# Vinegar! Wonderous vinegar!



## Ardie/WI

Our insulated drinking mugs were getting a funky odor. We use them every night for ice water on our nightstands. Even though they get washed every day, they were not clean smelling.

I poured hot vinegar into them and also covered the lids with it. Then, after it cooled and rinsed them out and NO MORE funky taste or smell.

Last week, DH took cucumber salad to work in a plastic container. Both the container and the plastic liner of his lunch bag got pretty strong smelling. Along came the vinegar and the smell is gone!

I love that stuff!


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## bama

i love vinegar! best cleaning product around


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## DarleneJ

I so love cleaning with vinegar too! Great stuff!


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## TNHermit

How much do you use. And will it make plastic feel non greasy. Seems like after plastic ages for a while it don't feel clean when you wash it. Or maybe I am gettin old and persnickety but I'm a man LOL


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## mrs whodunit

I just don't get what people see in vinegar for a cleaner. 

Baking soda does a good job at odor removal but vinegar just makes the house smell like a pickle factory for hours.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl

TN, I use it straight for soaking plastic stuff - BUT - I don't throw it out afterwards, just keep a container of "recycled vinegar" to use just for that. If it starts to look changed, I dump the whole thing into the wash when I do sheets. (Works great to soak the catbox too, especially if you always use baking soda in the bottom. Cat claws scratch, and the fizzy action does the trick like nothing else.)

Mrs. Whodunit, vinegar kills germs. It fixes the source of smells, doesn't just neutralize the odor. Opening windows & doors for a fresh air-out is part of my cleaning routine, but even in winter never have lingering pickle smell. White distilled is the only kind to use for cleaning. Like any cleaning product, a clear water rinse is the last step.


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## Ardie/WI

RedDirt Cowgirl said:


> TN, I use it straight for soaking plastic stuff - BUT - I don't throw it out afterwards, just keep a container of "recycled vinegar" to use just for that. If it starts to look changed, I dump the whole thing into the wash when I do sheets. (Works great to soak the catbox too, especially if you always use baking soda in the bottom. Cat claws scratch, and the fizzy action does the trick like nothing else.)
> 
> Mrs. Whodunit, vinegar kills germs. It fixes the source of smells, doesn't just neutralize the odor. Opening windows & doors for a fresh air-out is part of my cleaning routine, but even in winter never have lingering pickle smell. White distilled is the only kind to use for cleaning. Like any cleaning product, a clear water rinse is the last step.


We don't throw it out either!! I have a "used vinegar" jug under the sink in the kitchen. We use that to clean non-food stuff.

We've never had a vinegar smell in the house either and I'd know it since DH hates the smell.

I regularly mist the area rugs and upholstered furniture to freshen them with vinegar.


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## springvalley

I use vinegar in the barn also cleaning the milking equipment, use as a rinse to clean any soap and stuff off. It is so very good to use, and won`t kill ya either. > Marc


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## DarleneJ

TNHermit said:


> How much do you use. And will it make plastic feel non greasy. Seems like after plastic ages for a while it don't feel clean when you wash it. Or maybe I am gettin old and persnickety but I'm a man LOL


For most things I put fill up a spray bottle from the dollar tree in this way:

1/2 White Vinegar
1/2 Water
1 tsp dawn dishwashing liquid (usually I just add a squirt, I can tell by the color now)

That solution works great on glass/mirrors, countertops, sinks, appliances, etc. I even use it to clean rabbit cages, chick waterers/feeders, to cut urine smell, gets deoderant out of the armpits of clothes if used as a pretreat. Um, when a couple of my baby chicks had hard poop stuck to their but that wouldn't dissolve with water, I gave a couple sprays of my vinegar solution to work it off. I didn't have to worry about them getting chilled by being soaked in too much water or that the spray would be toxic to them.

I use it to wipe down the interior of our vehicles. It does a great job removing the road grime that builds up on the interior windows without streaking.

A cup full-strength works in my toilet, then I spray (from my bottle) and wipe off the seat(s) and exterior. For extra disinfecting you can spray hydrogen peroxide on surfaces and wipe after cleaning with the vinegar solution. It is a stronger disinfectant but must be used full strength, not in combination or watered down. Mostly, I'm satisfied with the vinegar solution. It's just my husband and I and we are almost never ill, so the method must be working.

