7 Smart Uses for Vinegar

Now that you know ketchup can be used for shining copper and repairing hair, or that vodka can be used to repel insects and freshen laundry, you may have been wondering what tasks you can get done for cheap with other household items. Since May is National Vinegar Month (did you forget??), we thought we'd take a closer look at this inexpensive, versatile good.

According to the Vinegar Institute, the useful stuff was probably discovered by accident (most wine drinkers know what happens when you leave a bottle sitting around too long). In fact the word vinegar comes from a French translation for "sour wine." Over the centuries vinegar has been produced from many stocks, including molasses, dates, sorghum, fruits, coconut, honey, beer, maple syrup, potatoes, beets, grains and more. But the principle is the same: you get acetic acid (a.k.a. vinegar) after first fermenting natural sugars to alcohol, and then fermenting again.

As Michael de Jong, TDG's Zen Cleaner and author of the Clean series of books, points out, vinegar has been pressed into service for many uses over the centuries. It has been prized as a foodstuff, condiment, preservative and natural remedy.