Photo by Stephanie Staton |
No home should be without a good supply of vinegar. Even though vinegar is an old-fashioned remedy with literally hundreds of uses, it’s the perfect solution for many modern-day problems. Use distilled white vinegar in one of these homestead-friendly recipes.
1. Brass Polish
Mix 1 cup vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 cup flour to make a brass-polish paste. Rub mixture onto brass or any metal cookware. Leave for 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water, then polish with a dry cloth until you achieve a shine.
2. Fruit-Fly Trap
Place a small bowl of vinegar on the kitchen counter. Add a few drops of liquid dish detergent. The detergent creates a skin on the top of the vinegar and works as a quick and easy trap for those pesky fruit flies.
3. Weed Killer
Vinegar is a great eco-friendly weed killer for the yard and garden. Add 1/4 cup dish detergent and 1/2 cup salt to 1 gallon white vinegar. Shake mixture well and pour into spray bottle or weed sprayer. Apply directly on weeds in dry weather with no chance of rain for 24 hours. Avoid getting the vinegar solution on grass.
4. Soap-Scum Remover
Rub soap scum with white distilled vinegar followed by a nice scrub with baking soda to remove soap residue from tubs and showers. Rinse well with water.
5. Showerhead Cleaner
Soak a towel in vinegar and wrap it around the showerhead to remove corrosion and hard-water buildup.
6. Disinfectant
Spray full-strength vinegar on all surfaces where you want to kill germs, such as in the bathroom and kitchen, and wipe clean. (Avoid using vinegar on porous stone, like marble, as the acid will etch the stone.)
7. Pet-Odor Remover
After bathing your pet, rinse with 1 cup vinegar mixed into 2 gallons water. This can even replace bathing in a pinch.
8. Laundry Booster
Add vinegar in place of a fabric softener to not only soften, but also freshen up your towels and cloth items that are mildewed.
9. Wood Cleaner
Use vinegar with a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar to wash wood floors, cabinets and chairs. This is a great way to remove dirt and sticky residue from wood.
