The many uses of vinegar | SA Garden and Home

One of the most versatile items in your kitchen, vinegar has countless uses around the house. Of course, there are many different types of vinegars with varying recommended uses, and we would never suggest cleaning your oven with balsamic!

Here are the many ways that you can use white or spirit vinegar around your home.

For cleaning

Perhaps one of its best-known uses outside of cooking, vinegar is great as a natural alternative to chemical cleaning products. Using a one-to-one vinegar and water solution will clean almost anything from your countertops to your oven, and even your floors.

To kill weeds

Straight vinegar is potent enough to kill weeds. Simply spray it directly onto the plant that you’re wanting to get rid of daily until it begins to die.

For freshening flowers

A dash of vinegar with a sprinkle of sugar in the water of your freshly-cut flowers will help them to last longer.

For removing stains

If you have a tough stain on your carpet that you cannot seem to get rid of, vinegar might be your answer. Pour some vinegar over the stain and then sprinkle it with baking soda. When the stain has absorbed the mixture, clean away any leftover baking powder.

In your washing

Vinegar can be used on stains, to brighten up your whites, and can help bring out the freshness and colour of your clothes when added during the rinse cycle of your washing.

For disinfecting chopping boards

Plain vinegar is so strong that it can be used to wipe down your chopping boards in order to disinfect them.

To liven up wilted veggies

To freshen up sad-looking vegetables, soak them in a solution of two cups of water to one tablespoon of vinegar.

To get rid of smells

Vinegar is a great tool for combatting odours. Do you have a drain that needs to be cleaned? Pour a cupful of vinegar down in order to deodorise it. Or have you been chopping onions and can’t get the smell off of your hands? Simply give your hands a scrub with some vinegar to eliminate it.