Also, vinegar is great for cleaning floors. About 1/2 cup vinegar to a 1/2 gallon of hot water cleans the floor and leaves tile and linoleum with a great shine and no residue. For quick floor cleaning, I just use my spray bottle and a rag. I suppose you could tie a rag to a swiffer if you have one and use your spray bottle along with it.

I use straight vinegar as a rinse for clothes. Fabric softener is a waterproofing agent, but vinegar breaks down the remaining soap in the laundry when used as a rinse. My clothes and towels are much softer since I made the switch.

To defunk towels, prewash with at least a cup of vinegar in as hot a water as your washer setting will allowr. Wash with just a little soap in hot/warm and use a bit of vinegar in the rinse. Dry on the hottest setting for 60 minutes to further kill the bacteria (they are the ones making the smell.) This has saved many a towel in my house.

I've tried using it as a rinse agent in the dishwasher, but when I use my homemade soap (which works fine for cleaning) the vinegar rinse left my glasses cloudy so I've gone back to a commercial dishwasher rinse. (If anyone knows the answer to this please let me know.)

As far as the smell. I like it. I know I am using a natural, effective, non-toxic, frugal cleaner. The scent is gone within 10 minutes or so.

When I have used it along side of a non-scented detergent for laundry I have noticed a slight scent left in clothes. I usually try to add something scented like a 1/2 dryer sheet or on anything but towels, a teaspoon or two of fabric softener to the rinse. That usually does the trick.

Anyway, that's how I use white vinegar when cleaning.


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## mrs whodunit

RedDirt Cowgirl said:


> Mrs. Whodunit, vinegar kills germs. It fixes the source of smells, doesn't just neutralize the odor. Opening windows & doors for a fresh air-out is part of my cleaning routine, but even in winter never have lingering pickle smell. White distilled is the only kind to use for cleaning. Like any cleaning product, a clear water rinse is the last step.


Switched over to vinegar and H2O2 for kitchen cleaning years ago but the stench caused me to stop. Read that adding some EO helped with the odor.... umm no.

A cutting board cleaned with vinegar and allowed to dry and then used for something wet will bring the vinegar smell right out.


Much prefer cleaning with steam. No residue and it makes stuff look brand new again.


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## Ardie/WI

DarleneJ said:


> For most things I put fill up a spray bottle from the dollar tree in this way:
> 
> 1/2 White Vinegar
> 1/2 Water
> 1 tsp dawn dishwashing liquid (usually I just add a squirt, I can tell by the color now)
> 
> That solution works great on glass/mirrors, countertops, sinks, appliances, etc. I even use it to clean rabbit cages, chick waterers/feeders, to cut urine smell, gets deoderant out of the armpits of clothes if used as a pretreat. Um, when a couple of my baby chicks had hard poop stuck to their but that wouldn't dissolve with water, I gave a couple sprays of my vinegar solution to work it off. I didn't have to worry about them getting chilled by being soaked in too much water or that the spray would be toxic to them.
> 
> I use it to wipe down the interior of our vehicles. It does a great job removing the road grime that builds up on the interior windows without streaking.
> 
> A cup full-strength works in my toilet, then I spray (from my bottle) and wipe off the seat(s) and exterior. For extra disinfecting you can spray hydrogen peroxide on surfaces and wipe after cleaning with the vinegar solution. It is a stronger disinfectant but must be used full strength, not in combination or watered down. Mostly, I'm satisfied with the vinegar solution. It's just my husband and I and we are almost never ill, so the method must be working.
> 
> Also, vinegar is great for cleaning floors. About 1/2 cup vinegar to a 1/2 gallon of hot water cleans the floor and leaves tile and linoleum with a great shine and no residue. For quick floor cleaning, I just use my spray bottle and a rag. I suppose you could tie a rag to a swiffer if you have one and use your spray bottle along with it.
> 
> I use straight vinegar as a rinse for clothes. Fabric softener is a waterproofing agent, but vinegar breaks down the remaining soap in the laundry when used as a rinse. My clothes and towels are much softer since I made the switch.
> 
> To defunk towels, prewash with at least a cup of vinegar in as hot a water as your washer setting will allowr. Wash with just a little soap in hot/warm and use a bit of vinegar in the rinse. Dry on the hottest setting for 60 minutes to further kill the bacteria (they are the ones making the smell.) This has saved many a towel in my house.
> 
> I've tried using it as a rinse agent in the dishwasher, but when I use my homemade soap (which works fine for cleaning) the vinegar rinse left my glasses cloudy so I've gone back to a commercial dishwasher rinse. (If anyone knows the answer to this please let me know.)
> 
> As far as the smell. I like it. I know I am using a natural, effective, non-toxic, frugal cleaner. The scent is gone within 10 minutes or so.
> 
> When I have used it along side of a non-scented detergent for laundry I have noticed a slight scent left in clothes. I usually try to add something scented like a 1/2 dryer sheet or on anything but towels, a teaspoon or two of fabric softener to the rinse. That usually does the trick.
> 
> Anyway, that's how I use white vinegar when cleaning.


