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Can i use vinegar


9 Eco-Friendly, Inexpensive, Multipurpose Uses

Multipurpose cleaners are convenient because they’re usable on many different surfaces. But while effective, some of these cleaners aren’t exactly healthy or environmentally friendly.

Vinegar, on the other hand, is nontoxic and eco-friendly, making it the ultimate multipurpose cleaning solution. And the best part, it’s super cheap.

Keep reading to learn what types of vinegar to use, along with nine ways vinegar can be used to clean and disinfect your home.

You probably have a bottle of vinegar sitting in your cupboard right now. But like so many, you might only use vinegar as a salad dressing or as a marinade for vegetables, meat, poultry, or fish.

Made from acetic acid

Vinegar isn’t only useful for cooking, though. It also makes a great cleaner and disinfectant because it’s made from acetic acid.

Acetic acid is a colorless organic compound that gives vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell. It’s also an ingredient in some store-bought household cleaners.

The acidic nature of vinegar is so powerful it can dissolve mineral deposit, dirt, grease, and grime. It’s also strong enough to kill bacteria.

Different types of vinegar include:

Best type of vinegar to use

White distilled vinegar is the best vinegar for cleaning because it doesn’t contain a coloring agent. Therefore, it won’t stain surfaces. Staining can happen when cleaning with a darker-colored vinegar.

Plus, distilled white vinegar has about 5 percent acidity, which is also similar to the acidity level in many everyday multipurpose cleaners.

About that vinegar smell

The strong odor of white vinegar can be unpleasant, in which case you can use apple cider vinegar instead.

It has the same cleaning properties as white distilled vinegar, but since it’s made by fermenting apple juice, it also has a slightly sweet scent.

Apple cider vinegar is darker in color, so dilute it in water before using it as a cleaning agent.

If you’re using vinegar as a cleaner, the scent may linger for about an hour or so. However, this might be a small price to pay for a cleaner that’s nontoxic, natural, and environmentally friendly.

You can mask the smell by adding a few drops of essential oil, such as lemon oil, lavender oil, or peppermint oil, to a spray bottle containing a vinegar water solution.

Or, open a window and let some fresh air in to help remove the scent quicker.

Here’s a look at a few common uses for vinegar around the home.

Use vinegar to make your own glass cleaner. Combine one part water with two parts vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the solution on glass surfaces and wipe clean for a streak-free finish.

Because vinegar is a natural disinfectant, it can clean and disinfect countertops after food preparation. For tough stains, add a few drops of Dawn soap to one-part water and two parts vinegar.

Vinegar can also remove odors from countertops, but it shouldn’t be used on granite or marble. Use a natural stone cleaner instead. The acid in vinegar can diminish the luster of natural stone.

Vinegar can also deter ants that may scour countertops at night in search of food scraps.

Combine 2 teaspoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt to remove calcium deposits on faucets and fixtures. This solution can also remove hard water stains from showerheads.

To get rid of stubborn stains, spray fixtures and faucets with vinegar and then tie a bag around it overnight. Scrub and rinse the next morning.

Thick soap scum and mildew can be challenging to remove. Spray undiluted white vinegar over tub and shower walls. Let the vinegar sit for several minutes, then scrub and rinse away.

Or, combine baking soda and vinegar to create a paste and scrub away tough grime.

Pour 2 to 3 cups of undiluted vinegar into the toilet bowl and let it sit for up to 3 hours. Scrub with a toilet brush and flush. This helps eliminate rings around the bowl and deodorizes the toilet.

Vinegar also makes a great floor cleaner, but only on certain types of floors.

You shouldn’t use vinegar on hardwood floors because it can dissolve the finish and leave watermarks. The natural acid in vinegar can also damage natural stone floors.

You can, however, use vinegar on no-wax linoleum.

Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to 1/2 gallon of water. To clean ceramic tile, add 1/2 cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of water.

To break through soap scum in a dishwasher, add 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse compartment and let the dishwasher run for an entire cycle.

