Do you think of white vinegar simply as a salad dressing ingredient? This household staple, which is really a mild acid (acetic acid), can be used for many cleaning, deodorizing and other jobs. Here are only a few examples:
1. Loosen a rusted screw or a rusted lock. Pour some vinegar on or into the area.
2. Tenderize meat. A strong vinegar and water marinade will make meat tender in just a few minutes.
3. Soften a hard paint brush. Boil it in vinegar, or soak it in very hot vinegar, then wash in soapy water.
4. Prevent a cat from digging in plants. Add some vinegar to the misting water.
5. Keep cheese from molding. Wrap it in a vinegar-soaked cloth, then place in a sealed container.
6. Prevent paint from peeling off cement floors. First "paint" the floor with white vinegar. Once it's dry, apply the paint. (Same trick works with galvanized metal.)
7. Remove soapy gunk around faucets. Soak a paper towel in white vinegar, squeeze it out, wrap it around the chrome for 10 minutes, then wipe dry.
8. Keep fruit flies away. Pour 1/2 inch of cider vinegar in the bottom of a small jar and punch a dozen or so holes in the lid (using an ice pick). The vinegar attracts the flies through the holes and they can't get out. Or just set out a small dish with the vinegar plus a few drops of dish detergent; it attracts, then drowns them.
9. Remove the odor of cigarette smoke. Leave bowls of vinegar around the room. Or saturate a towel with vinegar and wave it all around the room.
10. Clean a slimy sponge or loofah. Soak it in a strong solution of vinegar and water for a day, then rinse several times in cold water. Let dry in the sun.
NEXT: More uses for vinegar
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