The Wonders of White Vinegar
- rootsseedsandleaves
- Jun 29, 2018
- 3 min read
After becoming pregnant with my second child, I became so sensitive to smells that I had to ask taxi drivers to put their air fresheners in the glove compartment. I even had to change the fabric softener we used and ditch the dishwasher rinse aid because it made me feel nauseous. Interestingly there is still one chemical that is used in shower gels, shampoos etc. that I can't abide and I have to either block my nose or go in the opposite direction to the person wearing it!
After our move to France at the start of 2017, I started to look at a simpler way of living without all the pollution, the unnecessary chemicals and packaging waste. I came across white vinegar as a replacement for dishwasher rinse aid. It is just as effective, cheaper and if you buy a 5 litre container at a time, then you cut down on your plastic waste as well.
Here are some uses for white vinegar:
In the Kitchen:
1. Perk up wilted leafy vegetables by soaking them in a cold, weak vinegar and water solution.
2. Eliminate odours on your hands from chopping onions by rubbing them with a little white vinegar afterwards.
3. When poaching eggs, add a few tablespoons of white vinegar to the poaching water to help the egg keep its form. Do the same when boiling eggs and if the shells crack, egg white won't leak out.
4. When cooking brassicas or legumes improve the taste and reduce the gassiness they induce by adding a few tablespoons of white vinegar to the water.
5. Prevent fresh berries from going mouldy by washing them in a vinegar solution:
https://lifehacker.com/5888601/rinse-berries-in-a-vinegar-solution-to-keep-them-fresh-longer-and-mold-free
Household Chores:
The acid in vinegar acts as a disinfectant and neutralizes odours making it a superb cleaning product.
6. Use white vinegar to replace rinse aid in your dishwasher. It'll leave your glasses sparkling clean!
7. Once or twice a year eliminate the built up of soap residue and limescale in your dishwasher by adding a cup full of vinegar to a short cycle.
8. Clean and deodorize your kitchen sink by mixing equal parts of vinegar and baking soda and putting it down the drain. Allow the mixture to fizz for a few minutes before flushing out the with warm water.
9. For a clean and odour free microwave, put a bowl of vinegar and water in the oven and boil. The steam will loosen caked-on food and eliminate odours too.
10. Create a trap for fruit flies by leaving a small dish out on the work surface containing some vinegar and half a lemon. Cover with cling film that has a few holes in it.
11. Freshen up tile grouting by spraying with vinegar. Let it soak in and then scrub with an old toothbrush.
12. Remove water marks from wooden furniture by rubbing the stain (with the grain) with equal parts vinegar and vegetable oil.
13. Treat urine stains on a mattress, by cleaning it with a vinegar and water solution, then pour some baking soda onto the mattress and brush or hoover off the residue when it’s dried completely.
14. Remove deodorant stains from shirts by spraying them with vinegar before washing them. Use for food stains such as mustard, tomato sauce or ketchup as well.
15. Add a cupful of vinegar to the rinse cycle of the washing machine to brighten up your coloured laundry and remove soap residue, giving cleaner clothes. Replace your fabric softener with vinegar. Not only does it reduce static but it inhibits mildew and helps remove hair from fabrics. I also add a few drops of cedar essential oil to make my washing smell lovely!
16. Vinegar can loosen chewing gum stuck to car upholstery, rugs and carpeting.
17. In colder months, wipe down your car windscreen and windows with a mixture of 3:1 vinegar/water to prevent them frosting over.
18. Kill weeds by pouring vinegar onto them. Spray garden slugs with a a 50:50 solution of vinegar and water to get rid of them.
19. The life of cut flowers can be prolonged by adding a few tablespoons of vinegar to the water in their vase plus a teaspoon of sugar.
20. Keep cats away by soaking a sponge in vinegar and leaving it in the area you don't want the cats. Spraying the area where a cat has marked its territory will eliminate the smell and deter recurrences.
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