Works for Me Wednesday

So I'm drawing a blank as to what Works For Me. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

So I dug WAY.......BACK.......into the recesses of my mind.....you know the 41 year old, nearly demented one.....and figured maybe someone had not heard of this one yet.

I use vinegar for TONS of stuff. I love it. Loved it as a kid---though back then, I actually drank the stuff. I know....YIKES! But love that sour taste!!

So here are a few of my very favorite uses for vinegar.

--Forgot that you left wet laundry in the machine and it now smells moldy? Pour a few cups of white distilled vinegar in the machine and wash the clothes in hot water. Then run a normal cycle with detergent.

--Keep the steam iron clean and in good working order by getting rid of mineral deposits in steam vents and spray nozzles. Fill the water chamber with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and distilled water. Set it in an upright position and let it steam for about 5 minutes. When the iron is cool, rinse the tank with water, refill and shake water through the vents onto an old cloth. Test before using.

--Get cleaner laundry! Add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew.

--Make pasta less sticky and reduce some of its starch. Add just a dash of white distilled vinegar to the water as it cooks.

--Make onion odors disappear from your hands by rubbing with white distilled vinegar.

--To keep eggs from cracking when boiling add a tablespoon or two of white distilled vinegar to water.

--Kill weeds and grass growing in unwanted places by pouring full-strength white distilled vinegar on them. This works especially well in crevices and cracks of walkways and driveways.

--Preserve cut flowers and liven droopy ones by adding 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar to a quart of water in a vase.

--Remove berry stains on your hands by rubbing them with white distilled vinegar.

--Make your own scouring cleanser by combining 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent. Add just enough white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy texture.

--Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so then run hot water down the drain.

--Clean the microwave by mixing 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.

--Renew sponges and dishrags by placing them in just enough water to cover them. Then add 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. Let them soak overnight.

--Kill germs all around the bathroom with a spray of full-strength white distilled vinegar. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.

--To make the toilet bowl sparkle, pour in a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar and let it sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with the toilet brush and flush.

And there really are tons more. In fact, while I was home and rifling through my mother's books, I found a terrific old book on the thousands of ways you can use vinegar. That kept me entertained for nearly a whole day! (I'm not always this exciting....really, folks.)

Hop on over to We Are That Family for more wonderful tips. Though probably not any other ones on vinegar. All that excitement is right here in this very exciting blog.