To eliminate odors in your microwave, place a bowl containing a 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water inside the microwave and heat for a couple of minutes. This solution can also loosen any stubborn stains.

Vinegar is also great for cleaning the inside and outside of appliances, including stainless steel. Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle, then spray down appliances.

Use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe away the solution. Don’t use abrasive pads, which can scratch the surface of appliances.

Distilled white vinegar is also a great choice for removing fabric odor and stains. Don’t use dark vinegar or you might stain your clothes. Add 1 cup of vinegar to the wash cycle.

But while vinegar is a great household cleaner, can it help your internal digestive system?

Vinegar — or more specifically apple cider vinegar — has been touted as a natural remedy for digestive issues, although there aren’t any rigorous studies or science to back up these claims.

May relieve bloating

It’s possible, though, that apple cider can improve digestive issues, considering how it may increase the acidity level in the stomach.

This can help relieve symptoms like bloating, which is sometimes due to low stomach acid.

May combat acid reflux

Apple cider vinegar may also help combat acid reflux.

One belief is that the vinegar can balance pH levels in the stomach, which not only helps neutralize stomach acid, but also prevents an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut.

This may help reduce gut inflammation.

May flush toxins from the body

Another purported benefit of apple cider vinegar is its ability to flush toxins out of the body. Some people use it as a natural detoxifier, as well as a remedy for constipation and a weight loss aid.

Dilute with water and drink only 1 glass per day

The only way to know whether apple cider vinegar can improve your digestive health is to try it and then see how you feel. Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a large glass of water and drink.

Use organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and only drink one glass per day.

It’s normal to have some sediment floating. This is called the mother. Too much apple cider vinegar can damage your tooth enamel.

Vinegar isn’t only for cooking. It’s also an eco-friendly and inexpensive household cleaner. And in most cases, you only need to mix vinegar with water.

Although, you can add salt and baking soda to create a more abrasive cleaner or a few drops of essential oil for a lighter scent.

15 things you can clean with vinegar |

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It’s surprising the things you can clean with vinegar around the home. It’s white vinegar that can help keep everything hygienically clean – the key is to dilute it with water and any other natural extracts or essential oils to add a lovely scent.

'Vinegar is made from acetic acid,' says Lucy Searle, Global Editor in Chief for Homes & Gardens. 'So this makes it a natural disinfectant for so many germs including salmonella and E Coli. It can be great for some kitchen surfaces and appliances, as well as in the bathroom. It’s a brilliant product to have in the store cupboard and avoids using store-bought abrasive cleaners. A word of warning, though – undiluted vinegar can damage natural stone and wood, so always check – or dilute really well – before using vinegar for cleaning. '

Here are our top cleaning tips for using vinegar to get a sparkle back in your home.

Cleaning with vinegar

If you use store-bought household cleaners, you are probably already cleaning with vinegar, since it's made with acetic acid, an ingredient in some cleaning products. Vinegar is very effective at cleaning precisely because of the acid, which will break down grease, grime and dirt easily. Be warned though, it can damage some surfaces so always check – or test patch – before you use vinegar, especially neat vinegar, for cleaning. 

1. Clean windows with vinegar

(Image credit: Future / James Balston)

Our windows can look really dirty really quickly but all they need is a homemade vinegar and water solution to get them sparkling in no time. 

Mix equal parts of white vinegar and hot water and add a splash of liquid soap to help remove any streaks. Martha Stewart says that the best time of day to clean is when the sun isn’t shining directly on the windows:

'Using a sponge, wet (but don’t drench) the window with the DIY window cleaner solution and rub the dirt away, being sure to keep the solution from touching the window frames,' she advises. 'Next, wet the squeegee and starting at an upper corner, draw it down in a straight stroke. Return to the top and repeat, slightly overlapping the first stroke. After each stroke, wipe the rubber edge of the squeegee with a sponge or lint-free cloth. Finish by pulling the squeegee across the bottom of the window, and dry the sill with a sponge or cloth.'

