Things you can do with vinegar

Since becoming a mother I really have begun to think about the products I bring into my home. I try and use the minimal amount of chemicals I can. In fact I generally try and make my own cleaners. Many of them are just as good as the commercial ones and I've been amazed at how inexpensively you can create things. One of my most favorite items that serves numerous purposes in my home is vinegar. I generally get one of the industrial size gallons from the store and I'm set for quite awhile. So, what all can you do with vinegar you ask? Well, you can use in laundry. It's a great fabric softener, fabric freshener and stain remover. I used it a lot when I used cloth diapers. It's great in the outdoor to repel various insects such as ants and garden slugs. You can also dab some on your skin as a mosquito repellent. It can help in your garden by suppressing weeds or increasing the acidity in your soil. It can help prolong the life of picked flowers. As a household cleaner it's relatively non-toxic so it's safe around food and food prep areas. You can use it to clean your windows, clean your drains, use it to make an all-purpose cleaner. You can use it to clean out your coffee maker. You can use it to clean your floors, your toilet or to polish furniture. You can use it as an air freshener. You can use it in cooking, and it can generally be substituted in the place of lemon when the lemon is needed as an acid. It can also be substituted in baking in the place of an egg. You can use it to turn milk into buttermilk. I could go on and on, but I'll stop there. Next time you're at the store, pick up a bottle of vinegar, you'll be amazed what all that little bottle can do for you.