As you may have read, vinegar is one of those "go to" items that has far more uses than just as a salad dressing component... and I know there are many common items that linger in our pantries and laundry rooms that can serve several purposes when cleaning our homes. So I thought I would start to compile a list of the many inexpensive, multi-purpose items and their possible uses.
Here is the first one: Vinegar
It's so versatile, it tastes great and can clean pet stains at the same time (okay, not the best two examples to give in the same sentence, lol). Vinegar is amazing, so many uses, so little space. My favorite, (speaking as a carpet cleaner), is vinegar's amazing ability to neutralize and clean up pet stains. Mix a solution of one teaspoon of white vinegar, one teaspoon of a gentle detergent like Dreft or Vel, and a quart of warm water. Use this solution to blot on your carpet when your animals use your carpet as their personal restroom. It works for urine, feces and vomit.
Another use for vinegar is to eliminate mildew from your shower curtain. Just spray it on, walk away, and then the next day when you take a shower, just rinse it off! Easy enough, right?! If your looking for something a bit stronger, for example, to remove mold, you can use bleach, but that's another blog.
Back to vinegar, use it when you wash your clothes. One cup of vinegar added to the wash cycle will neutralize foul odors, soften fabric and prevent colors from bleeding.
Believe it or not, you can even use vinegar to get shiny hair. Shampoo as usual, then mix 1/4 cup white vinegar with 1 cup of warm water and rinse your hair with it. It makes your hair really shiny but wont make your hair smell like salad dressing!
If you own oriental rugs, vinegar can be used as a maintenance cleaning method in between professional cleanings. Mix about a cup of white vinegar in a large bucket of warm water. Use a very, very, soft brush dampened with the solution, (damp not soaked!) and gently clean. Once again, the vinegar acts as an odor neutralizer and protects the colors from bleeding. It can also significantly brighten the colors of the rug. Let your oriental rug air-dry and Ta Da, your done.
My brother-in-law gave me this next tip, he works as a Sandhog in NYC and comes home pretty dirty. If you have ever gotten concrete or grout on your hands, than you know how difficult it is to remove and how badly it burns. Use a bit of vinegar on your hands and it will neutralize the burning.
Vinegar really is a miracle product. Im still looking for other useful ways to use it. Look for my next blog and we will move on to another household item and how to use it. If you have any home remedies for cleaning with vinegar, or anything else for that matter, leave a comment.
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