Cleaning a front door fitted with glass panels? You can tackle these in the same way as windows.

2. Clean a microwave with vinegar

(Image credit: Mowlem & Co)

Looking for kitchen cleaning tips? Many of us forget to give the microwave a good clean every now and then and it can quickly become a bit stinky if we don’t. Again, combine equal parts water and vinegar – this time in a large microwaveable bowl. Pop the bowl into the microwave and set it for about five minutes. The steam created will loosen any food debris, which you can simply wipe away.

3. Clean floors with vinegar

(Image credit: Future/Emma Lee)

Floor cleaning products can be pricey and strong smelling, so you might want to clean tile floors using vinegar – although do test this first if you are cleaning encaustic tiles or cleaning stone floors.  

Take your equal parts vinegar and water solution and mop. It not only lifts off grease and dirt but the diluted solution stops the floor from being damaged by the acid of the vinegar. For her go-to kitchen cleaner, TV presenter Denise Wild fills a spray bottle with about 50 per cent vinegar, 30 per cent water and 20 per cent lemon juice. 'Then I add eucalyptus oil (for the smell) and tea tree oil (because it’s antibacterial),' she says.

4. Clean a stove with vinegar

(Image credit: Maestri Studio Photograph: Jenifer McNeil Baker)

These can become so greasy and sticky, especially when you’re cooking for the family once or twice a day. Vinegar is great for this, as its acidity cuts through grease in an instant. Simply spray your vinegar and water mix onto the cooktop, leave it for about 10 minutes then scrub with soapy water using a non-abrasive scouring pad.

5. Clean a kitchen sink with vinegar

(Image credit: DeVOL)

Your 1:1 diluted vinegar and water solution is ideal for the kitchen sink, too. Simply spritz it onto all areas of the sink and rinse with soapy water afterwards.

6. Clean kettles and coffee makers with vinegar

(Image credit: Lundhs)

To get rid of that horrible limescale inside your tea kettle or coffee maker, pour the water and vinegar solution directly into the appliance or water reservoir. Boil the kettle or run it through the coffee maker, followed by a few water-only run-throughs to rinse the taste and odor away. If you’re cleaning a humidifier, a vinegar solution can get rid of buildup in the tank in the same way.

A word of warning: check the manufacturer's instructions before cleaning a coffee maker with vinegar – they may advise against it, in which case, take heed.

7. Clean pots and pans with vinegar

(Image credit: Future)

Vinegar is an option when you want to get rid of burnt-on marks on pots and pans. Again, use a vinegar and water solution, adding enough to the pan to cover the stain completely.  

Bring the solution in the pan to the boil and continue boiling for about 5 minutes. Allow the liquid to cool in the pan, before tipping it out and using a sponge suitable for the material the pan is made from to remove any remaining marks.

Note that vinegar could also be used for cleaning cast iron that‘s become rusty. If that’s the case, soaking it in a vinegar and water solution can help to remove the rust.

8. Clean food processors and blenders with vinegar

(Image credit: Vitamix)

Want to clean a blender? Blitz your diluted vinegar and water solution in the food processor or blender then wash as normal.

A word of warning: check the manufacturer's instructions before cleaning a food processor or blender with vinegar – they may advise against it, in which case, take heed.

9. Clean plastic chopping boards with vinegar

(Image credit: Alamy)

This is one area where you really need to be ultra-hygienic to prevent cross-contamination of raw meats. Once you’re finished prepping the evening meal, disinfect it in your water and vinegar solution then wash in soapy hot water.

10. Clean wine glasses with vinegar

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It’s so annoying when the glassware gets all cloudy. This is often caused by hard water, so to combat this, soak them in the sink with some non-diluted white vinegar for a few minutes then wash as normal.

