Growing up my parents loved to throw around the quotation we all know about flies, honey and vinegar. Well, I think vinegar has gotten a bad rap. Vinegar with its acidity does some pretty amazing things naturally. I prefer to give honey and vinegar equal recognition because life is about balance. Be sweet whenever possible, but sometimes you need a little acidity.
Vinegar rinse makes berries last longer
When you bring berries home from the market give them a soak in a solution of 1 cup vinegar, 3 cups water for a few minutes. After draining the berries, lay them out on paper towels to dry them thoroughly. The vinegar will inhibit the growth of mold spores keeping them fresher longer.
Natural Weed Killer
Have weeds growing through cracks in your cement or pavers? Spray them with vinegar. Spray while the sun is hot so it can assist the vinegar. If you spray vinegar in your flower beds be careful it will take out the plants you like too.
Dogs with floppy ears (like our Cocker Spaniels)
Mix equal parts Distilled White Vinegar or ACV and water. Absorb the mixture into a clean rag or a cotton ball and clean around the inside your pet’s ears.
Cut flowers
Add a few tablespoons of vinegar and a dash of sugar to the water before placing cut flowers.
Tile
Full strength vinegar is safer for cleaning grout than bleach. Spray full strength, Not Diluted vinegar onto your tiles and grout, let sit for an hour and then scrub/rinse as needed.
Laundry
White Vinegar can be used undiluted as a stain remover. Simply spray onto the stain and wash.
Soaking whites in vinegar will brighten their color without the use of bleach. (Never mix bleach with vinegar! The mixture creates a poisonous chlorine gas.)
I also wash my washing machine quarterly by adding a cup of vinegar to the machine and running a cycle empty. (This works with the dishwasher too.)
Kitchen
I pour equal parts of vinegar and water monthly into my coffee maker to keep it clean. Remember to run a pot of clean water after the vinegar water or you will end up with a pot of foamy, bitter coffee.
For fresh-smelling drains, I put ¼ cup of baking soda down the drain and then pour in 1 cup of hot vinegar.
I use vinegar as a rinsing agent every time I wash dishes. Put it in the rinse agent compartment and forget about it.