and Salt 
or Baking Soda 
21 Household Uses of Vinegar
If you’ve got a jug of vinegar at home, you’re set to clean house with it. From disinfecting rooms to removing carpet stains, vinegar is surprisingly versatile. Read about the many household uses of vinegar to start putting that kitchen staple to work.
Vinegar isn’t just for fish and chips anymore. In fact, vinegar doesn’t always have to be used in cooking or foods. Here are some nonedible examples:
1. Clean your computer
Vinegar has a well-known ability to disinfect. You can clean your computer, printer, fax machine and other office gear with vinegar and water. Unplug all the machines, and mix equal parts of vinegar and water in a bucket. Wet a cloth in the solution and wring it out. You don’t want water to leak in your keyboard or computer. This could damage your electronics. Wipe all the surfaces to get them shining clean. Use cotton swabs around small or tough to reach areas, for example, in between the keys of the keyboard.
Vinegar isn’t just for fish and chips anymore. In fact, vinegar doesn’t always have to be used in cooking or foods. Here are some nonedible examples:
1. Clean your computer
Vinegar has a well-known ability to disinfect. You can clean your computer, printer, fax machine and other office gear with vinegar and water. Unplug all the machines, and mix equal parts of vinegar and water in a bucket. Wet a cloth in the solution and wring it out. You don’t want water to leak in your keyboard or computer. This could damage your electronics. Wipe all the surfaces to get them shining clean. Use cotton swabs around small or tough to reach areas, for example, in between the keys of the keyboard.
2. Clean your window blinds
Window blinds are notoriously difficult to clean, but they no longer need to be. Again, use a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. Put on a white cotton glove, dip your fingers in the solution and slide your fingers across the blinds, with fingers on each side of the slats. Be sure to get both sides of each slat. Keep a bucket of clean water near by to rinse off your glove occasionally.
3. Unclog and deodorize drains
Of the many household uses of vinegar, this one is really handy. Pour one-half cup of baking soda and then 1 cup of vinegar down the sink or tub drain through a funnel. The mixture will foam up considerably and unclog your drain. When there is no more foam, flush the drain with hot tap water. After 5 minutes, flush the drain again with cold water. This also will deodorize your drains. To speed up a slow drain: Pour one-half cup of salt followed by 2 cups of boiling vinegar down the drain. Flush with hot water, then cold water, and your drain will be much faster.
Window blinds are notoriously difficult to clean, but they no longer need to be. Again, use a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. Put on a white cotton glove, dip your fingers in the solution and slide your fingers across the blinds, with fingers on each side of the slats. Be sure to get both sides of each slat. Keep a bucket of clean water near by to rinse off your glove occasionally.
3. Unclog and deodorize drains
Of the many household uses of vinegar, this one is really handy. Pour one-half cup of baking soda and then 1 cup of vinegar down the sink or tub drain through a funnel. The mixture will foam up considerably and unclog your drain. When there is no more foam, flush the drain with hot tap water. After 5 minutes, flush the drain again with cold water. This also will deodorize your drains. To speed up a slow drain: Pour one-half cup of salt followed by 2 cups of boiling vinegar down the drain. Flush with hot water, then cold water, and your drain will be much faster.
4. Get rid of the smoky smell
One of the most frustrating things after quitting smoking is trying to remove all evidence that you ever smoked. The smell lingers for months (if not years) on items such as clothes and furniture. Vinegar can help eliminate it. If you’ve burned some food or someone smoked in your home, set out a small bowl filled three-quarters full of white or cider vinegar in the room where the smell is the strongest. In less than a day, the odor will be gone. To dispel the smell of fresh cigarette smoke, wave a cloth that’s been moistened with vinegar around the room to absorb the smell. This technique is more effective (and economical) than buying air fresheners and deodorizers that merely cover up odor.
One of the most frustrating things after quitting smoking is trying to remove all evidence that you ever smoked. The smell lingers for months (if not years) on items such as clothes and furniture. Vinegar can help eliminate it. If you’ve burned some food or someone smoked in your home, set out a small bowl filled three-quarters full of white or cider vinegar in the room where the smell is the strongest. In less than a day, the odor will be gone. To dispel the smell of fresh cigarette smoke, wave a cloth that’s been moistened with vinegar around the room to absorb the smell. This technique is more effective (and economical) than buying air fresheners and deodorizers that merely cover up odor.
