Friday, April 8, 2011

Spring Cleaning With Vinegar...!


I know none of us like to face the fact, but it's almost time to do some Spring cleaning!

Seems like we go through this every year about this time, doesn't it? I wonder why that is?

Anyway, I have some information today that may be just a little bit of help in this task. At least, I hope so! Just think...now you can work in the yard and garden until dark, then go inside and start working on the Spring cleaning! Sound like a plan to you?

From cleaning shower curtains, to relieving insect bites, vinegar certainly has many functions. Here are some of our favorite household uses for vinegar.

*Bring a solution of one-cup vinegar and four tablespoons baking soda to a boil in teapots and coffeepots to rid them of mineral deposits.

*A solution of vinegar and baking soda will easily remove cooking oil from your stovetop.

*Clean the filter on your humidifier by removing it and soaking it in a pan of white vinegar until all the sediment is off.

*Vinegar naturally breaks down uric acid and soapy residue, leaving baby clothes and diapers soft and fresh. Add a cup of vinegar to each load during the rinse cycle.

*Saturate a cloth with vinegar and sprinkle with baking soda, and then use it to clean fiberglass tubs and showers. Rinse well and rub dry for a spotless shine.

*To remove chewing gum, rub it with full-strength vinegar.

*For a clean oven, combine vinegar and baking soda, then scrub.

*Clean and deodorize your toilet bowl by pouring undiluted white vinegar into it. Let stand for five minutes, then flush. Spray stubborn stains with white vinegar, then scrub vigorously.

*Clean windows with a cloth dipped in a solution of one part white vinegar and 10 parts warm water. This works for dirty TV screens, too!

*For brunettes, rinsing hair with vinegar after a shampoo makes hair shinier. Use one-tablespoon vinegar to one-cup warm water.

*Soak paint stains in hot vinegar to remove them.

*To clean drip coffeemakers, fill the reservoir with white vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly by brewing two cycles with water before using.

*To remove bumper stickers from car chrome, paint on vinegar and let it soak in. Next, scrape off the stickers. Decals can be removed similarly.

*Rid your refrigerator and freezer of bad odors by cleaning the insides with a solution of equal parts vinegar and water, then wiping dry.

*Apply full strength vinegar to mosquito or other insect bites to relieve the itching. (Caution: Do not do this if the affected area is raw.)

*To remove smoke odors on clothes, hang them above a steaming bathtub filled with hot water and a cup of white vinegar.

*To prevent mildew, wipe down surfaces with vinegar.

*Place a vinegar-soaked brown bag on sprains to ease pain and aid recovery.

*Use a sponge dampened with vinegar to clean shower curtains.

*To remove salt and water stains from leather boots and shoes, rub with a solution of 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1 cup water. Wipe over the stained area only, and then polish.

*To loosen a stuck jar lid, hold the jar upside down and pour warm vinegar around the neck at the joint between the glass and the top.

*Rub cider vinegar on your skin to repel insects.


All this wonderful information was stolen from...I mean "borrowed" from the Almanac! Where else would I go to find this kind of information? After all, being Preppers, we all have some vinegar hidden in our pantry, right? I'd sure be disappointed if you didn't!

Anyway, I hope you'll find something here that will be of use! Don't want to spend all your spare time working, right? Right!

Now, before you all rush in to get started...let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside for a bit! Always nice to take a coffee break BEFORE the work, don't you think?

13 comments:

DianeLynn said...

LOL glad you "borrowed" these great ideas...thanks :)

HermitJim said...

Hey Diane-Sage...
Glad you enjoyed my efforts! Hope it helps in the cleaning!

Good to see you again, my friend! Thanks for coming by!

Caddie said...

As I've said before, there is no commercial cleaner as good as vinegar and soda.
Now if I could find some energy, I could do some cleaning!

Raw honey and vinegar will help IF I could find a beekeeper nearby.

Thanks. Think I will have a cup of coffee with you this morning. This Maxwell House just doesn't cut it these days - their formula has changed; 'new and improved' I guess!

JoJo said...

I don't know what we would do without you and your wonderful Almanc finds. these are great tips.
Some I knew and some I didn't.
Now for that coffee on the patio. Weather here right now is OK but the wind is going to be back in a few hours.

HermitJim said...

Hey Sissy...
You might try one of the local groceries that carry Health Foods! As long as the honey is non-pasteurized, it should work!

Also, look to see that the honey is from the US because sometimes they mix the imported honeys with local...and it affects the quality!

Thanks so much for coming by today!


Hey JoJo...
Always looking out for some interesting things to help out! You know3 me, I like easy!

I sure am glad you found something new in all this.

Thanks, sweetie. for coming by today!

Ben in Texas said...

Of course your car windshield will come spotless , use crumbled newspaper to rub it dry and clean,

Anonymous said...

If you want your vinegar to smell great, stuff grapefruit or lemon or orange peels in a glass jar and fill with vinegar. Leave in the sun 2-3 days. Strain through a coffee filter or cheesecloth. Presto - scented vinegar to give all your cleaning a wonderful citrus scent.

Felinae said...

Thanks for borrowing these tips. :D I only knew some of them, glad to know the rest of them now. :)

@Anon 11:37, Thanks for that tip as well. I like the way vinegar cleans, but sometimes the scent is a bit much to take. :)

Have a wonderful day, Uncle Hermit.

Hugs~Fel~

HermitJim said...

Hey Anon 11:37...
Thanks for the tips! Lots of folks don't like the scent of vinegar!

Always good to learn a new trick or two!

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey Felinae...
Hadn't seen you in a while, my friend!

I'm certainly glad you enjoyed the tips on vinegar, and I hope the new ones are of some use to you!

I really appreciate you coming by today!

Marjie said...

Vinegar also relieves sunburn pain, but then you walk around smelling like a big ol' salad. Of course, I have gallons of it around, in all 3 varieties - white, cider and wine.

HermitJim said...

Hey Marjie...
I grew up using vinegar for sunburns. That's what Mom always used when we were kids, and I don't think that any of us as kids minded the smell!

Of course, the fact that it worked so well probably had a lot to do with that!

I sure appreciate you coming by today!

Anonymous said...

When you're putting the citrus peels in the glass jar to fragrance the vinegar, really pack them in the jar. Two or three days in our hot Texas sun does the rest.

Yves Capozzoli said...

Vinegar's a great jack-of-all-trades cleaner. You can also help clean window treatments the same way you remove the smoke smell from clothes. It's a pretty handy solution to have around.