uses that I have tried and had great success with.
For a stiff neck , take a half vinegar half warm water solution and soak a rag in it, then wring the rag out and wrap it around your neck. Put a layer of plastic wrap (to keep your sheets dry) and finish up with a towel (be careful not to strangle yourself). Leave this on over night and in the morning you will not believe the difference.
For bruises and swelling follow the directions above, but use cold water. You can hold the "compress" in place with an ace bandage. leave on for at least an hour, but the longer you leave it the better the results. I have personally used this long after ice was effective for reducing the swelling and it works like a miracle.

For cleaning dentures - leave your dentures in vinegar for as long as you would leave them in a denture cleanser - about 15 minutes to half an hour, or longer, if you wish. Then brush them thoroughly. Your dentures will be cleaner and whiter than a proprietary dental cleaner can do it!
When baking, if you are short of eggs substitute 1 tablespoon of white vinegar per egg. This may be the way they make cakes for people allergic to eggs. I have done this in cakes and muffins, seems to work.
I put 1 teaspoon of white vinegar into a super-soaker water gun and train my puppy great dane. You can reach him from anywhere across the room and he immediately stops his behavior. With the hint of vinegar it lingers.
I use a lot of embroidery floss and always dip the whole skein in white vinegar and then air dry. This "sets" the colors and when I have washed something I have not experienced any "running" of the colors.
I was so disappointed when I got a big lump of tar on my Levi jeans. Today I was trying to get the stains out and had no stain remover in the house, so I just poured a few drops of Vinegar on the stains. I had nothing to lose. The jeans I thought were ruined anyway. But it worked like magic, I have since put them in the washing machine and they're as clean as ever now!!!
I used vinegar with baby oil on holidays this year, got a great tan and never burned!