10 Great Uses For Ordinary Vinegar Around The Home10 Great Uses For Ordinary Vinegar Around The Home
by John Elliott aka Oaky Wood
Almost every home has this little gem in their larder as a food flavouring, but have you ever considered its many other properties too.
Vinegar is slightly acid, not the corrosive type, its ph is too low, but its acidity can be used quite effectively around the home and garden too.
Our forefather's knew the benefits of vinegar from its first introduction many hundreds of years ago and can safely replace many toxic commercial products, and actually be more efficient and cost effective.
1/. Adding just a small amount to a bowl of water, with a little lemon or limejuice will make your crockery and glassware sparkle. Its acidity is wonderful for removing grease. Not just your glassware use the same mixture combination for cleaning windows both in and out of the home, even the green algae on your greenhouse or conservatory will disappear, and make the panes shine. As a cleaning agent vinegar can be used all over the house, on kitchen work surfaces, utensils, cooker, fridge and freezer its natural antiseptic qualities makes it ideal for where children or animals are. The bathroom sink, walls, bath, toilet and bidet can all benefit from its wonderful properties.
2/. Wax build up on furniture can safely be removed using vinegar. As an ex-restorer of antiques I often used it in removing age-old grimy wax build-ups on French Polished surfaces without the hint of damage to this type of wood finish. All melamine, Formica or polyurethane finishes can also be effectively cleaned safely.
3/. Cars sparkle from a regular clean with vinegar, add a few drops of washing up liquid to the mixture and you have an excellent way of buffing your car or truck both in and out.
4/. Leather upholstery is easily degreased and brought back to its pristine former condition; also those leather biker’s jackets and trousers can safely be cleaned too.
5/. As spring approaches use the vinegar, water, lemon/lime and a little washing up liquid combination to clean your glasshouse or conservatory staging and seating areas. Pots; both plastic and terracotta can be cleaned and sanitized, together with seed trays and hanging baskets.
6/. Shoes; yes even those patent leather ones can all be cleaned with vinegar then use your regular polish to finish and buff.
There's an old nursery rhyme;
Jack & Jill
went up the hill
to fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down
and broke his crown
and Jill came tumbling after.
Up Jack got
and home did trot
as fast as he could caper
to go to bed
and mend his head
with vinegar and brown paper.
7/. Now this really was a way of helping cuts and bruises mend and not just an old rhyme. Oh it certainly smarts as it goes onto cuts, but it has very good anti-bacterial properties preventing them from going septic. The brown paper and vinegar draws out the bruising and helps it to heal quicker. This is quite a medieval treatment but still very effective when no alternative is available, especially for minor cuts and abrasions on both human’s and pets alike. Of cause in medieval times paper was at a premium and was quite a luxury item, but large leaves from woodland plants were often used, together with lichens and mosses. Mostly old fabrics made for excellent bandages.
8/. Vinegar has been used effectively for cold treatments for many years, as its vapours loosen the mucus from a chesty cough. To make it more palatable and pleasant my grandmother used boiled raspberries, which also contain lots of vitamin C, with a little sugar and lemon juice, and added the vinegar. Simmering down to a fairly thick consistency. The mixture can be strained to take out the seeds if preferred but is not really necessary. Once cooled this homemade Raspberry Vinegar was a natural cough and cold prevention treatment. It would keep well in good sealed and sterilized glass bottles. Because many berries contain lots of vitamin C other combinations were also made. Raspberry Vinegar is available from commercial manufactures
9/. As for pets, add vinegar to their bathing water, it will make their fur shine, but also helps the infestation of tics and fleas, if done regularly Take care around your pets eyes as vinegar can sting for a while.
10/. Aching feet, no problem, sooth away those aches in a foot-spar of vinegar and warm water. Add witch hazel and camomile and you have a very therapeutic soak.
I’ve only just scratched the surface with the uses of ordinary household vinegar, and no doubt as you start to realize its full potential then you’ll find so many more uses for this overlooked common household product. Many books have been written and are readily available from various sources
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