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Vinegar may be oh-so-tasty on fish and chips, and a host of other foods, but it has plenty of other uses in your home. The acidic liquid is a powerful cleaner, eating through lime and grime, and killing many viruses and bacteria. From cleaning calcium buildup to unclogging drains to detoxifying your home, it seems like there's nothing vinegar can't do, and it's easy on the environment and your wallet. Here are eight more tips on how to use this incredible substance.
1. Balance bad soil's PH and increase its acidity by adding half a cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of water when watering plants.
2. Soothe stings from bees or jellyfish with vinegar. Dab a cotton ball in white vinegar and dot the irritation to relieve itching.
3. Use it to treat sinus infections, congestion and chest colds. Add 1/4 cup or more to a vaporizer.
4. Freshen a lunchbox. Soak a piece of bread in vinegar and place it in the lunchbox to sit over night to get rid of that funky smell.
5. Use it in the laundry room to remove lint from clothes. Add half a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle of the washing machine. This will also help brighten fabric colors.
6. Vinegar is great at removing stains and odors from hands. Case in point: Rub your fingers with vinegar before and after slicing onions to avoid that tell-tale aroma.
7. Feel better and soothe a sore throat with vinegar. Mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water with a bit of sweetener and drink it. It will make you feel better.
One last quick tip: Always keep a large bottle of white vinegar in your pantry, and when you notice that you have just a quarter of a bottle left, pick up a new one. That way you'll never run out when you need it most!
Editor's Note: We do not advise using vinegar or any other substance to extinguish a fire without first consulting a Material Safety Data Sheet.
