Distilled vinegar and some of it's uses. We have all become familiar with distilled vinegar over the years and how it is used for slaw in recipes from north to south and east to west. A common commodity used in slaw everywhere.
All kids of claims have been attributed to vinegar for it's ability to cure and heal. Things such as curing or warding off the Black Plague and preventing scurvy!
We know from modern science these ancient claims are not true ubt it does have healing and curing properties for certain ails and is used in the medical field as well.
Distilled White Vinegar
If a solution or remedy calls for vinegar and does not distinguish between white or any other kind, always use white distilled vinegar. In pretty much all cases if another vinegar is called for in a solution, the specific kind or type will be mentioned.
Cooking Fact: If you are instructed by a recipe to make a paste, using a liquid and dry ingredients, an exact measure is rarely mentioned. Many mixes call for a toothpaste consistency and you just add ingredients until the consistency is met.
Distilled White Vinegar for the Kitchen
The kitchen, a place where we find all kinds of challenging jobs for the vinegar! The kitchen is probably the most difficult area of our homes to keep clean on a consistent basis. Most of us are in them and use them multiple times daily.
The kitchen gets all the spills, foot traffic, drips, messy pans, etc. It can seem like a never ending process at times.
Let me give a great big shout out to vinegar! Hurrah!! With white distilled vinegar you don't need a barrage of different cleaners for this area of your home. Vinegar is able to clean pretty much anything! Really!
Cleaning Coffeemakers, Teakettles and teapots
Cleaning Coffeemakers
As I know from experience, buildup in your coffee maker can and will affect the taste of your coffee. With most new coffeemakers the cleaning instructions are in the box. As we know, those do not last very long! Somehow they always come up missing just before we need them! Here is the solution for your coffeemaker
- Run 1 cycle of cold water combined with 1/4 cup of vinegar.
- Follow up with another cycle of just cold water.
- Sniff for vinegar, if you sell it run one more cycle of cold water. This should do the trick!
Cleaning Teakettles
- To clean the teakettle, boil approx. 1/2 cup of vinegar in it for 10 -15 minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly and smell for vinegar. if you smell any rinse until the smell is gone.
Cleaning Teapots
- For the teapot add a 50% to 50% mixture of vinegar and water.
- Allow to boil for 15 - 20 minutes.
- Allow to set for approx. 1 hour.
- Rinse with cold water as with the other appliances above.
Larger Kitchen Appliances
Cleaning Microwaves
Microwaves can be one of those appliances that can get nasty in a second! Have you ever forgotten or over cooked something with liquid in a microwave and had it explode inside? If you have, you know what I mean, instant nasty!
Cleaning it doesn't have to be a chore with vinegar!
- Place a glass with one cup of vinegar in it in your microwave.
- Let boil for 3 minutes.
- Remove and wipe down the inside of your microwave with a damp sponge or dish cloth.
Cleaning Dishwashers
This appliance can build up deposits pretty quick if you use it much! We found this out pretty quickly after our first one. It got to the point it was not washing the dishes as it should and they were not coming clean! Lot of grit remaining after the rinse cycle.
- In empty dishwasher add 1/2 cup of vinegar.
- Allow to run through rinse cycle
Not only will it open up the clogs, it freshens up the smell.
Cleaning Range Ovens
Oven ranges can be difficult or not. Depending on how often you clean you oven it need not be a terrible chore.
Use a sponge with 50/50 vinegar and water to wipe down your oven. This will deodorize and help prevent grease buildup as well.
While doing this, allow your oven hood vents soak in 1 cup of vinegar and 3 cups of water.
Cleaning Refrigerators
Vinegar helps prevent mildew buildup in refrigerators and on the rubber door seals.
Just wipe the surfaces from time to time with a sponge or dishcloth with undiluted vinegar.
Cleaning Pot & Pans and Cookware
Double Boilers and Egg Poachers
Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to the water in these as they are boiling to prevent them from becoming discolored.
Cleaning Frying Pans
These can get really greasy during meals.
Adding 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/2 inch of water to simmer for approx. 10 minutes should do the trick for really greasy pans.
Wash pans as usual and dry.
Household Tip: Make up a spray bottle of 2 teaspoons vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon dawn or other dish liquid, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon borax and 2 cups hot water and label it so you don't get it mixed up or forget what is in it Keep it with your other cleaners for handy access.
This can be used on pretty much any surface in the home and will eliminate purchasing a lot of costly cleaners.
Cleaning Aluminum Pans and Kettles
We have all seen those nasty looking black spots that develop on these aluminum pieces of cookware.
To remove, boil in a large kettle or pan of water with 2 teaspoons of vinegar. Be sure the water covers the pans.
Cleaning Kitchen Sinks and Counter Tops
Removing clogs in a sink that drains slow:
- Mix an equal amount of vinegar, salt and baking soda.
- Pour in the stopped drain and allow to set for approx. 1 hour.
- Pour a large kettle of boiling water or allow extremely hot tap water to run through it.
If the clog is actually stopped up, use a stronger solution, 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup baking soda and allow to set for approx. 3 har and repeat process above for rinsing out the drain.
Removing those odors!
Anything that has an odor that can be soaked, soak it for an hour. This does wonders!
For containers, pour the vinegar in it and allow to set for an hour.
Lets tackle those Stains!
Mineral deposits around the sink happen faucets.
Remove them by spraying them with a solution of undiluted vinegar and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes.
Using an old toothbrush to scrub away the deposits works wonders in there areas.
We have a white porcelain sink and sometimes we experience light staining. Sprinkling the stains with baking soda and scrubbing with a sponge with undiluted vinegar works great. It is best to do this as soon as possible after a stain is spotted. The longer it sets, the harder they are to remove.
We recommend using rubber gloves for this next tip!
If your white porcelain sink has any of the stubborn stains, use paper towels to line the bottom and soak them in Clorox bleach. Allow to sit for approx. 1/2 hour or until they dry out. Remove the paper towels and rinse thoroughly. Clean the sink with undiluted vinegar to remove the clorox smell.
Cleaning Countertops.
Wiping the countertops once daily with undiluted vinegar keep them shiny and helps them stay fresh and eliminate any odors.
Apple Cider Vinegar works great for grout with any kind of grease or grit buildup.
Cleaning the wood.
The most used piece of wood in most kitchens is the bread box. They have a way of getting sticky with finger-prints and food.
Clean this area with a sponge or dishcloth with undiluted vinegar. Doing this on a regular basis will prevent the buildup.
Add a little salt for tougher stains.
