11 Terrific Vinegar Tips

When you want to make sure that you are getting the most out of your kitchen supplies, you’ll find that you have a real winner when it comes to your vinegar. While some recipes will call for a certain type of vinegar, you’ll find that any kind of vinegar can be used for all sorts of things around the house.

Cleaning Your Stove Top

Heat up a cup or a cup and half of vinegar and then use it to scrub down your stove top. You’ll find that the mix of heat and vinegar can break up a lot of the more stubborn food stains without you needing to resort to corrosive or environmentally unfriendly cleaners.

Making a Basic Vinaigrette

Simply mix one part distilled white vinegar with four parts oil. This makes an excellent basic salad dressing that you can add other flavors to quite easily. Or take a look at this “Homemade Italian Vinegar”.

Tenderizing Meat

Add a little bit of white vinegar to any marinade for meat that might be a little tough or old. This makes your meat a lot more tender.

Vegetable Color

Have you ever noticed that vegetables like cauliflower or beets will loose their color if you cook them? Add a teaspoon of white vinegar to the cooking water to keep them firm and vibrant.

Healthy Drains

Mix a one cup of baking soda with a cup of heated distilled white vinegar and then pour it down the drain. After it has sat for a few minutes, flush some hot water down the drain after it. This will prevent clogs of slow drainage.

Cleaning Your Garbage Disposal

Pour some distilled white vinegar into an ice cube tray and then run the ice cubes down the disposal while flushing it out with cold water. This will both clean and deodorize your garbage disposal.

Cleaning Counters

Mix lukewarm water with vinegar and use this gentle mixture to swab down and disinfect your counters and your general hard surfaces. This will help keep things clean and bright.

Calming Down Insect Bites

If you are suffering from a wasp sting or a mosquito bite, put some white vinegar onto a cotton ball and dab at the affected area. This will bring down the swelling and help it heal faster.

Soothing Sunburn

If you have suffered some sunburn, put some white distilled vinegar into a spray bottle and spray the area down. Keep this bottle chilled in the fridge and you’ll find that it can even keep you from peeling or blistering.

Disinfectant

If you have gotten some cuts and bruises, especially in the kitchen, put some vinegar onto your cut. You’ll find that this can act as an antiseptic.

Aftershave

Many people find that their skin becomes irritated and reddened with the use of commercial aftershaves. If you have this problem, try using vinegar as an aftershave lotion to ease your skin.