Six Household Uses for Distilled Vinegar

With all the concern over chemicals in the environment, toxins in our water supply and polluted air, there are alternatives to those cleaning chemicals that line shelves and shelves at the store. One of the most useful and powerful products is plain, ordinary distilled white vinegar. It is an amazingly useful substance to have around the house:

1. Glass cleaner for windows and mirrors – dilute vinegar with water in a 1:1 ratio (1 cup vinegar to 1 cup water) and put in a clean spray bottle. Use as you would window cleaner with a clean paper towel or clean lintless cotton cloth to clean windows and mirrors. Leaves a clean, streak-free shine.

2. For spot-free glasses in the dishwasher – add about 1/2 cup to the rinse container in your dishwasher. Vinegar leaves glasses spot-free, sparkly and without residue. Also keeps residue from forming inside your dishwasher.

3. To clean and deodorize cat litter boxes – Instead of scrubbing the litter box out with a toxic soap or cleaner, clean with 1 cup vinegar and warm water before drying and refilling with fresh litter. Vinegar is great at eliminating odors and cleaning, without leaving any toxins behind for pets to be exposed to.

4. As rinse agent in the laundry – Vinegar is a good addition to the final rinse cycle of the laundry. It is particularly useful if washing cloth diapers (it helps to neutralize the soap chemicals and as additional deodorizer). Also use with soiled sheets or sour towels to freshen and get rid of bad smells.

5. To clean and freshen coffee pot – To really clean a drip coffee maker that is starting to produce bitter coffee or suffers from “clogs”, vinegar is the perfect agent. You’ll notice a change in the taste of your coffee right away. Fill the coffee pot with water and 1 cup vinegar. Pour the water into the canister and brew as you would coffee. After all the vinegar water has passed through, empty the pot and fill with fresh water, run this through once to rinse out any vinegar that might be left behind. Dump the water and you’re ready to brew a fresh pot of coffee!

6. As a general cleaner for floors, counters, and surfaces – Add 1 cup vinegar to 1 gallon warm water for a good general cleaner. This works great on floors and doesn’t create any residue while picking up scuffs and odors. Also good as an everyday cleaner for counters and other non-wood surfaces.