Vinegar - Other Uses - Page 1

• cleaning decanters and bottles
  Use 2 teaspoons of salt, moistened with vinegar. Shake well and rinse thoroughly with water.

• nicer smelling bread box
  After cleaning out the bread box, keep it smelling pleasant by wiping it down with a cloth moistened in distilled vinegar. Allow to dry before replacing the bread.

• cigarette odor remover
  1 quart (1 liter) vinegar
  
  The none-too-pleasant scent of cigarette smoke has a shocking ability to cling to clothing, and it can even spread to other garments hanging nearby. But what to do when a conventional washing or trip to the dry cleaner isn't an option? Turn to vinegar, of course! To start, fill your bathtub with hot water and add 1 quart (1 liter) vinegar. Hang the affected clothes just above the tub so that the vinegar-scented vapors rise, they'll eradicate the smoke smell. Keep the door closed for maximum effect and leave the the clothes to hang overnight. In the morning, the clothes should smell noticeably fresher. 

• Collars and cuffs
  Vinegar
  Baking soda
  
  Collars and cuffs can be cleaned by rubbing a thick paste of baking soda and vinegar onto the stains before washing in the usual way. 

• instant antibacterial aid for gardeners or ramblers
  If you hate to wear gloves when gardening (except, of course, when working with roses, blackberries, or thistles) you will, once in a while, get nicked or scratched. White vinegar can be used to treat such scratches if you are not near a water supply. This stings for a second or two, but saves a long trek to the tap.    

• fabric and leather glue
  Vinegar makes excellent fabric/leather glue:
  1 envelope clear gelatin
  3 tablespoons of white vinegar
  1 teaspoon of glycerine
  Melt the gelatin aad water over a low heat, then add the other ingredients and mix well. Apply white warm. Store the remaining glue in a small plastic or glass jar. Warm it up next time before use. 

• all purpose window wash
  3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
  1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent
  2 1/2 cups (575ml) water
  
  Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle, and shake to blend. Spray it on, and then remove with a squeegee or paper towel. Polish with dry newspaper when dry. The shelf life of this mix is indefinite, but make sure you keep it in a labeled bottle.   

• preventing fading of colored towels and quilts
  Add 2/3 cup (150ml) of vinegar to the laundry to prevent fading. Handmade quilts can be soaked in lots of cold water using 1 cup (225ml) of vinegar on the first time of washing. 

• refreshing the ice tray
  Boil some vinegar and let it cool for a while. Pour it, still hot, into the tray. Wait a few moments and then wipe it clean. 

• sink and countertop disinfectant
  1/4 cup (60ml) vinegar
  
  Bacteria are everywhere, but you can minimize the presence of the harmful varieties on sinks and counter-tops with a good dose of vinegar-its acidity not only kills most bacteria but can also inhibit future growth. Use a clean cloth to apply 1/4 cup (60ml) vinegar to countertops and sinks. Do not rinse with water, but, instead, allow to air-dry (the sour scent will fade ad it dries). 

• cat behavior moderator
  1/2 cup (125ml) vinegar
  1/2 cup (125ml) water
  
  If your cats have a bad habit of fighting with one another or scratching upholstery, a bit of vinegar might be all you need to correct unwanted behavior. Fill a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water. If you come upon your cats fighting one another, a squirt in their general direction should be enough to get them to go their separate ways. If it's furniture that you need to protect, test the solution first in an inconspicuous place. If the vinegar doesn't affect the color, go ahead and lightly spray the spots you'd rather your cats not claw-the smell will keep them away (the scent will be largely undetectable to humans once it dries).

• Colors
  1 gallon (3.75) warm water
  1 cup (225 ml) vinegar
  
  Any colored clothing item that has become dulled can be brightened by soaking it in 1 gallon (3.75 liters) warm water and 1 cup (225 ml) vinegar. Follow this with a clear water rinse.

• reviving leather upholstery
  Leather can be revived by wiping with a damp cloth sprinkled with a little white vinegar. 

• lawns with no brown patches
  Put a tablespoon of your vinegar in your dog's drinking water every day and you will no longer have those brown spots in your lawn from the dog's urine. 

• Make objects swim
  2 teaspoons (9g) baking soda
  Tall clear plastic or glass container
  Water
  Vinegar
  Food coloring
  Various small objects (rice, raisins, small pieces of dried pasta, pieces of fruit)
  
  This fun science experiment shows how carbon dioxide helps objects swim. When baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid) are combined, a chemical reaction occurs that produces carbon dioxide. To start, almost fill the container with three parts water and one part vinegar. Slowly and carefully add 1 teaspoon baking soda. This is going to react with the vinegar so be ready for some fizzing and a possible overflow. Once the fizzing dies down, slowly and carefully add the second teaspoon of baking soda, and follow up with the food coloring once the bubbles settle. With the added food coloring, you will see the liquid moving. Drop in an object. It will most likely sink, but once enough bubbles attach to it (thanks to the carbon dioxide!), it will swim. Keep experimenting with different items to watch how they move. TIP: If the movement appears to be slowing down, slowly add carefully add another teaspoon of baking soda. 

• removing calcium buildup from brickwork
  to get rid of calcium buildup on brick or on limestone, use a spray bottle with half vinegar and half water, then just let it set. The solution will do all the work.

• Vinegar for chickens
  Add vinegar to chicken's water, especially in the winter, to keep them laying better and staying healthy. Apparently, it also helps to deter the chickens from pecking each other. 

• Dishwasher wash
  5 or 6 vinegar ice cubes
  
  This might sound like an odd household chore-after all, wouldn't you expect the inside of a dishwasher to be clean after washing all those dishes? But think about the little bits of food that can accumulate, and the fact that it's a dark container that is often closed and damp inside. To give your dishwasher an easy interior cleanup, freeze some vinegar in an ice cube tray. Place 5 or 6 cubes in the bottom of your dishwasher and run it on its highest heat setting without any dishes inside. 

• rinsing in the dishwasher
  Pour 3 tablespoons vinegar to your dishwasher rinse cycle for streak-free, sparkling dishes every time instead of using a rinse aid.

• waxing a floor
  When waxing a floor after scrubbing with a floor stripper, add 1 cup (225ml) of vinegar to the rinse water. It neutralizes the chemicals and makes the wax or floor finish adhere better.