Uses for Vinegar

Reduce your use of commercial stain agents:
To restore yellowed clothing, let the garments soak overnight in a solution of 12 parts warm water to 1 part vinegar. Wash them the following morning.

Got ring around the collar (or cuffs)?
Scrub the area with a paste made from 2 parts white vinegar to 3 parts baking soda. Let the paste set for half an hour before washing.

Are you the victim of a leaky pen in your pocket? Treat the stain by first wetting it with some white vinegar, then rub in a paste of 2 parts vinegar to 3 parts cornstarch. Let the paste thoroughly dry before washing the item.

Winter Time Benefits of Vinegar
Winter is tough on shoes and even tougher is the salt that used to melt all that slippery stuff. In addition to leaving unsightly white stains, salt can actually cause your footwear to crack and even disintegrate if it's left on indefinitely. To get the salt off your shoes and prevent long-term damage, wipe fresh stains with a cloth dipped in undiluted white vinegar.

For frost-free car windows wipe (or, better yet, spray) the outsides of the windows with a solution of 3 parts white vinegar to 1 part water. Each coating may last up to several weeks -- although it won't do much in the keeping off a heavy snow.

For Gardeners
Exterminate dandelions and unwanted grass that invade the cracks in your sidewalk by spraying them with full-strength white or apple cider vinegar. Early in the season, give each plant a single spritz of vinegar in its midsection, or in the middle of the flower before the plants go to seed. Aim another shot near the stem at ground level so the vinegar can soak down to the roots. Keep an eye on the weather, though; if it rains the next day, you'll need to give the weeds another spraying.

Re-energize your rusted old garden tools by soaking them in full-strength white vinegar for several days. The same treatment is equally effective at removing the rust from corroded nuts and bolts. You can even pour vinegar on rusted hinges and screws to loosen them up for removal.

For the Do-It-Yourselfer
Remove dried-on paint from a synthetic-bristle paintbrush, soak it in full-strength white vinegar until the paint dissolves and the bristles are soft and pliable, then wash in hot, soapy water. If you think your paintbrush seems beyond hope, before you toss it, try boiling it in 1-2 cups vinegar for 10 minutes, followed by a thorough washing in soapy water.