11. Clean a dishwasher with vinegar

(Image credit: Future / David Parmiter)

A great cleaning hack is to pour a cup of vinegar onto the base of the dishwasher inside the main cavity then run an empty cycle without any dishes or detergent in, to free-up any mineral deposits. 

A caveat, though: a dishwasher can be one of the things not to clean with vinegar as it can damage some rubbers used for parts of the dishwasher. Check your manual.

12. Clean a refrigerator and freezer with vinegar

(Image credit: Smeg)

Have a good sort out by using up any food that’s near its use-by date and give the refrigerator and freezer a thorough clean with your diluted water and vinegar solution.

13. Clean a showerhead with vinegar

(Image credit: Future)

Vinegar can also be used as a cleaning product in the bathroom too. Clean a showerhead by pouring some white vinegar into a plastic bag and secure it around the showerhead with an elastic band. Leave overnight and wake up to a sparkling shower!

14. Clean a bathtub with vinegar

(Image credit: JL Design)

To clean a bathtub with vinegar, simply mix it with warm water and begin scrubbing the surface of your problem area. If the stain persists, mix vinegar and baking soda and let sit for a few minutes before vigorously scrubbing.

15. Clean a toilet with vinegar

(Image credit: James Balston)

No-one likes cleaning the loo but for great results, pour a cup of undiluted vinegar into the bowl and leave overnight. The next day, sprinkle with baking soda and scrub. Finally, flush the toilet and you’re all done.

What should you never clean with vinegar?

You should never clean natural stone, especially granite and marble, with vinegar. This means being extremely cautious with kitchen countertops and stone floors. Be careful, too, with wood, whether countertops or when cleaning hardwood floors – undiluted vinegar can damage all these.

Shop for your white vinegar for cleaning here...

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Hayley is an interiors journalist, content provider and copywriter with 26 years experience who has contributed to a wide range of consumer magazines, trade titles, newspapers, blogs and online content. Specialising in kitchens and bathrooms, she has twice won the CEDIA Award for Best Technology feature. Hayley writes for H&G about kitchens, bathrooms, cleaning, DIY and organizing.

How to use vinegar in cooking? – 4fresh blog

Vinegar is a universal product that is in every home. If we talk about cooking, then in this area vinegar is widely used for marinades, sauces, various dressings and desserts. Vinegar makes the taste of the dish spicier and opens it from a new unusual side.

If vinegars are undeservedly forgotten in your kitchen, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the ways to use them - maybe some tips will inspire you to new experiments?

What kind of vinegar is used for what?

There are not so few types of vinegar, which one to take for a new recipe? Let's figure out which vinegars are suitable for which dishes.

Table vinegar

The most popular vinegar is table vinegar, it is acetic acid diluted to a small concentration.

What to cook with? Best of all it is suitable for self-preparation of mustard, sauces, as well as for preservation. For cooking other dishes, we would recommend other types of vinegars - they will be tastier with them :)

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has a delicate, refined aroma and a slightly sour taste. It is a source of vitamins A (beta-carotene), groups B, C, E, lactic acid, pectin. What are the benefits of apple cider vinegar?

What to cook with? Pairs especially well with white meats and poultry, suitable for preparing fish broths and apple compote. It is a natural preservative and therefore extends the shelf life of products.

Wine vinegar

This vinegar, as its name suggests, is made from wine (white and red). Its taste depends on the time it has matured - as in the case of wine, the longer the better.

High-quality wine vinegar supplies magnesium, phosphorus and potassium to the body. Since red wine vinegar is a source of tannins, it has anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, red wine vinegar is more aromatic and full-bodied than white vinegar.

What to cook with? With red vinegar, boldly prepare marinades for meat (beef, veal and lamb). White vinegar, on the other hand, due to its milder aroma, is suitable for dishes with a sweet and sour taste, such as borscht or other beetroot dishes. Wine vinegar - both white and red - is an ideal addition to vegetable salads, it can be used to make really tasty dressings.