5. Get rid of mildew stains
Another of the household uses of vinegar is cleaning mildew stains. Apply full-strength vinegar to heavy mildew stains, or dilute it with equal parts water for light stains. No need to fret about ventilation, because white vinegar can be applied to nearly any surface without worry. Prevent mildew from forming on rugs and carpets by misting the back of the rug with full strength white vinegar in a spray bottle.
6. Shine up chrome and stainless steel
To clean chrome or stainless steel, spray it with full-strength vinegar, then buff it to a high shine with a soft cloth.
Another of the household uses of vinegar is cleaning mildew stains. Apply full-strength vinegar to heavy mildew stains, or dilute it with equal parts water for light stains. No need to fret about ventilation, because white vinegar can be applied to nearly any surface without worry. Prevent mildew from forming on rugs and carpets by misting the back of the rug with full strength white vinegar in a spray bottle.
6. Shine up chrome and stainless steel
To clean chrome or stainless steel, spray it with full-strength vinegar, then buff it to a high shine with a soft cloth.
7. Shine up your silverware or silver jewelry
Soak silverware or jewelry in one-half cup of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of baking soda for 3 hours. Rinse items with cold water and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth. They will sparkle, and your mother will be proud!
8. Polish brass and copper
You can create vinegar paste to clean brass and copper. Use equal parts white vinegar and salt or vinegar and baking soda. Use a soft cloth or paper towel to run the paste into your brass or copper until the tarnish disappears. Rinse off with cool water and then buff to a shine with a clean soft cloth.
Soak silverware or jewelry in one-half cup of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of baking soda for 3 hours. Rinse items with cold water and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth. They will sparkle, and your mother will be proud!
8. Polish brass and copper
You can create vinegar paste to clean brass and copper. Use equal parts white vinegar and salt or vinegar and baking soda. Use a soft cloth or paper towel to run the paste into your brass or copper until the tarnish disappears. Rinse off with cool water and then buff to a shine with a clean soft cloth.
9. Get rid of pen marks
One of the household uses of vinegar includes removing those accidental pen marks on a nice, clean white shirt or blouse. Dab them with white vinegar on a sponge. Keep repeating until the marks are gone. You can use this technique to make your budding artist child’s decoration on your living room wall disappear in no time.
10. Remove sticker residue
You can un-stick the sticker or price tag from just about any surface using white vinegar. To remove a sticker or decal that’s on a painted surface, saturate the corners and edges with white vinegar. Scrape off the decal with a plastic card. Soak the sticky remains with white vinegar and then wipe clean.
11. Clean scissors
Instead of washing your scissors with water, which will likely just rust the fastener, wipe them clean with a cloth dipped in full-strength vinegar. Dry with a clean, dry cloth.
12. Clean piano keys
One of the instrumental ways to use vinegar in the house is to clean piano keys with it. Use a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. Dip a soft cloth into the solution and wring out as much as possible. Wipe each key gently, drying with a soft cloth as you go. Leave the keyboard uncovered for 24 hours after cleaning.
13. Deodorize small spaces
You can use vinegar to deodorize a lunch box, car trunk or footlocker by soaking a piece of white bread in vinegar, then placing it in the closed space overnight. By morning, the smell should be gone.
One of the household uses of vinegar includes removing those accidental pen marks on a nice, clean white shirt or blouse. Dab them with white vinegar on a sponge. Keep repeating until the marks are gone. You can use this technique to make your budding artist child’s decoration on your living room wall disappear in no time.
10. Remove sticker residue
You can un-stick the sticker or price tag from just about any surface using white vinegar. To remove a sticker or decal that’s on a painted surface, saturate the corners and edges with white vinegar. Scrape off the decal with a plastic card. Soak the sticky remains with white vinegar and then wipe clean.
11. Clean scissors
Instead of washing your scissors with water, which will likely just rust the fastener, wipe them clean with a cloth dipped in full-strength vinegar. Dry with a clean, dry cloth.
12. Clean piano keys
One of the instrumental ways to use vinegar in the house is to clean piano keys with it. Use a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. Dip a soft cloth into the solution and wring out as much as possible. Wipe each key gently, drying with a soft cloth as you go. Leave the keyboard uncovered for 24 hours after cleaning.