Yes, I do all that too!

We go through a lot of vinegar here!


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## RedDirt Cowgirl

mrs whodunit said:


> Switched over to vinegar and H2O2 for kitchen cleaning years ago but the stench caused me to stop. Read that adding some EO helped with the odor.... umm no.A cutting board cleaned with vinegar and allowed to dry and then used for something wet will bring the vinegar smell right out.Much prefer cleaning with steam. No residue and it makes stuff look brand new again.


Uh, it's for cleaning, not for coating. Just rinse it off, if you feel like vinegar has soaked into wood, dampen it with water and rub with baking soda.


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## kudzuvine

I have smokers in the house. So I put a few small jars with cotton balls filled with vinegar - you don't smell smoke or vinegar when you come in house. Also place a small amount in car - absorbs the smell.


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## Guest

Once a month I put vinegar in the toilet and a cloth that covers the whole inside, soaked in vinegar. Leave in there for a few hours, completely removes the hard water stains.


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## Ardie/WI

Just today, I went around the house with a spray bottle of vinegar! The back room floor got heavily sprayed. It's the oldest part of the house and where the farmers changed out of their barn clothes. One a humid day, it still smells.

Then I hit the rugs in front of the door and also misted the furniture. DH's outside jacket got it too.

We have very old carpeting on the stairs going upstairs and I sprayed the dickens out of that.

Old farmhouses sometimes have old odors!


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## Tegerian

Found this some time for homemade gnat traps using Vinegar:

Things You'll Need
1 Glass jar
5 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar
2 Pieces plastic wrap, cut to fit over jar opening
1 Rubber band
1 Fork
Scissors

Instructions
1 Remove the lid from a glass jar and thoroughly rinse the jar with soap and water. Any jar will do, but the gnat trap will work best if the mouth of the jar is fairly wide.
2 Add 5 tbsp. apple cider vinegar to the jar. White vinegar will suffice if you don't have any cider vinegar on hand.
3 Cut a sheet of plastic wrap into two pieces of equal size. The plastic wrap should be large enough to cover the mouth of the jar, with about one inch to spare.
4 Place both sheets of plastic wrap over the lid of the jar and secure with a rubber band. It's essential to secure the plastic wrap, as the fruit flies are small insects that can escape easily.
5 Gently poke several holes in the saran wrap using a fork. It's important that the holes are not too close together and that there are not many holes close to the edge of the lid, as this would give gnats an escape route.
6 Place your homemade gnat trap next to the source of the infestation.


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## jamala

I keep a large mason jar in the kitchen and as we eat oranges we put the peels in the jar and then fill with vinegar and put a top on. After it sits for a few weeks I have wonderful orange vinegar to clean with.


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## newfieannie

mother use to save the orange peels too. but would add water and sugar for a nice drink. i remember having that when i came home from school. i do use a lot of vinegar!

i have had the power out all winter at my country place and i'm not sure what will be facing me on sunday with the fridge(no food in it) i think i'll make up a couple bottles of vinegar and water as Darlene mentioned and use those. i did spray some mould spray in there last year before i left. ~Georgia.


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## Darstcreek

Great heath properties too .


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## n9viw

Not trying a thread hijack here, but had a question related to cleaning with vinegar:

I have a black nylon watch band, and it soaks up BO something fierce. I had taken to spritzing it with bleach water and letting it soak in the sink while I took my shower, but I've since read that the bleach will cause the nylon to degrade much faster, so I've quit that.

Pony! suggested using vinegar, and I tried that a couple times. I let it soak in a cup of vinegar for a couple hours, then rinsed it off with clear water. I had a 'salad' on my arm for a couple days, then it went right back to smelling bad. Haven't tried hot vinegar, but may next time.

