Many Uses of Vinegar: Tips, Tricks, Ideas, Recipes, DIY, Benefits fof Using Vinegar (2024)

Vinegar as your home’s superhero.

Chances are you’ve got a big bottle of vinegar in your pantry right now and that you only use it as a condiment. Prized for thousands of years, this fermented liquid was discovered by accident when products like wine, beer and cider spoiled, turning them sour. But did you know that vinegar – particularly the distilled white and apple cider varieties – has hundreds of household, beauty, medicinal and even horticultural uses? Here are 20 unusual, thrifty and eco-friendly uses for vinegar that you may not have thought of.


Hair conditioner

Silky, shiny, buildup-free hair using a single cheap, natural product? Sign me up! It may sound odd, but using apple cider vinegar as a rinse after shampooing really does work like a dream. It removes residue from the hair shaft and closes the cuticles. Just add half a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of water, plus a few drops of essential oil if you like. Pour it on in the shower and then rinse it out. Sure, your hair will smell like salad dressing for a while, but once it’s dry, the smell dissipates.

Weed killer

A few rogue weeds can wreak havoc in an otherwise flawless lawn, vegetable garden or flowerbed and are especially annoying when popping up in the cracks of a sidewalk or driveway. Forget pricey weed killers full of toxic ingredients – household vinegar really does kill unwanted plants; stronger vinegar made for horticultural use, which is 25% acetic acid, works even better.

Underarm stain remover

Unsightly sweat stains can really ruin an otherwise beautiful blouse. Ironically, if you use aluminum-based antiperspirants, they’re even more likely to appear thanks to a reaction between aluminum compounds in these products and salts in your sweat. Spray full-strength white vinegar on the stain before washing and it will disappear.

Fabric softener

Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle and not only will it prevent lint from clinging to your clothes and keep colors bright, it’ll also remove soap scum from both the clothes you’re washing and the washing machine itself. Vinegar is also recommended in place of dryer sheets – simply add 3/4 cup to your washer during the final rinse cycle.

Sore throat remedy

Many people recommend sipping or gargling with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a cup of warm water to soothe a sore throat. Add a few tablespoons of honey (also a seriously versatile product!) to this mixture in order to make it even more effective, and far more palatable.
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Ant deterrent

Got trails of tiny ants weaving their way around your home? These annoying insects aren’t big fans of vinegar, so spraying a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water anywhere you have seen them can help encourage them to move out. The vinegar also erases the scent trails that they use to indicate sources of food to their brethren.

Sore muscle soak

Apple cider vinegar helps draw out lactic acid, which accumulates in muscles after exercise, causing that sore feeling. Mix a few tablespoons of vinegar into a cup of water, dip a cloth in the mixture and apply it to sore areas for 20 minutes.

Air freshener

Whether it’s smoke, mildew, pet odor or lingering whiffs of burnt casserole, bad smells can make a home less than welcoming. Store-bought air fresheners just cover up the smell with strong, clearly artificial scents, creating disturbing hybrid smells that only serve to worsen the situation. Acetic acid in vinegar absorbs odors, so spritzing it around the room will neutralize the smells. You can also use it to wipe down surfaces in the room that needs freshening.

Sticker remover

If you’re just getting around to removing that Kerry/Edwards decal from your bumper, or trying to peel a price tag off a new purchase, you’ll never guess what magic ingredient is about to make your life a lot easier. Warm a little bit of white vinegar on the stove top or in the microwave and then dip a rag into it. Hold the rag over the sticker until it’s thoroughly saturated, and it will peel right off without leaving sticky residue behind. This trick also loosens wallpaper adhesive.

Hiccup cure

Most doctors claim that hiccup cures don’t actually work, but tell that to the thousands of people who swear by vinegar as a way to ease these involuntary spasms. It’s not clear how a shot of vinegar would actually help – other than to distract you with its acidic flavor – but next time you’ve got a bout of the hiccups, give it a try.
Many Uses of Vinegar: Tips, Tricks, Ideas, Recipes, DIY, Benefits fof Using Vinegar (3)
Clean crusty paintbrushes

So you forgot to clean your paintbrushes last time you used them, and now they’re so stiff and crusty, it seems that you’ll have to throw them away. Not so fast! Fill a saucepan with undiluted white vinegar and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Dip the paintbrushes into the boiling vinegar, one at a time, dragging the bristles along the bottom of the pan. Continue this process until the paint is dissolved.

