Thursday’s Thoughts

A Variety of Uses for Vinegar

 

   Most everyone knows that vinegar has many uses as a green cleaning agent, but did you know there are hundreds of different uses for vinegar in addition to cooking and cleaning?  Here are just a few…

***While I have tried many of these, and researched the others, please use at your own risk.***

1.  Use a tablespoon of vinegar in the water when poaching eggs to help them keep their shape.  There will be no taste of vinegar, either.

2.  Kill grass and weeds on your sidewalk by pouring vinegar directly on the unwanted growth.

3.  Deter ants by spraying vinegar around door and window frames, under appliances and any where else there are known ant trails.

4.  Keep dogs from scratching their ears by cleaning the inside of the ear with a soft cloth dipped in vinegar diluted with water.

5.  Keep car windows frost-free by coating the windows the night before with a solution of 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water.

6.  Relieve itchy bug bites or the pain from bee stings by applying full strength vinegar straight from the bottle.

7.  Use to relieve coughs by mixing 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and four teaspoons honey.  Take 1 tablespoon when cough acts up, and at bedtime.

8.  Use apple cider vinegar to tenderize meat by marinating the meat in it over night.

9.   Added too much spice to your food?  Neutralize it by adding white or apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon at a time before serving.

10.  Wipe wooden cutting boards with full strength vinegar to clean and disinfect.

11.  Naturally deodorize a room by spraying vinegar in the air, or keeping a bowl of vinegar in the warmest corner of the room.  Add a fragrant spice to the bowl to also add a pleasant scent.

12.  For an upset stomach, drink 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with 1 cup of water.

13.  Take a shot of vinegar next time you have the hiccups.

14.  Freshen your child’s lunchbox by soaking a piece of bread in vinegar and letting it sit in the lunchbox overnight.  Will work in other small areas like footlockers and car trunks.

15.   Help treat sinus infections and colds by adding 1/4cup of vinegar to the vaporizer.

16.  Azaleas love acidic soil so occasionally water them with a mixture of two tablespoons to 1 quart water.

17.  To prolong the life of cut flowers add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 3 tablespoons sugar per quart of warm water.  Make sure stems are in 3 to 4 inches of water.

18.  Relieve sunburn by applying vinegar either by using a spray bottle or soaking towels or paper towels in vinegar and laying it on the sunburned areas.

19.  Add 2 tablespoons to the bath water to relieve dry and itchy skin.  Or add 2 cups of cider vinegar to the bath water to relieve sore muscles.

20.  To use a a hair conditioner you can mix 1/2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a cup of water, add some essential oil drops for scent if you’d like, and then pour it on your hair in the shower then rinse.  The scent will fade after awhile, and hair will be soft and shiny.