I won't do metal watch bands, either- plucks the hair out! Leather and plastic bands smell just as bad. I've tried em all. 

Any suggestions? I can't be the only person with a stanky watch band!


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## Ardie/WI

I cut some peonies to bring in the house and was faced, as usual, with the inevitable ants! I put the vase in a bowl and added a bit of water, vinegar and a drop of dish washing soap. A few ants fell off the blossoms, but the rest ended up in the bowl dead!


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## Tegerian

If you have an item that is really rusty, fill a container with enough vinegar to cover the item and place them in the vinegar. Let it sit overnight, next day use a pair of pliers or something to pull the item out and rub down with paper towels and or a shop cloth. You can save the vinegar for your next item if it isn't too grungy. Depending on how much rust you have it will come off in sheets including any paint or coating that was on the metal. Therefore, once you have it clean be sure to rinse it off with tap water to get rid of any left over vinegar acids, once dry you can hit it with a coat of paint before setting it aside or continuing your restoration. 

You should be amazed at how it takes the rust away. I've been using this around the farm to fix up old implements I find that the previous owner chucked in the bushes because of broken handles or laziness. So far I've got a sledgehammer, a roofing hammer, some chain hooks and an axe or two for the cost of some handles, since I already had the vinegar and paint.


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## newfieannie

that's an idea. i just brought back an old iron chair from the country that is rusty.i didn't want to throw it away because my husband got it for me years ago i plan to use it to put a flower pot in. i scrope(scraped?) it still looks too bad to put paint over it yet . i'll try spraying it with vinegar tomorrow before i paint it. ~Georgia.


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## countryliving

Vinegar is truly amazing, so many uses!


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## DarleneJ

n9viw said:


> Not trying a thread hijack here, but had a question related to cleaning with vinegar:
> 
> I have a black nylon watch band, and it soaks up BO something fierce. I had taken to spritzing it with bleach water and letting it soak in the sink while I took my shower, but I've since read that the bleach will cause the nylon to degrade much faster, so I've quit that.
> 
> Pony! suggested using vinegar, and I tried that a couple times. I let it soak in a cup of vinegar for a couple hours, then rinsed it off with clear water. I had a 'salad' on my arm for a couple days, then it went right back to smelling bad. Haven't tried hot vinegar, but may next time.
> 
> I won't do metal watch bands, either- plucks the hair out! Leather and plastic bands smell just as bad. I've tried em all.
> 
> Any suggestions? I can't be the only person with a stanky watch band!


If you have already used bleach on the nylon watch band, I would think that it has damaged it. Bleach dries out materials like nylon and rubber gaskets (i.e. refrigerator), drastically shortening their usefulness. Bleach ruins the finish making the nylon/rubber more porus so that it cannot resist stains, smells, etc. It is better to clean first with something mild like hydrogen peroxide, then vinegar and then maybe bleach as a last resort. (Just know that the bleach will cause damage even if it seems necessary. I think I would try watering it down first.)

Anyway, I have heard that hydrogen peroxide is effective for removing skunk odor, so give it a try. Surely, your watch band can't be THAT bad!


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## Tegerian

newfieannie said:


> that's an idea. i just brought back an old iron chair from the country that is rusty.i didn't want to throw it away because my husband got it for me years ago i plan to use it to put a flower pot in. i scrope(scraped?) it still looks too bad to put paint over it yet . i'll try spraying it with vinegar tomorrow before i paint it. ~Georgia.


Try spraying the chair heavily and covering it with plastic overnight, a garbage bag will work. 

Teg


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## Txsteader

Ardie/WI said:


> Yes, I do all that too!
> 
> We go through a lot of vinegar here!


We go through a lot here, too. I also recycle the 1 gallon jugs for drinking water storage....and no, they don't smell like vinegar after they've been washed/rinsed. 

Vinegar is a must for hard-water residue. I add it to my rinse water for squeaky-clean & sparkly dishes. I pour 1/2 c. in the toilet bowl before bed, a couple times a week, to prevent that funky build-up that scrubbing won't remove. I keep a vinegar/water solution in a spray bottle for quick touch-ups on chrome faucets, etc.


