White Vinegar, I love thee

Those of you who have been reading for a while know how much we love white vinegar here.

So we've broken down and given it its own page. And it feels so good.

Natural weed killer:

I love white vinegar and am absolutely amazed whenever I learn something new it can do. Vamp(ire) Chris forwarded me an email from ServiceMagic with this tip: A great way to get rid of weeds that appear in cracks in the cement or along brick pavers is to simply spray them with white vinegar. You have to be more careful with it in your garden because the vinegar will also kill any surrounding grass.

White Vinegar and Baking Soda:

Is there anything these two can’t tackle? With more houseguests, your shower drains may become a little more clogged due to the increased activity. A quick fix is to pour baking soda over your drain (about 1/3 of a cup) and then pour white vinegar over it until it’s all disappeared (about a liter). The chemical reaction breaks up a lot of what might be clogging the pipes, and the baking soda and vinegar is easier on pipes that most drugstore variety. Eventually your drain will need to be snaked by a plumber, but it’s a great temporary fix while your house is full.

Salt Stains:

The first step in tackling salt stains that your winter boots drag in is vacuuming. You can then attack the stain using an eco-friendly mixture of equal parts lukewarm water and vinegar (my fave!), whether the stain is on your carpet or hardwood floor.

Coffee Maker, Kitchen Help, and More:

Not only does a quarter cup of distilled white vinegar knockout odors in your laundry, but you can also use it to: clean your coffee maker (use one part vinegar and one part water to fill your coffee maker. Run it through as though you're making coffee and let it sit for an hour before running several cycles of clean water to rinse it out afterwards); Vamp Sneha created an eco-friendly household cleaner by putting white vinegar in a spray bottle with a few drops of essential peppermint oil added for fragrance--this can remove even the toughest mineral deposit buildup, like what you have on your drying rack for your dishes. For more tips, visit this amazing site. The best part about it, though, is how inexpensive it is! Most dollar stores sell a liter for a dollar, or Wal-mart carries a gallon for under $2.

Check out more on our laundry page . . . your gym socks will thank us.