10 Problems You Didn’t Know You Could Solve with Vinegar

When it comes to household cleaning and other household tasks, there are few products that match the power of vinegar. It’s not only a great thing to have on-hand when cooking, it can also come in handy when it comes to the most difficult and frustrating cleaning jobs. Vinegar can do it all, from getting wrinkles out of clothing to making your cut flowers last longer in their vases.

Take a look at just some of our favorite ways that vinegar can swoop in and save the day:

1. Shine Your Shoes

Leather shoes aren’t quite as impressive if they’re dull and dingy. Get rid of grime and polish your kicks by rubbing your shoes with 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup of vinegar. Now your kicks look like they’re fresh from the store.

2. Streak-Free Windows

Oftentimes, using glass cleaners just results in even messier looking windows! Get clean AND streak-free glass by cleaning with this solution: a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water. Add a few drops of lemon juice for a fresh smell for half the cost of pricey products.

Bonus Tip: Try using newspaper to clean the window rather than paper towel or cleaning rags. It sounds bizarre, but this helps to reduce streaks on glass surfaces.

3. Kill Weeds Fast

If you start to see weeds springing up in the driveway, it’s time to bust out the vinegar. Pour vinegar on any driveway weeds, making sure to soak the grass so that the vinegar seeps to roots. The next day, you’ll find the weeds are dying, which means it’s just a simple matter of pulling the frail weeds from the concrete.

This is also a much safer product to use rather than dangerous chemicals, especially if you have pets or kids who will most likely be on your driveway at one point or another.

4. Clean Your Keyboard

Gross as it is, one of the filthiest parts of your home is right under your nose: your computer keyboard. If it’s been a while, power down your computer and clean the keyboard with a cloth that’s been dampened with vinegar. For tough-to-reach places, soak a Q-tip in vinegar and get in between every key, from A to Z.

5. Disinfect Your Dishwasher

Even your dishwasher needs a clean every now and then! How else will your dishes get clean? Fill your soap area with vinegar, remove the racks inside, and run the dishwasher on a normal cycle. The vinegar will clean and disinfect the appliance without any harsh chemicals being used.

For even more ways that vinegar is a household necessity, make sure to watch the video from the HouseholdHackers below.

And now that you know some great ways to use vinegar, you need to stock up on apple cider vinegar, too! Like it’s counterpart, apple cider vinegar has some amazing household uses you wouldn’t expect. Even better, apple cider vinegar has amazing health benefits for your hair, skin, and internal organs, too!

Phongnguyen1410 via Wikimedia Commons

Do you use vinegar (whether it’s white or apple cider!) in some creative way? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.