Balsamic vinegar

Like wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar is a type of grape vinegar. It is produced from white and red grapes, or rather, from concentrated grape must. It is characterized by a dark color (the original is almost black), a sweetish-sour taste and aroma. The consistency is thick and sticky. If balsamic vinegar is produced according to the original recipe, then it must mature in wooden barrels for about 12 years.

What to cook with? Balsamic vinegar is used as an additive to salads. It is also suitable for marinades and sauces, especially for Italian dishes. Curiously, this species can be used to make desserts, including fruit ones. An example is a delicious summer snack - strawberries sprinkled with good balsamic vinegar.

Rice vinegar

Rice vinegar is most widely used in Asia. It has several types: red, light, black and sweetened with seasonings.

What to cook with? Light vinegar is the most commonly used in Chinese cuisine and is the basis of numerous sweet and sour dishes. Light vinegar is more reminiscent of our traditional spirit vinegar than other rice vinegars.

It is suitable for sweet and sour dishes, you can pickle vegetables in it. Black rice vinegar is mainly used for fried foods. It has a bright, expressive taste and aroma, but does not impart a sour taste to food. The red variety is ideally combined with the taste and aroma of fish and seafood.

How to choose a quality vinegar?

When buying any vinegar, you must carefully study the label. It is important that only natural raw materials are used for its production, i.e. apple cider vinegar should be based on apples, not acetic acid. Another important point to pay attention to is the transparency of the vinegar. Table vinegar should be absolutely transparent, and in apple or wine sediment, on the contrary, it is the norm.

Vinegar should be stored in a glass container with a tightly closed lid at a temperature of 5-15 degrees in a place protected from light.

In order for the vinegar not to spoil prematurely, the corked bottle must be boiled in water for half an hour and allowed to cool in the same water.

Do not buy vinegar if it contains sugar, caramel, fruit juices, dyes and preservatives.

Don't be afraid to use a variety of vinegars in cooking, because then the usual dishes will take on a new taste! But new taste sensations are not the only things vinegars can do.

Health promotion and disease prevention is another amazing function.

20 ways to use vinegar in the household You can add it to homemade canned food, quench soda with it, or even pour it on dumplings.

Mankind has been using vinegar for thousands of years, and during this time people have found a lot of unexpected ways to use this amazing liquid. White table vinegar and apple cider vinegar can be used for home cleaning, health improvement, personal care and even use it in the garden! In our issue, you will find 2 dozen different methods for using vinegar in the household.

1 Get rid of weeds.

Are weeds taking over your favorite flower bed? Climbing through cracks in the paving stones on a perfectly paved patio? If you water weeds with diluted 25% acetic acid, then you will destroy them without even getting your hands dirty in the ground.

2 Remove sweat stains from clothing.

Yellow stains under the armpits ruined your favorite blouse? Sadly, the fact that deodorants - antiperspirants that contain aluminum exacerbate the situation, because this component reacts with sweat salts, and armpit stains are even more visible and more stable. Dampen the stain with white vinegar before washing and it will dissolve.

3 Cure sore throat.

If you have a sore throat, gargling with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water will relieve the pain and inflammation.

4 Make hair manageable.

Want to have silky, shiny hair without having to spend on expensive hair care products? Apple cider vinegar is your way! It will dissolve the buildup from styling products on the hair and make it smooth and manageable, covering the hair scales just like in the shampoo advertisement.

Add ½ tablespoon of vinegar to a glass of water, for a pleasant smell, you can add a few drops of some fragrant essential oil. Rinse after washing your hair with shampoo, then rinse again with plain water.

5 Relieve muscle pain.

Apple cider vinegar helps dissolve lactic acid that builds up in muscles after exercise and causes post-workout pain. Mix a few tablespoons of vinegar in a glass of water and apply a compress on the sore spot for 20 minutes.

6 Peel off the price tag or other sticker.

It’s inconvenient to give a gift with a price tag, but you’ve been trying to tear off a nasty sticker for an hour already .... Heat some white vinegar on the stove or in the microwave, dampen a rag and apply it to the price tag. The sticker will peel off without leaving a sticky residue.

