Many people refer to vinegar as a miracle liquid. The truth is, it is quite wonderful when you look at all of the things it can do. In the kitchen, in the bathroom, and even in your car vinegar helps make big jobs smaller and can even help you save money in the process. If you have a bottle of vinegar on hand, you have all you need to make life a little easier.
20 Frugal Uses for Vinegar
1. Keep your flowers fresh.
When you add a tablespoon of vinegar to a quart of water, you have an instant flower freshener that will keep your fresh cut flowers alive and looking great longer.
2. Kill pesky garden weeds.
Mix ½ cup of vinegar with 2 cups of hot water and place in a spray bottle Shake well and apply liberally to weeds.
3. Eliminate animal stains.
When your pet has an accident on the carpet, eliminate the stain and urine smell by blotting the stain with vinegar then cold water.
4. Banish bugs.
Spray vinegar along windows, cracks, and doorways so bugs decide to visit another home instead. So long bugs!
5. Make car chrome shine.
Dip a soft cloth in pure vinegar and rub gently on chrome areas to make them shine. Your car will be the cleanest in the neighborhood.
6. Get windows worth wowing over.
Spray vinegar onto your car or home windows and wipe dry with a dry cloth. You will love the streak free shine.
7. Say so long to sunburn.
You can get relief from sunburn by apply vinegar gently with a cotton ball. You can chill it prior for a soothing effect. For larger areas, soak a wash cloth and apply it to the burned area.
8. Make your hair shine.
Rinse your hair with one cup of vinegar after shampooing to really make it shine and bring out the natural colors.
9. Get rid of a cough.
A little warm water mixed with a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of vinegar is an old fashion cure for the cough or sore throat. It can even help with cold symptoms.
10. Say so long to lint.
Get rid of pesky lint when you add ½ cup of vinegar to the washing machine’s rinse cycle. This will also help freshen up the clothes and remove odor.
11. Enjoy fresher vegetables.
You can frugally freshen your vegetables when you soak them in a few cups of water mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar.
12. Make tastier meat marinades.
When you marinate in vinegar it tenderizes the meat and adds more flavor. Just add ¼ of a cup to your marinade mix and see what a difference it makes.
13. Enjoy a cleaner dishwasher.
You can clean your own dishwasher by running a cup of vinegar through the cycle. Do this monthly to help with build up, stains, and odor.
14. Clean the kitchen drain.
You can easily clean and keep a drain clog free by pouring ½ cup of vinegar and one tablespoon of baking soda down it. Run hot water for several minutes after.
15. Make your own hard wood cleaner.
Don’t worry about hurting your hardwood floors when you wipe them down with vinegar. It will get them clean without any harsh chemicals.
16. See a little clearer.
Forget having smudged eye glasses. Instead, clean your eyeglasses by wiping them with a few drops of vinegar.
17. Freshen up a room.
Some people swear by placing a small bowl of vinegar in a room, it keeps the air fresher. Give this a try in small spaces such as bathrooms or offices.
18. Unclog a shower head.
Remove the head and place it in a mixture of hot water and 1 cup of vinegar. Allow it to soak and then rinse. Repeat if necessary.
19. Make jewelry shine.
You can apply vinegar with a cotton ball to your jewelry to help gently move away debris and leave a sparkling shine for less.
20. Make fluffy rice.
You can make tastier, fluffier rice when you add a tablespoon to the water as it is boiling.
For around $1, you can buy a bottle of vinegar of your very own and give all of these fantastic uses a try! Try it and see how vinegar can make your life easier and replace so many other expensive products.
Michelle says
Other uses for vinegar:
Soak your strawberries in water and vinegar. It perks up the strawberries, brings out the color, and makes them tasty and juicy
Have a baby and using cloth diapers? There is nothing like vinegar to get the stains out of those diapers. Works if baby soils clothing as well
Vinegar removes calcium and mineral build ups around faucets, drains, showers, and sinks and will polish bathroom chrome like it was band new.
Gaye Livesay says
You can use a tsp. white vinegar when making homemade dumplings and never have “meltdowns” again. Holds them firm, yet fluffy and no milky liquid.
Cynthia L says
What a great list. I love using vinegar and never thought about using it to keep my flowers fresh. Pinned! Thanks.