Inspired by our many uses of lemons a few weeks ago, we decided to start paying attention to other weird and/or alternative uses for regular household items. One that definitely pops up a lot for us is vinegar! It is such a masterful tool and goes way beyond cooking uses. Here are a bunch of ways we use vinegar in recipes, to clean, and as a go-to resource.

…If this list isn’t complete enough, we recently stumbled on this site VinegarTips.com, that has over 1,000 tips, tricks, and uses for vinegar! We’ll have to do a follow up post down the road and let you all know how else we’ve started using the stuff!

White Vinegar as a Cleaning Agent

Vinegar is very acidic and because of that an excellent cleaner, that can dissolve soap scum, remove glue, and even get tough red wine stains out. Here are a few ways we use it every week!

• Shower head cleaner — fill a bowl with hot water and 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar, then stand on your tub and soak the shower head for 3-5 minutes; you’ll for sure feel the difference the next time you shower!
• De-stink-ify clothes — add 2-3 tablespoons to your washing machine when doing a sweaty load of laundry (hello, hot yoga) to help lift smells from clothes
• Drain cleaner — use 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup hot vinegar; wait 10 minutes and rinse
• Shine your shoes — wipe down leather shoes and bags with a vinegar-soaked cloth to bring some life back
• Spray away — fill a spray bottle with half white vinegar and half water and use to deodorize a room or to clean countertops, the grill, mirrors, walls, and pretty much any other surface you can find!

Apple Cider Vinegar in Your Routine

Apple cider vinegar is beneficial for your health both internally and externally. It’s detoxifying nature makes it great for sore throats and its acidity cleanses hair and skin in a natural and harmonious way.

• Gurgle — have a sort throat? mix 1/3 cup AC vinegar with warm water and gurgle away; or heat it all up and add lemon and honey for a soothing tea
• Toner — use a cotton swab dipped in AC vinegar to tone and cleanse after washing your face
• Remove hair product, add shine — after shampooing, rinse your hair with AC vinegar
• Stop itching — a cotton swab soaked in AC vinegar can soothe bug bites, eczema, and lots of other itchy skin conditions
• Tummy troubles — AC vinegar contains pectin which can alleviate many causes of stomach and colon uneasiness; drink straight or mix some with water for slower drinking

Base for Salad Dressings, Marinades, etc.

We love using vinegar as a base for salad dressings (1 part vinegar / 4 parts oil) and marinades (1 part vinegar / 2 parts oil). Once you start there, the possibilities are endless for what to add. Here are some of our favorite dressing and marinade recipes:

• Arugula, Cheddar, & Cherry Salad with Basic Dressing
• Dill Vinaigrette with Rice Vinegar
• Red Wine Vinegar Pesto that can be a spread, dip, or dressing!
• Teriyaki Marinade
• Slow Cooker Marinated Chicken

Kitchen Help

Vinegar is not just for eating, mind you! Here are a few other ways we love to use vinegar in the kitchen beyond including it in recipes…

• Poach eggs — while your water is boiling, add some vinegar to help the eggs keep their shape
• Sticky pasta — add 1/2 teaspoon to a pot of boiling pasta water to keep the pasta from sticking when it’s finished
• Onion odors – rub your hands with vinegar after cutting onions to get rid of the smell
• Fishy odors — after cooking fish, broccoli, onions, or anything else with a strong smell, place a bowl with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar near the stove to move odors out and away
• Glass cleaner — in place of commercial glass cleaner for dishwashers, use white vinegar as a natural replacement that shines and sparkles just as well!

Vinegar for Pets

Vinegar is one of our go-tos when pets are involved. As an all-natural ingredient, it can be used safely on or around pets unlike lots of household cleaners.

• Shiny coat — just like for human hair, spraying on or conditioning with 1 part vinegar / 1 part water will leave your pet silky shiny
• Remove litter odor — let a vinegar/hot water mix soak in the litter tray for 20 minutes, then rinse to remove smells
• Ear cleaning — using a cotton ball dipped in vinegar, clean inside your pet’s ears to kill bugs and remove dirt
• Remove water lines or calcium buildup from water bowls — soak with vinegar and then rinse
• Discourage flies — spray around where your pet uses the bathroom (inside or outside) to get rid of flies

Anyone else totally vinegar-obsessed? Let us know how you use them in the comments!