Dissolve rust

The acetic acid in vinegar reacts with iron oxide to remove rust from small metal items like hinges, nuts and bolts. Simmer them in a saucepan full of vinegar, then rinse well with water to prevent the vinegar from further affecting the metal.

Eliminate stale odors

You know how lunch boxes and other food containers can take on a funny smell after a while? Vinegar can take care of that, too. Either wipe down the surface well with white vinegar or, in severe cases, leave a cloth soaked in vinegar in the container for a few hours to absorb the odors.

Remove mineral deposits

Calcium and lime deposits from hard water don’t just stain coffee makers and bath tubs, they can actually clog shower heads and reduce dishwasher function. Run a mixture of half water, half white vinegar through your coffee machine to remove them. Use straight vinegar as a rinsing agent in your dishwasher to prevent buildup, and wrap a vinegar-soaked cloth around stained faucets until the deposits can be easily scrubbed away. To clean a clogged shower head, remove it from the pipe and place it in a saucepan full of white vinegar. Simmer for just a few minutes, being careful not to allow it to boil, and then wash off the stains.

Neutralize spice in foods

You’ve got a dinner disaster on your hands: one too many shakes of cayenne powder has turned your award-winning chili into an inedible five-alarm blaze, and your guests are waiting at the table. Vinegar to the rescue! Add white or apple cider vinegar to your food, one teaspoon at a time, to neutralize the spice.
Many Uses of Vinegar: Tips, Tricks, Ideas, Recipes, DIY, Benefits fof Using Vinegar (4)
Prolong the life of cut flowers

Bouquets of cut flowers brighten a room all too briefly, often wilting after just a few days. Squeeze a little extra enjoyment out of your arrangements by adding two tablespoons of white vinegar per quart of water in the vase, which will keep them perky just a little bit longer.

Glass, plastic, chrome and floor cleaner

A half-and-half solution of water and white vinegar will cut the grime on the shelves and walls of the refrigerator and eliminate spoiled food smells too. Full-strength vinegar will remove tough smudges on glass and make porcelain sinks shine. Make it into a paste with a little baking soda to scrub chrome, or mix 1/3 white vinegar with 1/3 rubbing alcohol, 1/3 water and 3 drops of dishwashing liquid for an economical floor cleaner. Just be sure not to get vinegar on marble, granite or slate surfaces.

Treat fungal infections

Fungal infections like athlete’s foot, toe nail fungus and dandruff are definitely no fun. White vinegar and apple cider vinegar can both be applied topically to affected areas of the body to kill fungus. For foot-related ailments, soak in a solution of one part vinegar to five parts water for about thirty minutes a day.

Tenderize and kill bacteria in meat

Marinate meat overnight in apple cider vinegar and it will be delectably tender. This can reportedly also kill the bacteria that causes food-borne illnesses, including e. coli.

Open drains and freshen garbage disposals

Clear a clogged drain without the nasty, headache-inducing chemicals. Dump about 3/4 cup of baking soda down the drain and chase it with 1/2 cup white vinegar, then plug the drain. Leave it for about 30 minutes before rinsing with a kettle full of boiling water. You can use the same trick to clean and deodorize garbage disposals, or freeze vinegar in an ice cube tray and grind them up in the disposal to clean and sharpen the blades at the same time.

ALSO CHECK OUT:

20 Unusual Uses for Wine

20 Unusual Uses for Baking Soda

20 Unusual Uses for Honey

20 Unusual Uses for Salt

Images: Stephanie Rogers, Budzlife, minka6, muffet, uberculture

Stephanie Rogers

Stephanie Rogers currently resides in North Carolina where she covers a variety of green topics, from sustainability to food.

Many Uses of Vinegar: Tips, Tricks, Ideas, Recipes, DIY, Benefits fof Using Vinegar (2024)

FAQs

Many Uses of Vinegar: Tips, Tricks, Ideas, Recipes, DIY, Benefits fof Using Vinegar? ›

Vinegar is a versatile household item with many uses beyond cooking, including as an insect salve and repellent, weed killer, brick enhancer, pet ear cleaner, jar opener, scissors cleaner, smoke odor remover, car care tool, fruit fly trap and pit stain remover.

