5 Creative Uses for: Vinegar

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


Next up in our series on clever alternative uses for surplus stuff: vinegar. Reuse fans, this is a good one. The acidic liquid cleans, heals, and deskunks, not to mention its salad dressing potential. Here are just five of its myriad (thanks AltUse.com) uses:

1. Kill a wart: Soak a small piece of cotton wool (end of a q-tip works well) in cider vinegar. Fasten the cotton wool over the wart with medical tape or a band-aid. Reapply as needed.

2. Unclog drains: Use 3-4 tablespoons of baking soda and one cup of white vinegar to keep bathroom sink drains clear without damaging your pipes.

3. Heal a bruise: Apply white vinegar for one hour to a bruise. The vinegar will reduce the discoloration and aid healing.

4. Brighten tiki torches: Soak the torches’ wicks in distilled vinegar for a few hours, then let dry. When lit, the flames will burn longer and brighter.

5. Remove skunk odor: Rub vinegar full strength into your pet’s fur and then rinse with cool water. Pat dry with a clean towel.

Keep us relentless, independent, and free to read.

This past week was our Spring Membership Drive, and we had an ambitious goal of raising 1,000 new donations to fund journalism that doesn’t hold back. We missed that goal. So we’re extending the drive, and we need your help.

For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:

    • Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account

    • Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations

    • Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall

But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.

Keep us relentless, independent, and free to read.

This past week was our Spring Membership Drive, and we had an ambitious goal of raising 1,000 new donations to fund journalism that doesn’t hold back. We missed that goal. So we’re extending the drive, and we need your help.

For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:

    • Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account

    • Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations

    • Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall

But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate