But there’s a multitude of other uses for white vinegar that go beyond cleaning—from yard care to pet care and more. Read on to learn about 10 uses for vinegar that may surprise you. For best results, use white vinegar on a day of dry, sunny weather; vinegar needs some time in the sun to work its deadly magic on weeds. Dilute white vinegar in a 1-to-4 ratio (1 tablespoon vinegar to 4 tablespoons water, for example), and let it soak into a clean rag. Then use the rag to wipe out the inside of your pet’s ears. And if your pet gets sprayed by a skunk, vinegar is an easier acid to use than ketchup for getting rid of the smell, since ketchup itself doesn’t rinse off all that easily. Finally, if unwanted cats are creeping around your yard, spray or pour vinegar onto their favorite litter box; felines can’t stand the stuff! Second, it can help to clean the dishwasher itself: Once a year or so (more if you have hard water), pour a cup of white vinegar into an empty dishwasher, then run it for a short cycle to get rid of the lime and soap build-up that can prevent your dishwasher from working at peak efficiency. Additionally, vinegar can be used as a glass cleaner and deodorizer in your car; you can even add it to your windshield wiper reservoir to keep your glass shiny if your car’s owner’s manual suggests it. Vinegar is acidic enough to ruin some motor parts, so don’t add it to your windshield-washer fluid if your owner’s manual advises against it. You can also wipe down your windows with diluted vinegar in winter to keep them frost-free. Most of the preparations seem to focus on one biocide (vinegar, bleach, copper), plus one source of sugar as a food supply. For removing stains like mustard, ketchup, tomato sauce, grass, and underarm deodorants, spray a little white vinegar onto the stain before laundering. Soaking whites in vinegar will help bring back their whiteness. And just like in your dishwasher, vinegar helps to break down detergent when added to the rinse cycle, making clothes fresher, more colorful—and it gets rid of funky towel mildew. One cup should be plenty; add less when using a front-loading washing machine White vinegar and salt can clean stainless-steel cookware and sterling silver, and undiluted vinegar disinfects cutting boards, especially those made of wood. And for cleaning microwaves, just pour a little vinegar into a bowl of water and microwave it for a few minutes—you can then easily wipe out grunge from the inside of your microwave. Finally, if your sink is clogged or smelly, try pouring 1/4 cup of baking soda down the sink, then add 1 cup of vinegar and cover the drain tightly. The reaction between these two compounds can power out clogs. You may need two or more applications for tough clogs. And for any appliance or fixture that’s not working right because of hard water—especially irons, showerheads, and faucets—soak or spray white vinegar and let the deposits crumble away.