13. Deodorize small spaces
You can use vinegar to deodorize a lunch box, car trunk or footlocker by soaking a piece of white bread in vinegar, then placing it in the closed space overnight. By morning, the smell should be gone.
14. Clean your coffee pot
Use a solution of equal parts vinegar and hot water to thoroughly clean your coffee pot. Run the solution through a cycle on your coffee pot, then run three pots of clean water to clean the container thoroughly. The solution also will clean the glass of your coffee pot or the inside of your carafe – just let it soak for a while, then rinse out well.
15. Brighten up bricks
Among the versatile household uses of vinegar is brightening the bricks in your home. Go over them with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar per gallon of hot water – this solution works for brick floors or brick fireplaces.
16. Brighten wood paneling
Mix 1 pint of warm water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 4 tablespoons of white vinegar in a small container. Seal the container and shake thoroughly. Apply solution to the paneling with a clean cloth. Let it soak in for a few minutes, then polish the paneling with a clean, dry cloth.
Use a solution of equal parts vinegar and hot water to thoroughly clean your coffee pot. Run the solution through a cycle on your coffee pot, then run three pots of clean water to clean the container thoroughly. The solution also will clean the glass of your coffee pot or the inside of your carafe – just let it soak for a while, then rinse out well.
15. Brighten up bricks
Among the versatile household uses of vinegar is brightening the bricks in your home. Go over them with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar per gallon of hot water – this solution works for brick floors or brick fireplaces.
16. Brighten wood paneling
Mix 1 pint of warm water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 4 tablespoons of white vinegar in a small container. Seal the container and shake thoroughly. Apply solution to the paneling with a clean cloth. Let it soak in for a few minutes, then polish the paneling with a clean, dry cloth.
17. Clean carpet or rug
If your carpet or rug looks worn and dingy, bring them back to life by brushing them with a broom dipped into a solution of 1 gallon of water and 1 cup of white vinegar. The best part is – you don’t have to rinse the solution.
18. Remove carpet stains
Use a half cup of white vinegar and two tablespoons of salt to get carpet stains out. For tough stains, add 2 tablespoons of borax to the mixture.
19. Make a spray-on carpet stain remover
Fill a spray bottle with 1 part vinegar and 5 parts water. In a second spray bottle, mix 5 parts water with 1 part non-sudsy ammonia. Spray and saturate the stain with the vinegar solution. Let it settle. Blot with a clean cloth. Then spray with the ammonia mixture and blot. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.
20. Remove grease
You can remove grease from kitchen surfaces using a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water.
21. Paint over wood scratches
Did you know that one of the household uses of vinegar is to make scratches on wood less visible? Use distilled or cider vinegar and iodine in a small jar to paint over wood scratches with a small brush. Match the shade of your wood by using more iodine or more vinegar.
If your carpet or rug looks worn and dingy, bring them back to life by brushing them with a broom dipped into a solution of 1 gallon of water and 1 cup of white vinegar. The best part is – you don’t have to rinse the solution.
18. Remove carpet stains
Use a half cup of white vinegar and two tablespoons of salt to get carpet stains out. For tough stains, add 2 tablespoons of borax to the mixture.
19. Make a spray-on carpet stain remover
Fill a spray bottle with 1 part vinegar and 5 parts water. In a second spray bottle, mix 5 parts water with 1 part non-sudsy ammonia. Spray and saturate the stain with the vinegar solution. Let it settle. Blot with a clean cloth. Then spray with the ammonia mixture and blot. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.
20. Remove grease
You can remove grease from kitchen surfaces using a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water.
21. Paint over wood scratches
Did you know that one of the household uses of vinegar is to make scratches on wood less visible? Use distilled or cider vinegar and iodine in a small jar to paint over wood scratches with a small brush. Match the shade of your wood by using more iodine or more vinegar.
22. Remove water rings on tables
Get rid of those unsightly water rings. Apply equal parts of vinegar and olive oil with a soft, clean cloth to the stain. Wipe in the direction of the wood grain. Use another clean cloth to polish it up.
For water rings on leather, remove them with a sponge and full-strength white vinegar.
Get rid of those unsightly water rings. Apply equal parts of vinegar and olive oil with a soft, clean cloth to the stain. Wipe in the direction of the wood grain. Use another clean cloth to polish it up.
For water rings on leather, remove them with a sponge and full-strength white vinegar.
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