Safe and Green Living: Vinegar - Other Uses

Cleaning Microwaves
Use a solution of vinegar and baking soda and water to clean up food splatters on the bottom, sides, and ceiling. Remove the turntable plate and wipe over the interior, being careful not to let any water drip through the holes in the walls. The turntable can be cleaned with the same solution.

cleaning a whirlpool tub
Pour 1 gallon (3.75 liters) of white vinegar into the water of a whirlpool tubm once a year and run it. This will keep the jets from clogging up from soap scum, etc.

shiny patent leather
Patent leather will shine better if you wipe it with a soft cloth that has been moistened with distilled vinegar.

removing lime deposits from windshield jets
Use full-strength vinegar on a rag to wipe away the lime deposits left on your car's paint, windows, and windshield jets.

turn a chicken bone into rubber
1 cup (250ml) vinegar

The next time you roast a chicken, set aside a thigh bone. Let the kids soak it in 1 cup (250ml) vinegar for 3 or 4 days. When they take the bone out, they'll be amazed to see how easily it can be bent-the vinegar leaches some of the calcium, leaving the bone noticeably softer and more pliable.

removing paint from glass
Hot vinegar can be used to remove paint from glass. This works well around windows where you've accidentally got paint on the glass. Just heat up vinegar and use a cloth to wipe away the paint.

terry diapers 2
Adding 1 cup (225ml) vinegar during the rinse cycle equalizes the pH balance and has been reported to prevent diaper rash.

preventing colors from running
Use white vinegar if washing something that will bleed. Pour some white vinegar in the washing machine, fill with cold water, and then add soap and clothes.

removing cola stains
Remove spots caused by cola-based soft drinks from 100 percent cotton, and cotton-polyester fabrics. Sponge distilled vinegar directly onto the stain and rub away the spots, then clean according to the directions on the manufacturer's label. This must be done within 24 hours of the spill.

cleaning windows
Clean windows with a solution of 2 tablespoons of vinegar to 4 cups (1 liter) of warm water. Wash from top to bottom on the inside of windows and from side to side on the outside. This way you will be able to tell on which side any smears are. Using dry newspaper instead of a cloth to polish with is an old trick as well. Keep a solution of 50/50 white vinegar and water in a spray bottle to use for removing spots from windows.

paintbrush softener
2 to 3 cups (500 to 750ml) vinegar

No matter how well you wash out a paintbrush, odds are it will have stiffened by the next time you want to use it. Of course, vinegar offers an excellent means of softening and restoring paintbrushes. Place the brushes in a small, heavy-bottomed pot (one that you can dedicate to household situations and not use for cooking) and pour enough vinegar (2 to 3 cups, or 500 to 750ml) over the brushes to soak the bristles. Let sit for 1 to 2 hours. Then place the pot over medium heat and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Rinse with cool water, and you're ready to paint!

removing the smell of vomit/sour milk
To rid the smell after an unfortunate bout of sickness, clean the area thoroughly, then place a bowl of vinegar on the floor and leave overnight. This works very well in a car as well, especially in warm weather. Leave the bowl on the floor of the car overnight, with the doors and windows shut.

deer, raccoon, and occasional picnic pest detergent
1 quart (1 liter) vinegar

For all of vinegar's many uses, the animal kingdom appears not to have caught on to its alluring power. In fact, most creatures seem to despise it. So turn that natural aversion to your advantage, and let a bit of vinegar keep unwanted critters at bay. Decorate your garden with rafs that have been soaked in vinegar to keep deer from munching your vegetables; likewise, if you have more full trash bags than you have containers, discourage animals from getting too curious by dousing the outside of each bag with a liberal splash of vinegar (don't count on this to work, however, if yuo live in bear country). Even flying pests will be perturbed by the smell of vinegar: Place a few small bowls of vinegar in strategic spots at your next picnic (e.g., near the dessert table), and flies will choose a different dining spot.

cleaning silk flower arrangements
Use a spray bottle filled with vinegar. When they get dusty, spray them lightly, and the dust is gone. They also look brand new!

silk
Dip silks (but do not soak) in a mixture of 2/3 cup (150ml) mild detergent, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and 3 1/2 cups (900ml) of water. Rinse well, then roll in a heavy towel to soak up the excess moisture. Iron while still damp.

Refreshing an Ironing Board Cover
Spritz the ironing board cover with vinegar and iron while still damp.

ripening melons without mold
Try rubbing each melon with about a teaspoonful of full-strength vinegar every few days as they begin to ripen.

removing diesel smells
If you have the misfortune to spill diesel fuel either clothes or yourself, you will know that the smell is horrible and refuses to go away. A little vinegar added to the washing machine will take most, if not all, of the smell out.

carpet cleaners
The colors in carpets and rugs will often take on a new lease of life if they are brushed with a mixture of 1 cup (225ml) of vinegar in 1 gallon (3.75 liters) of water.

Safe and Green Living