January 09, 2009

Vinegar, Who Knew?

I have had a note on my desk for a long time touting the benefit of rinsing fruits and veggies in a solution of vinegar and water. Since I had long since forgotten where I got the info, I did a quick search and found verification of that fact along with a lot of other uses. One website, Frugal Fun, lists 28 practical uses for vinegar. I especially love the tip about unclogging drains.

The "recipe" I have for the vinegar rinse is 3 tablespoons white vinegar to a quart of water. Other sites have 3 tablespoons white vinegar to a gallon of water, so I guess it's all good.

My note also included a couple of other vinegar tips: 1)Revive wilting veggies by soaking them in one quart cold water with one tablespoon white vinegar, 2)Add a teaspoon of white vinegar to the boiling water you are going to cook your rice in and it will be fluffier and less sticky. I have a recipe that calls for a teaspoon of lemon juice with rice so I guess it's the same principle.

I've used vinegar in the garden for several years as an organic weed killer, and even though I knew it killed mildew, I seldom use it for that purpose. Mom always put a cup of vinegar in the laundry when a wet towel accidently sat in the bottom of the hamper for a week and soured the surrounding laundry. Wonder who could have put that towel there? And I wouldn't be without vinegar when house-training a puppy. It is a wonder on pet stains and odors.

If you think you know every use for vinegar, look at Vinegar Tips.Com for 1001 uses.

I think it's time to add vinegar to my grocery list.

Note added Jan. 11: Instead of using bleach on the mildew in my shower, I tried 5% vinegar. You know that black mildew that forms on the caulking at the base of the shower? I wouldn't say it didn't faze it, but it definitely didn't get rid of it; it just made the room stink.

Until next time, may you have blessings and natural cleansers,
Marti

2 comments:

  1. I've tried over and over to like vinegar as a household cleaner. I can't do it. I do like the vinegar and baking soda foaming action on my carpets if my daughter has a puke accident. Removes the spot and odors better than anything I've ever tried.

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  2. I don't like it either, but I've been spending time with it this weekend cleaning the soap scum on the tile in the shower. Nothing else seemed to work. But the smell! Oh my it is bad.

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