Amish Originals Furniture Co.: From the eNews Archives

Sure, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar but...can you clean your dishwasher with it?

Would you believe that vinegar has been around over 10,000 years?! Vinegar means "sour wine" in French and was "discovered" when a cask of wine fermented a bit too long. But no sour grapes here, a little human ingenuity and that wine-gone-bad became as-good-as-gold as a useful by-product of the wine making process.

Records show as far back as 5,000 BC, the Babylonians used vinegar as both a preservative and condiment. Cleopatra is said to have used vinegar to dissolve pearls to win a bet that she could indeed consume a fortune in a single meal. As one of the first remedies, Hippcrates wrote about vinegar's medicinal qualities. And, the Bible has several references about vinegar and its healing and soothing properties. Now, vinegar is made from a variety of sources from apples to rice to chardonay. Specialty vinegars, like balsamic, garner the attention of connoisseurs just like fine wine.

Earth-friendly vinegar is inexpensive and has a shelf-life that is essentially forever! Vinegar cuts through grease and is anti-bacterial and anti-mold. And, in 2008, 189 million Americans used vinegar.

Want to know what you can do with vinegar? Here are a few tips and suggestions:

No-wax floors:
To wash no-wax floors, add 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar to a half-gallon of warm water.

Carpet stain removal:
A mixture of 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent and 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar in a pint of lukewarm water will remove non-oily stains from carpets. Apply it to the stain with a soft brush or towel and rub gently. Rub with a towel moistened with clean water and blot dry. Repeat this procedure until the stain is gone, then dry quickly, using a fan or hair dryer. This should be done as soon as the stain is discovered.

Streakless windows:
Simply wash with a mixture of equal parts of white distilled vinegar and warm water. Dry with a soft cloth. This solution will make your windows gleam and will not leave the usual film or streaks on the glass.

Coffee maker cleaner (automatic):
White distilled vinegar can help to dissolve mineral deposits that collect in automatic drip coffee makers from hard water. Fill the reservoir with white distilled vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly with water when the cycle is finished. (Be sure to check the owner's manual for specific instructions.)

Deodorize the kitchen drain:
Pour a cup of white distilled vinegar down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with water.

Clean the refrigerator:
Wash with a solution of equal parts water and white distilled vinegar.

Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards:
Wipe with full strength with white distilled vinegar.

Ant Deterrent:
Ant invasions can sometimes be deterred by washing counter tops, cabinets, and floors with white distilled vinegar.

Pet accidents:
Test the color fastness of the carpet with white distilled vinegar in an inconspicuous place. Then sprinkle distilled vinegar over the fresh pet accident. Wait a few minutes and sponge from the center outward. Blot up with a dry cloth. This procedure may need to be repeated for stubborn stains.

Fireplaces:
Wash fireplaces with a 50/50 ration of water and vinegar to remove the blackened soot on glass front doors. If the doors have a spring-loaded clip, remove it, then take out the doors. Lay them flat on newspapers, spray with the vinegar/water solution and soak. Wipe off with newspaper.

Kill grass:
To kill grass on sidewalks and driveways, pour full strength white distilled vinegar on it.

Dishwashers:

Fill a cup with white vinegar and set it in your empty dishwasher and run it on the hottest water setting possible once a month.

Clean your computer with vinegar -- it actually discourages static. Click here to watch a video!

Want to know more:
Our source: The Vinegar Institute: http://www.versatilevinegar.org/

From the Amish Originals Furniture Co. eNews Archive, April 2008.