Vinegar: 10 Surprising Things It Can Do

There are some products hiding in your pantry that can actually be useful for multiple everyday things. I'm not talking about mayonnaise hair conditioning treatments, but rather real cleaning and cooking hacks that everyone should try — and it starts with a bottle of vinegar. This product is not only already in your pantry, it's environmentally friendly, safe around kids, and keeps your cleaning expenses under budget.   

To give your vegetables a little life, try soaking them in cold water with a spoonful of white distilled vinegar. This will help give them new energy and get them ready for any salad or recipe.

Scrub the stains clean on the inside of coffee and teacups by mixing equal parts salt and white distilled vinegar. Rinse clean and enjoy a sparkling clean mug. To remove stains from a coffee machine, add one part vinegar to two cups water and run a cycle without coffee grounds.  The vinegar will help remove those excess coffee stains.

Mix ½ cup white distilled vinegar with ½ cup water in a heat-proof bowl. Turn the microwave on high and bring it to a boil. The baked-on food particles will loosen and be easier to wipe clean, and the odors will dissipate.

Place a cup of vinegar in a glass container, place on top rack, and then run empty dishwasher on a rinse cycle with hot water. The vinegar will clean the stains that can build up in dishwasher, and remove any unwanted odor.

Dilute one cup of vinegar with one cup of warm water, and clean with a grill brush. Warm up the grill first to make removing food debris easier.

Add one cup of vinegar evenly to ice cube trays, fill the rest with water, freeze, and then throw ice cubes in garbage disposal.  The vinegar will clean the inside, along with removing any harsh odors.

Tenderize meats by adding white distilled vinegar directly into the meat or adding it to marinades or recipes that require the meat to be cooked slowly. 

Spray distilled white vinegar on herbs and vegetables to prevent any insects or critters from invading. You can also rinse vegetables and fruits clean with a mixture of 1 tablespoon vinegar with 1 ½ quarts of water. 

Have you ever wondered how restaurants get those perfectly poached eggs on top of eggs benedict? The answer is they add a little vinegar to the cooking liquid. This helps the whites stay together instead of spreading and breaking. 

Place pan on burner with a few tablespoons of vinegar and water.  Set burner to medium low and warm the water to help remove food debris, then wipe clean with towel.