Flashback Friday: Everything You Never Thought You Could Do With Vinegar

Everything You Never Thought You Could Do With Vinegar

Appliances and Household Fixtures:

• Dishwasher - To help keep the drainline clean and sweet smelling, add ½ cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle.

• Oven - Dampen a cleaning rag in vinegar and water and wipe out the interior. This will prevent grease buildup.

• Showerhead - To unclog, soak in diluted white vinegar overnight, or put some vinegar in a plastic bag, tie it around the showerhead, and leave on overnight.

• Toilet bowl - Clean and deodorize by pouring undiluted white vinegar into it. Let stand for 5 minutes, then flush. Spray stubborn stains with vinegar, then scrub vigorously.

Floors, Walls, and Furnishings:

• Carpets - To bring out the color in rugs and carpets, brush them with a mixture of 1 cup white vinegar and 1 gallon water.

• Wood paneling - To clean, mix 1 ounce olive oil with 2 ounces white vinegar and 1 quart warm water. Dampen a soft cloth with this and wipe the paneling; then wipe with a dry soft cloth.

• Furniture - Clean discolored or dirty wood with a mixture of equal amounts of turpentine, white vinegar, and mineral oil. Shake well before and during use. Apply with a soft cloth and rub vigorously.

Stains, Spills, and Yucky Deposits:

• Coffee on carpet - Blot up excess coffee, then rub the stain with a solution of white vinegar, detergent, and water.

• Ball-point ink - Saturate with hair spray, allow to dry, then brush lightly with a solution of half vinegar, half water.

• Windows, mirrors, glasses - Add 2 tablespoons white vinegar to 8 ounces water and put in a spray bottle. Spray lightly and wipe with old crumpled newspapers. Keep away from the edges of mirrors as moisture will spoil the silver on the back.

• Hair dye stains on clothing - Wash in detergent with white vinegar added, then bleach with hydrogen peroxide and relaunder.

Handy Tricks of the Trade:

• Smoke odors on clothes - Fill bathtub with hot water and add 1 cup white vinegar. Hang clothes above the steaming water.

• Washing silks - Add ½ cup Woolite and 2 tablespoons white vinegar to 2 quarts very cold water. Dunk silks up and down in the mixture but do not soak. Roll in a heavy towel and iron while still damp. If you are uncertain about washability, test item by dipping the tail of blouse or other inconspicuous part in the solution.

• Hair care - After washing, rinse hair well with 1 cup water containing 1 tablespoon white vinegar. This removes soapy film.

• Relieves itching - White vinegar is a time-honored remedy for wasp stings, bruises, chapped hands, sunburn, and hives. It relieves the itching of mosquito and other insect bites. Apply full-strength unless area is raw.