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There are many great uses for vinegar, as many of you will already know. From the kitchen to the sewing room there are a ton of ways to use this handy (and cheap) household helper to your advantage. For anyone who thinks vinegar isn’t strong enough to tackle these household chores, keep in mind that vinegar is very acidic and can even damage certain materialsif used improperly, so always dilute whenever called for.

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  • Clean the oven with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar and a little bit of elbow grease. This works for the stovetop as well.
  • Use vinegar to clean the coffee pot or teapot by boiling 1 cup of vinegar and 4 tablespoons of baking soda.
  • Clean a drip coffee maker by pouring in white vinegar into the tank instead of water and running through the brewing cycle. Make sure to run water through 2 cycles afterwards so that your coffee doesn’t taste of vinegar.
  • Use a sponge dipped in vinegar to clean water deposits off of shower curtains.
  • Pour vinegar into the toilet bowl and let sit for 5 minutes before flushing to clean the bowl with minimal effort.
  • A 1:10 mixture of vinegar to water can used to clean windows.
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  • You can reduce residual odors in the fridge by wiping down the inside with a vinegar-soaked rag, then going over it with plain water on rag before the final step of drying it all off.
  • Clean fiberglass tubs and showers with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. However, don’t use this on tile because the extreme acidity of vinegar can damage protective coatings, as well as the all-important grout that holds them together.
  • Wipe down the interior of car windows with vinegar that’s been diluted with water to keep them from frosting up as much.
  • Use full-strength vinegar to remove stuck on chewing gum.
  • Apply vinegar to insect bites to control the itching.
  • Use a dilution of vinegar (apple cider vinegar is best for this task) as a hair rinse to keep locks shiny and to remove build-up. One tablespoon to one cup should do.
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  • Use undiluted as weed killer spray in the garden.
  • Vinegar can be used to wash produce, as well as to wipe down countertops.
  • Use hot vinegar to remove dried on paint. Pro-tip: wet paint on hands or clothes can be removed with ammonia-based window cleaner.
  • Vinegar is said to be a good poultice for joint sprains.
  • To get (and keep) the perfect knife pleatsin your sewing projects, a dilution of vinegar in a spray bottle applied before the ironing will secure the pleats in place. The vinegar smell should fade within a few hours.
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  • Pour vinegar into a plastic bag and tie it around the shower head overnight to remove mineral scale.
  • Use a mixture of vinegar, detergent, and water to remove coffee stains from carpet.
  • Use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, followed by boiling hot water, to clear a clogged drain.
  • Use vinegar to deodorize clothing and draperies with stubborn odors (like smoke) by washing them in a vinegar rinse in the sink. Then launder as usual afterwards.