12 Smart Living Uses for Vinegar

With the days finally getting warmer, it's time to think about spring cleaning!  For thousands of years, vinegar has proven to be a very resourceful product.  The acetic acid in vinegar kills germs and mold while remaining non-toxic, perfect for daily use. From household cleaners to health and beauty products, check out 12 ways you can effectively use vinegar in your home today!

1. Wash windows.  Fill a spray bottle equal parts vinegar and water.  Wipe with either a clean paper towel or newspaper for a streak-free shine.
2. Freshen laundry.  Add 1 cup white distilled vinegar to load during the rinse cycle to naturally break down uric acid and soapy residue from clothes, leaving them soft and fresh.
3. Clean your coffeemaker.  For drip coffeemakers, fill the reservoir with white vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle.  Rinse thoroughly by brewing 2 cycles of water before using.
4. Clear drains.  Pour ½ cup baking soda followed by 1 cup vinegar down the drain.  Allow 5 minutes to sit, then rinse, clearing blockages and washing away odor-causing bacteria.
5. Unclog your showerhead.  Soak the showerhead in white distilled vinegar overnight to remove build-up and debris.
6. Peel off wallpaper.  Saturate walls with equal parts vinegar and water.  Allow time to set and remove the wallpaper with a scraper.
7. Remove carpet stains.  Mix 1 teaspoon liquid detergent with 1 teaspoon white vinegar into 2 cups of warm water to remove non-oily stains from carpets.
8. Rinse hair.  Soak hair in a 1-tablespoon-vinegar-1-cup-water mixture after a shampoo to make hair shiny.
9. Relieve sunburn.  Rub full-strength white distilled vinegar onto skin.  Repeat as needed.
10. Ease heartburn.  Take one or two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to relieve acid indigestion.
11. Repel bugs.  Combine equal parts water, distilled vinegar and liquid dish soap in a spray bottle for use on skin.
12. Kill weeds.  Spray white distilled vinegar, full strength, on top of weeds.  Reapply on new growth, as necessary.

How do you use vinegar?  Tell us in the comments section below or post to our Twitter and Facebook pages!  And be sure to pick up a bottle of vinegar on your next trip to your local Marc’s store!