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## Tegerian

Works well as a weed killer also, best on sidewalks and driveways as it is indiscriminate in its killing and it will kill your grass should you get careless.


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## DarleneJ

WOW! Here's a Reader's Digest article with 150 uses for Vinegar! Whoda thunk it?!!

150+ Household Uses for Vinegar | Reader's Digest

Now I've got a whole new list of applications to try. YAY!

Enjoy! :icecream:


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## Tegerian

DarleneJ said:


> WOW! Here's a Reader's Digest article with 150 uses for Vinegar! Whoda thunk it?!!
> 
> 150+ Household Uses for Vinegar | Reader's Digest
> 
> Now I've got a whole new list of applications to try. YAY!
> 
> Enjoy! :icecream:


Nice find. :thumb:


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## saremca

I cannot tell you how many times I have unclogged a drain or the garbage disposal with vinegar, baking soda, and hot water. My mom always used a mixture of rubbing alcohol and vinegar to clean mirrors and the bathroom surfaces.


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## OUVickie

Ardie/WI said:


> Just today, I went around the house with a spray bottle of vinegar! The back room floor got heavily sprayed. It's the oldest part of the house and where the farmers changed out of their barn clothes. One a humid day, it still smells.
> 
> Then I hit the rugs in front of the door and also misted the furniture. DH's outside jacket got it too.
> 
> We have very old carpeting on the stairs going upstairs and I sprayed the dickens out of that.
> 
> Old farmhouses sometimes have old odors!


I decided to use it in my carpet shampooer, instead of rug shampoo, after my nephew told me soap just makes the carpet padding dirtier. He works for Stanley Steamer. 
I used it to clean my daughter's hallway after she had a water leak. It worked! It cleaned the carpet and neutralized the smell. So, now I use it exclusively to clean my carpets at home. 

It certainly cuts kitchen grease too.


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## copperhead46

I use about a half a cup in a cup of water to clean my coffee maker, I get chunks of scale and mineral in the carafe, I usually run it through a couple of times and it really helps !! I put it in my rinse water instead of fabric softener, keeps the towels from getting funky in the summer and softens them without scented sheets


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## Ardie/WI

If you are running a particularly dirty load of dishes in the diashwasher, add a glub  of vinegar before you close the door. Run as usual.


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## Tegerian

I found this on Scribd, appears to be the RD version compiled in a PDF.

150_ Household Uses for Vinegar


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## SuburbanHermett

Tegerian said:


> If you have an item that is really rusty, fill a container with enough vinegar to cover the item and place them in the vinegar. Let it sit overnight, next day use a pair of pliers or something to pull the item out and rub down with paper towels and or a shop cloth. You can save the vinegar for your next item if it isn't too grungy. Depending on how much rust you have it will come off in sheets including any paint or coating that was on the metal. Therefore, once you have it clean be sure to rinse it off with tap water to get rid of any left over vinegar acids, once dry you can hit it with a coat of paint before setting it aside or continuing your restoration.
> 
> You should be amazed at how it takes the rust away. I've been using this around the farm to fix up old implements I find that the previous owner chucked in the bushes because of broken handles or laziness. So far I've got a sledgehammer, a roofing hammer, some chain hooks and an axe or two for the cost of some handles, since I already had the vinegar and paint.


Thank YOU! B/c of your post I have finally saved a tiny pocket knife my dad gave me when I was about 6 years old. It had rusted shut and nothing I tried would work. I am so glad I am a sentimental fool and never threw it away. It still looks rough but its easily one of my most cherished possesions. Thank you again.


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## Tegerian

SuburbanHermett said:


> Thank YOU! B/c of your post I have finally saved a tiny pocket knife my dad gave me when I was about 6 years old. It had rusted shut and nothing I tried would work. I am so glad I am a sentimental fool and never threw it away. It still looks rough but its easily one of my most cherished possesions. Thank you again.


I'm glad that I could be of help and I hope that knife serves you well for a long time to come.


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## Dusky Beauty

I poured white vinegar into a mason jar of orange peels and let it sit... not only did it make a glorious "orange all purpose cleaner"... I used it as orange vinegar to baste a roast turkey!! Vinegar is the most useful product ever created.


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## sss3

So, where do you buy your vinegar? Around here, WM Seems to be cheapest.


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## Ardie/WI

We buy ours at the grocery store. Woodman's in Appleton.

And, we buy a gallon every week!


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