Tidy Tip Tuesday - Vinegar - Not Just for Salads

Since I posted some unusual uses for baking soda last week, I thought I'd like to post some uses for vinegar this week that are also somewhat out of the ordinary. So here goes.

For the following cleaning tips use white distilled vinegar.

Remove mineral deposits from a faucet by dampening a rag with vinegar and then placing it on the area on the faucet that is stained.

Sweeten the garbage disposal by making vinegar ice cubes and then grinding them in the garbage disposal.

Freshen the washing machine. Pour one cup of vinegar into the machine. Fill the washer and run on a regular cycle though without clothing. This helps to clean the hoses and remove soap scum. Repeat monthly.

Soften clothing without toxic softener sheets. Use 1 cup vinegar to a load of clothing in the rinse cycle. Clothing will be softened because vinegar removes the alkalies from the clothing that is deposited there by the detergents used to wash the clothes.

For the following kitchen tips, use unpasteurized raw apple cider vinegar.

Tenderize meat. Use vinegar to marinate meat as it both kills bacteria and tenderizes. Use 1/4 cup per 2-3 pounds of meat. Marinate meat overnight, then cook without draining or rinsing. Add herbs as desired to the vinegar marinade.

Make your own red wine vinegar. If you are out of red wine vinegar don't rush off to the store. Instead mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar with 1 teaspoon of red wine. Use as you would red wine vinegar.