18 Ways to Get More Out of Vinegar

From eliminating windshield streaks to curing hiccups, you'll be sure to find a use for vinegar beyond just in your recipes. Here are all the ways you can start putting this natural and eco-friendly ingredient to work.

Simply Natural Cleaning

1. Vanquish Smells with Vinegar

Vinegar absorbs and neutralizes odors—from smelly pets and paint to smoke. Place a cup of vinegar in any room the odor reaches. In the kitchen, try boiling a cup of vinegar in 2 cups water. In 15 minutes, the smell should be gone. To remove odors from washable items, add 1 cup of white vinegar during the wash cycle.

2. Steam Away Microwave Mess

Microwave walls can take a beating from food and drink explosions. But cleanup and deodorizing are simple when you use vinegar. In a microwavable bowl, combine ½ cup vinegar and 1 cup water. (You can also add a few drops of lemon juice, if you like.) Microwave for 3 to 5 minutes, then let sit for a few minutes while the steam goes to work. You should be able to easily wipe away any formerly caked-on mess.

3. Whiten Grout—Without Bleach

You can dissolve nasty buildup without harsh bleach. Simply create a paste from baking soda and water and apply it to the grout. Spray the area with a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water. Let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing with a brush. Then rinse with warm water and admire the results!

4. Stop Windshield Wiper Streaks

Dampen a cloth with vinegar and run it down each blade. The acetic acid cleans away any dirt and residue but also coats the wipers to make them frost-free.

5. Get Fresh-Car Smell

A bowl of vinegar set in the car overnight will remove odors left by pets, kid athletes, takeout food, and more!

6. Make Sweat Stains Disappear

Is your laundry nemesis a perfectly good white tee yellowed by pit stains? Vinegar to the rescue! Just pour a small amount of white vinegar directly onto the stain and gently rub it into the fabric before washing.

7. Make your own fabric refresher!

In a spray bottle, add a 1:3 mixture of vinegar and water plus a few drops of an essential oil. Mist onto clothing and let dry.

Your Secret Ingredient In The Kitchen

8. Stop Pasta from Sticking

Skip the oil that can chase away your pasta sauce; turn to vinegar instead. Adding a bit of white vinegar to the cooking water will lower the pH level and stop starch from getting pulled into the water, creating a sticky situation.

9. Out of Eggs? Vinegar to the Rescue!

Already started a baking recipe and realized you don’t have eggs? Just mix 1 teaspoon vinegar with 1...

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