7. Remove rust.

Acetic acid reacts with iron oxide to remove rust from small items (such as nuts, bolts, washers). Boil them in a pot of vinegar and then rinse well with water to stop the reaction.

8 Remove musty smell.

Wipe the surfaces of the refrigerator, cabinet, or food container with a cloth dampened with vinegar. In case of a very strong smell, leave a cloth soaked in vinegar inside for several hours or even overnight.

9 Descale.

According to TV ads, lime deposits can not only stain the inside of coffee makers and kettles, they can clog shower holes and reduce the function of dishwashers and washing machines. But it is not at all necessary to buy the advertised product. Run a mixture of water and vinegar through a coffee maker and you will remove the stains inside it. In a dishwasher, vinegar can be added to the rinse aid compartment. A piece of cloth soaked in vinegar can be wrapped around a faucet or shower and the limescale will dissolve.

10 Correct the taste of a spoiled dish.

If you overdo it with spices while cooking, add one teaspoon each of white and apple cider vinegar to the dish to neutralize the spices.

11 Keep the color of the clothes.

Half a cup of vinegar per load of the washing machine will not only provide a slight anti-static effect to your clothes and help retain color, but also remove unpleasant deposits from soap from both clothes and the washing machine itself.

If there is a baby in the house, then washing diapers, rompers and diapers with the addition of baking soda and vinegar will reduce the likelihood of diaper rash by destroying the bacteria that cause them.

12 Freshen the air.

The smell of cigarettes, mold, pets, or burnt dinner can make your home unbearable. Various air fresheners try to mask an unpleasant smell with a pleasant one, often creating a mixture that is simply indigestible. Spray a solution of table vinegar around the room, wipe the surfaces with it, and you will notice how the air in the room becomes cleaner.

13 Dissolve dried paint on brushes.

Someone forgot to clean their brushes after painting? The bristles stuck together and became stiff. It is not necessary to throw them away. Fill a saucepan with table vinegar and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Dip the brushes into the boiling vinegar and rub the brush against the bottom of the pot.

14 Get rid of ants.

Ants do not like vinegar, so if you spray a 50% solution of vinegar and water in the place where you noticed insects, they will leave on their own and without any extra trouble for you. The secret is simple: the vinegar erases the trail that the ants leave on the trail and that their brethren follow to the food source.

15 Relieve hiccups.

It is said that a sip of table vinegar diluted with water will relieve hiccups. It is not clear whether the sour taste simply distracts from the problem, or whether vinegar really relieves these unpleasant involuntary spasms, but there are people who are convinced that this is the best way to stop hiccups. There is another recipe - soak a piece of sugar in vinegar, bite it quickly and swallow it.

16 Wash glass, plastic and chrome.

A 50% solution of water and vinegar will dissolve grime on refrigerator shelves and walls and eliminate unpleasant odors. When washing windows, add dishwashing liquid to the water to remove dirt and a little vinegar to keep streaks from the windows.

A paste made from a mixture of baking soda and a small amount of vinegar can clean chrome and stainless steel to a shine. Vinegar should not be used on marble, granite and slate surfaces.

17 Extend the life of the bouquet.

A bouquet of natural flowers does not decorate the room for long, often withering after a few days. Add two tablespoons of white vinegar to a liter of water in a vase, and the flowers will delight you with their beauty and fragrance a little longer.

18 Cure fungus on feet.

Mild fungal infections such as dandruff are definitely unpleasant. White and apple cider vinegar can be applied to the affected areas of the skin to kill the fungus. A good therapeutic foot bath is made by diluting one part vinegar to five parts water.

19 Prepare tasty meat for barbecue.

Apple cider vinegar marinated meat will be juicy and tender on a BBQ or skewer. In addition, vinegar will kill pathogens that can threaten your health.

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