Vinegar Offers a Pungent Solution

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

When my paternal grandmother passed away, I inherited a book of curiosities she had collected throughout her life. Most of them are random clippings from newspapers, magazines, and various periodicals. Here’s a practical list from the 1980s of good uses of vinegar.

• To help keep the drain line on your dishwasher clean and fresh-smelling, add one-half cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
• Remove soap and stain buildup on chrome and plastic fixtures by cleaning with a mixture of one teaspoon salt dissolved in two tablespoons of vinegar.
• To remove film buildup on bathtubs, wipe with vinegar and then soda. Rinse with clean water.
• To remove corrosion from shower heads or faucets, soak them in diluted white vinegar overnight. For convenience, saturate a cloth with vinegar and wrap it around the faucet or shower head.
• Clean Formica tabletops and counters by rubbing with a cloth soaked in white vinegar. The finish will shine.
• To clean wood paneling, if you still have wood paneling, mix one ounce of olive oil with two ounces of vinegar and one quart of warm water. Dampen a soft cloth with the solution and wipe the paneling. Then wipe with a dry, soft cloth to remove yellowing from surface.
• Your brass, copper, and pewter will shine when cleaned with the following mixture: Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in one cup of vinegar. Add enough flour to make a paste. Apply paste to brass, copper, or pewter and let stand for 15 minutes. Rinse with clean, warm water and polish dry.
• Get ride of excess suds that billow up during hand laundry by adding a splash of vinegar to the second rinse. Then rinse again in plain water.
• To help keep your garbage disposal clean and fresh-smelling, try vinegar cubes. Mix one cup of vinegar in sufficient amount of water to fill an ice tray. Freeze the mixture and run the cubes through the disposal. After the grinding action has stopped, flush with cold water for a minute or two.
• Dampen your cleaning rage in vinegar and water and use it to wipe out your oven. It will prevent grease buildup.
• Wash counter tops, cabinets and floors with equal parts of vinegar and water to deter ant invasions.