There are some things that I absolutely must have in my home in mass quantities at all times - and vinegar is one of them! You should see the strange looks I get when I buy my vinegar - all ten to twelve gallons - at a time. And this is just for a one month supply. Vinegar is one thing that I will have to buy at a minimum quarterly. It is a staple in our household, as much as flour, sugar, and salt. However, all the multiple uses for vinegar can eliminate the need for many other things, such as: fabric softener, dryer sheets, Windex, etc. In a way, it does its part in helping me with eliminating the grocery store - at least, the cleaning department! So, why do I like vinegar so much? Oh, let me share the ways!
- I use vinegar instead of liquid fabric softener. Fabric softener can cost anywhere from $3 to $8 - and that is not even for a whole gallon of the stuff. My generic white vinegar, on the other hand, costs less than $3 a gallon. It helps eliminate funky odors from towels and wash cloths while simultaneously making laundered items nice and soft.
- But that is not all of its wonderful and magical laundry capabilities. I can also use vinegar mixed with really cheap hair conditioner to make homemade dryer sheets. Right now I am using lavender scented conditioner so my clothes come out soft, lightly scented, and with a minimum of shocking power. Dryer sheets run $4 to $6 and give you either 40 or 80 sheets. My one homemade dryer sheet is good for about 50 loads - and it is reusable. Again. And again. And again. At least, until the rag I use for a dryer sheet disintegrates. In about three years time.
- Most people know that vinegar can be used to clean windows and mirrors. We do that too. Windex can cost $3 to $6 a bottle. My wonderful vinegar comes in a gallon size for less than $3 remember, so it is a real money saver there too. And another advantage to vinegar over Windex is the lack of ammonia. This is really important because ammonia does not play nice with other cleaning chemicals.
- Did you know that mixing baking soda with vinegar expands the cleaning potential exponentially? This wonderful mixture as a paste can be used to clean sinks, bathtubs, stove tops, and counters. If you need a little bit of scrubbing power.
- We also use baking soda and vinegar as a deodorizer for plastics, like the kitty litter tub. Pouring in a heavy coating of baking soda followed by a bunch of vinegar will remove the smell from the plastic after sitting for about ten minutes.
- I keep a spray bottle full of vinegar on my counter for quick cleaning. This same bottle is used by the kids to clean the bathrooms. It can be sprayed liberally on all the surfaces, including the toilet, for quick and easy cleaning without any harsh chemicals that I need to worry about exposing them to. Side benefit - less time spent cleaning by me!
- I also use vinegar to rinse my hair. It works great to remove buildups from shampoos and conditioners and leave my locks smooth and silky.
- I use vinegar mixed with olive oil to refurnish my wood floors.
- I love using vinegar to kill the weeds and grass that grow in the cracks of my sidewalk or between the rocks of my fire pit.
- My husband runs straight vinegar through his coffee maker to remove hard water build up. I use it to clean the inside of my tea kettle for the same thing.
- A few tablespoons of vinegar in the water boil canner and the pressure canner keeps my jars from turning white and chalky during the canning process.
- Of course, I also use vinegar in the kitchen. I drink a little bit of vinegar when I make my Trim and Healthy Mama Good Girl Moonshine. A little bit of vinegar can go a long way.
- Vinegar can also be used to convert whole milk into homemade cheese curds and sour cream.
- And of course, I use vinegar to turn cucumbers into pickles for my family.
Isn't vinegar wonderful? I have shared the many ways that I use vinegar - do you have a use that I didn't mention? Share it with us today!
Be blessed.
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