50 reasons vinegar is a must-have in every kitchen

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White vinegar is a staple for any household. This product is great for cooking and cleaning. It's so versatile, we've come up with 50 different uses for this cheap, natural ingredient. You may already use vinegar to decalcify your faucets or to clean your garbage disposal, but you might be surprised to learn what else it can do. From cleaning dishes to removing odors, this one bottle wonder should be on every shelf.
According to Wise Geek, white vinegar is an acidic liquid made from fermenting grain alcohol. The grain alcohol is oxidized and watered down to create what you see on the store shelves.
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In the kitchen:
1. Store peeled garlic in vinegar to preserve.
2. Heat 1/4 of apple cider vinegar on the stove eliminate cooking odors.
3. Add a bit of vinegar to the ketchup bottle and shake to get the most of your purchase.
4. Protect your cheese from getting moldy by wrapping it in a vinegar-soaked cloth.
5. Clean your fruits and veggies with vinegar to remove pesticides and bugs
6. Combine a few tablespoons of vinegar with 1/4 cup milk to make your own buttermilk.
7. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to your cookie or cake recipe for fluffier results.
8. Add two tablespoons of vinegar to water before boiling your eggs (easy to peel and no cracking.)
9. Replace one egg in a recipe with a tablespoon of white wine vinegar.
10. Add vinegar to your scrambled eggs for a fluffier result.
11. Rub fresh fish with vinegar to aid in removing the scales and bones.
12. Cover peeled potatoes with a bit of water and vinegar to keep them from browning.
13. Brush the top of homemade bread with a bit of vinegar as it bakes for a pretty crust.
14. Add vinegar to your pasta water to prevent the noodles from sticking.
15. Soak old veggies in a bit of cold water and vinegar to give them new life.
16. Wash your hands with a bit of white vinegar to remove onion smells.
17. Add a spoonful of white vinegar to a recipe if you accidentally added too much salt.
18. Add a drop of distilled vinegar to sugar frosting recipes to preserve the color.
19. Add a teaspoon to a box of gelatin mix to keep it from melting when it gets too warm.
20. Soak meat in 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water to remove salmonella.
Around the House:
21. Remove stickers and decals with a bit of white vinegar. Spray and scrape (using a plastic card).
22. Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sugar to water to keep flowers fresh.
23. Soak wall-papered walls with equal parts water and vinegar. Let it soak and pull the wallpaper away with ease.
24. Bid farewell to fresh paint odors by leaving a few bowls of vinegar around the room for about an hour.
25. Sprinkle kitty-free zones with a bit of vinegar. The smell keeps cats away and keeps your bed post safe from scratches!
26. Keep Fido flea free by swabbing his ears with a cotton ball soaked in two parts vinegar, one part water. (Do not apply to any area with open wounds).
27. Wash your clothes in undiluted vinegar (let them soak overnight) to remove the smell of skunk.
28. Remove mildew in the shower with full strength white vinegar.
29. Remove soap scum by scrubbing with 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup ammonia, 1/4 borax and a gallon of warm water.
30. Fill your tub with hot water. Add 3 cups of warm water and let your tub soak for at least four hours to remove hard water stains.
31. Pour a mixture of 3 tablespoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon borax and 2 cups of hot water into a spray bottle. Shake. Spray windows, tile, and other surfaces to remove mold and mildew.
32. Add two cups of white vinegar into your toilet bowl. Let it soak overnight for a quick, easy clean.
33. Wash new (or newly purchased used clothes) with 1 cup of white vinegar and regular laundry soap before wearing them.
34. Soak new red clothing in white vinegar for 10-15 minutes before washing the first time to keep the red from running.
35. Clean your shower curtain with 1/2 cup laundry detergent, 1/2 cup baking soap and 1 cup white vinegar.
36. Add two cups of white vinegar to your washing machine and run through a full cycle to remove odors and debris.
37. Brighten whites by adding 1/2 cup white vinegar to the wash cycle.
38. Remove yellow stains from clothing with a mixture of 12 parts warm water to 1 part vinegar. Spray yellowed areas and let the garments soak.
39. Mix 1 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 cup sugar in a 2-liter bottle. Add a small banana peel (chopped), and 1 cup of cold water. Shake. Hang the bottle from a tree to lure and trap pesky bugs.
40. Place some of the soil from your yard in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar. If your soil fizzes its high alkaline.
41. Rub woody seeds (morning glories and gourds) with a bit of apple cider vinegar and warm water to help speed germination.
42. Keep your plants healthy and eliminate the yellowing leaves by watering the soil with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 1 quart of water.
43. Spritz dandelions with full-strength vinegar to kill them before they procreate. Soak them near the stem.
44. Remove rust from your tools by soaking them in full strength white vinegar for several days.
45. Before you paint a cement floor, coat it with a layer of white vinegar first. This will help keep the paint from peeling.
46. Boil your paintbrushes in two cups of vinegar for about 10 minutes. Wash with soap and rinse to revive them to like-new condition.
47. Unplug your computer, dampen a cloth in a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar and wipe down your keyboard and screen. (Make sure the cloth is only damp, not soaked.)
48. Remove pen stains on the wall by dabbing full strength vinegar on the artwork. Rub away with a sponge.
49. Revive dull, sticky scissors by wiping them down with white vinegar.
50. Remove water rings from your wood table by combining equal parts vinegar and olive oil in a small container. Rub the water spots until they disappear.
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If you love these handy uses for vinegar courtesy of Reader's Digest and Let's Eat, share them with your friends on Facebook.
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