What are the benefits of using vinegar in your home? ›

When it comes to cleaning, vinegar's most useful asset is arguably its acidity – mild enough to not damage fabrics and surfaces, but strong enough to get rid of stubborn stains and deposits. The household staple can have a pH as low as 2.2 – around 10 times as acidic as the average soft drink.

What home remedies is vinegar good for? ›

Vinegar can help kill pathogens, including some strains of bacteria. People have traditionally used vinegar for cleaning and disinfecting, treating nail fungus, lice, warts, and ear infections. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used vinegar to clean wounds more than 2,000 years ago.

What is the use of vinegar in the body? ›

Vinegar contains polyphenols, plant chemicals that have an antioxidant effect that may protect cells from oxidative stress, a possible stimulator of tumor growth. Cell and mouse studies suggest that vinegar may prevent the growth of cancer cells or cause tumor cells to die.

Does vinegar have healing benefits? ›

While many of its purported benefits such as effectively treating acne or head lice have been thoroughly debunked, some science still backs up vinegar's other contributions related to heart health, gut health and improved cognition.

Can vinegar reduce belly fat? ›

In one study involving 175 human participants, researchers noted that after 12 weeks, those who took either 1 or 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar saw a small decrease in weight, belly fat, and blood fat levels.

What does white vinegar do for the skin? ›

Vinegar soaks are used to treat inflamed, red, weepy, blistering type conditions of the skin. I commonly use this to treat sunburns, Shingles, eczema, and other exudative conditions of the skin. Vinegar contains acetic acid which kills fungi and bacteria such as pseudomonas.

How to use vinegar for weight loss? ›

How much apple cider vinegar should I drink to lose weight? About 1–2 tbsp (15–30 mL) of apple cider vinegar per day is recommended to obtain full weight loss benefits. For best results, mix it with water and drink it.

What bugs does vinegar keep away? ›

Vinegar is one of the best ingredients to make a pest control spray. It is effective in repelling ants, mosquitoes, fruit flies, and many others. Creating a mix is quite simple and is considered safe for humans and pets. Acidity of the vinegar is potent enough to kill many pests.

Does vinegar attract any bugs? ›

As mentioned above, vinegar, especially apple cider vinegar, attracts fruit flies instead of repelling them. These buzzing nuisances mistake vinegar's overpowering scent with overly ripe fruit, their favorite food. This is what makes apple cider vinegar such an effective attractant for DIY traps.

Is it safe to mix vinegar and Dawn dish soap? ›

This match made in heaven has been a household staple for a long time and I make sure to keep it handy. To make the solution is simple and easy on the wallet! Pour equal parts of vinegar and Dawn into a spray bottle. Gently shake, then spray liberally onto the surface to be cleaned.

Can vinegar detox your body? ›

And it really doesn't "detox" your body, despite the claims that accompany cleanse diets featuring vinegar drinks. "'Detox' is a trendy notion these days," Linsenmeyer says. "But the body is designed to detoxify itself, especially through normal digestion and the functions of the liver and kidneys.

Why drink vinegar every morning? ›

A few human studies have shown that supplementing with apple cider vinegar may help suppress appetite and have a modest beneficial effect on weight loss. This is mainly attributed to acetic acid, a type of acid concentrated in apple cider vinegar that may have hunger-suppressing effects ( 1 , 2).

What are the disadvantages of cleaning with vinegar? ›

DIY Cleaning Products: Vinegar's Surprising Drawbacks
  • Vinegar doesn't sanitize or disinfect. ...
  • You have to be careful about concentrations. ...
  • Always, always rinse. ...
  • Vinegar can damage some of the surfaces in your home. ...
  • It can be harmful to plants. ...
  • It smells like vinegar.

What are the benefits of vinegar on floors? ›

Distilled white vinegar usually has an acidity around 5%, which gives it the power to cut through dirt, mineral deposits, and hard-water stains. This acidity also gives it some mild disinfectant properties, though we don't recommend relying on vinegar for thorough disinfection.

Should you clean your house with vinegar? ›

Vinegar is frequently recommended as a household cleanser, and can be effective on some stains and surfaces. Vinegar is inexpensive, easy to obtain and environmentally friendly. Cleaning vinegar or white vinegar – not apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar – is most commonly chosen for cleaning.

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