10 brilliant uses for white vinegar

 

Prolong the life of markers

You’re ready to start creating the signs for your garage sale, only to find that your markers are nearly dried out. Instead of running to the store for more, try dipping the marker tips in a bowl of vinegar for 10 seconds. Then let sit for 10 minutes before using. Vinegar’s acetic acid will restore moisture to draw out every last bit of color so your signs will pop!

Prevent a bruise from forming

Bump your arm on the table again? This can ward off the inevitable bruise: Soak a piece of gauze in vinegar, place on the sore spot, then secure with a bandage; leave on for 1 hour. Vinegar boosts circulation to the skin’s surface, preventing blood from pooling and a bruise from forming.

Get relief for a sunburn

That weekend getaway was just what you needed—if only you’d reapplied your sunscreen more often. A fast way to ease any discomfort: Soak a few paper towels in vinegar and gently press them onto the sunburned spots. Vinegar’s acetic acid helps balance skin’s pH to minimize pain and reduce puffiness. Bonus: It helps cut down on blistering and peeling too!

Ensure stainless steel sparkles

You love the shiny, chic look of stainless steel appliances—too bad the surface gets covered in unsightly fingerprints so easily! To remove them fast, add 1 cup of vinegar to a spray bottle and liberally spray the appliance’s surface; wipe with a soft cloth. Acids in the vinegar will dissolve oily residue, erasing prints so the appliance is gleaming again.

Revive old wiper blades

When your windshield wipers start to smear rather than clear the glass, try this before buying replacements: Dampen a lint-free cloth with vinegar, then use it to wipe down each blade. The acidic liquid will instantly remove the buildup of grime from the blades so they work as well as new.

Remove the smell of paint

The last time you added a fresh coat of paint to a room, the odor gave you quite the headache. To sidestep this next time, leave a few bowls of vinegar around the room after the job is done. Vinegar changes the chemical structure of paint vapors to nix fumes.

Replace eggs for baking in a pinch

You can’t wait to bake your famous chocolate cake. The problem? As you’re preparing the batter, you realize that you’re one egg short. If the recipe includes a rising agent (like baking soda) and you have at least one egg, vinegar can save the day. Simply replace the missing egg with 1 Tbs. of white vinegar. It will react with the rising agent to mimic the egg’s effect.

Nix stubborn litter box odors

Lately the pan in Mittens’ litter box has been smelling a bit funky, but soap alone isn’t getting rid of the offensive odor. The fix: After washing the box with soap and water, add a half-inch layer of vinegar. Let sit for 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly before adding litter again. Acetic acid in the vinegar will destroy any odor-causing bacteria.

Erase deodorant marks on shirts

Eek! You accidentally got some white residue on your shirt after applying your deodorant. To the rescue: Simply dab the marks with a sponge soaked in equal parts vinegar and water. The acids in the kitchen staple will dissolve the deodorant’s aluminum chloride and quickly remove the marks without leaving behind an unpleasant odor.

Help clean a cutting board

Since dish soap and water can weaken the wood fibers over time, getting a wooden cutting board clean can be tricky. A better way: Saturate a paper towel with vinegar, then use it to wipe the board after you’re done using it. The vinegar is a disinfectant that will nix any harmful bacteria on the board so you don’t have to scrub it with soap and water.