 Nature's
Way
with Alan Hayes
Versatile Vinegar
For many centuries vinegar has been used in various concoctions for a variety of purposes. During the bubonic plague 'Vinegar of the Four Thieves' was thought to protect individuals from infection, and in the 'Stuart' times in England doctors carried special walking sticks with moss soaked in vinegar in the tips. With it held under his nose the doctor believed he would avoid being infected by his patients.
Today, commonly available white vinegar is a safe and natural product that has many and varied applications within the home. It can be used as an anti-mould agent, as a mild disinfectant, as a bleach or deodorant, and as a general purpose cleaner. Best of all, it is environmentally safe and simple to use.
In the laundry vinegar can be used to fix the colour in new clothing or linen by soaking the article in a weak vinegar solution for two hours before a normal wash. As a fabric softener it is excellent; simply soak the garment overnight in a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water, then rinse well. Hard washing water can be softened by adding half a cup of vinegar to the wash and rinse cycles of your machine. This will also remove all traces of soap from your clothes. To eliminate fluff or lint on your sheets add one cup of vinegar to the final rinse instead.
When its time to give your washing machine and the hoses a good clean, add three cups of vinegar to a normal water cycle with no clothes in the machine. Repeat this procedure about every three months and you'll save on costly repair bills.
Vinegar also makes an excellent cleanser and disinfectant for use in the bathroom. To sanitise your toilet and leave it smelling fresh, just pour some white vinegar in the bowl and leave overnight. It is completely safe to use in septic systems, since it won't harm the microbes that break down the sewerage in the tank.
Vinegar and cooking salt will clean baths and sinks, or use it on its own to clean shower curtains, to remove rust stains from baths and sinks and to eliminate mould and mildew from bathroom surfaces. For mould, leave it on overnight before scrubbing off and wiping clean.
Vinegar can also be used to make a universal bathroom cleaning paste. Mix four cups of vinegar with four cups of distilled water and one tablespoon of eucalyptus oil. Bottle and store for future use. To clean and disinfect toilets, baths and all ceramic surfaces, and especially those covered with grime and stains, simply mix a small quantity of the vinegar solution with sufficient washing soda to form a paste.
It will also prevent mould from forming on refrigerator door seals. After cleaning the inside of your refrigerator wipe over the surface, including the door seals, with a little vinegar.
You can clean the inside of kettles, electric jugs, coffee and teapots by adding half a cup of vinegar then topping them up with hot water. Leave to stand overnight and rinse well.
On the family car a solution of hot water and vinegar is an efficient means to clean windows, chrome and headlights. A strong solution can be used to wash all internal vinyl and plastic surfaces and to remove the disagreeable plastic smell that is often prevalent in new cars. Rinse well, open all the doors and let the sun and wind dry the interior.
|
