35 Reasons You Should Never Be Without Vinegar

I love vinegar. It is non-toxic, inexpensive and with the addition of a few drops of essential oil, it even smells good. Of course you can not use it in cooking that way but heck, cooking with vinegar is way down there on my list of uses.

My favorite use? Easy. Vinegar is the key component in my all purpose DIY cleaner aptly named, Peppermint Juice. More about that later.

But first, I am thrilled to share an article from Joe Marshall also known as ‘Above Average’ Joe at SurvivalLife.com. This article is all about vinegar and the 35 reasons why any respectable prepper needs vinegar – and lots of it – in their survival pantry. Follow along and of course, if you see something missing from this list, leave a comment and share your tip with the rest of the Backdoor Survival readers.

Whether you are storing up supplies for hard times or just want to save a little grocery money on cleaning supplies, one thing you should never be without is vinegar.

People have been using it for ages – and not just for cooking or preserving foods. Vinegar’s versatility is virtually unmatched when it comes to having multiple uses.

There are literally hundreds of uses for vinegar around the home.

Check out below to see just a sample of how vinegar can be of use to you, hard times or not:

1. Disinfect wood cutting boards.

2. Soothe a sore throat; use 1 tsp of vinegar per glass of water, then gargle.

3. Fight dandruff; after shampooing, rinse hair with vinegar and 2 cups of warm water.

4. Remove warts; apply daily a 50/50 solution of cider vinegar and glycerin until they’re gone.

5. Cure an upset stomach; drink 2 tsp apple cider vinegar in one cup of water.

6. Polish chrome.

7. Keep boiled eggs from cracking; add 2 tbsp to water before boiling.

8. Clean deposits from fish tanks.

9. Remove urine stains from carpet.

10. Keep fleas off dogs; add a little vinegar to the dog’s drinking water.

11. Keep car windows from frosting up; use a solution of 3 oz. vinegar to 1 oz. water.

12. Clean dentures; soak overnight in vinegar and then brush.

13. Get rid of lint in clothes; add 0.5 cup vinegar to rinse cycle.

14. Remove grease from suede.

15. Kill grass on sidewalks and driveways.

16. Make wool blankets softer; add 2 cups distilled vinegar to rinse cycle.

17. Remove skunk odor from a dog; rub fur with full strength vinegar and rinse.

18. Freshen wilted vegetables; soak them in 1 tbsp vinegar and a cup of water.

19. Dissolve mineral deposits in drip coffee makers.

20. Deodorize drains; pour a cup down the drain once a week, let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse.

21. Use as a replacement for a lemon; 0.25 tsp vinegar substitutes for 1 tsp of lemon juice.

22. Make rice fluffier; add 1 tsp of vinegar to water when it boils.

23. Prevent grease build-up in ovens; wipe oven with cleaning rag soaked in distilled vinegar and water.

24. Kill germs; mix a 50-50 solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle.

25. Clean a clogged shower head.; pour vinegar into a zip-lock bag and gang it around the shower head. let it soak overnight to remove any mineral deposits.

26. Shine patent leather.

27. Remove the smell from laundry that has been left in the washer too long; pour 1 cup of vinegar in with the load and rewash it.

28. Make propane lantern wicks burn longer/brighter; soak them in vinegar for 3 hours, let dry.

29. Act as an an air freshener.

30. Soften paint brushes; soak in hot vinegar then rinse with soapy water.

31. Remove bumper stickers and decals; simply cover them with vinegar-soaked cloth for several minutes.

32. Prolong the life of fresh-cut flowers; use 2 tbsp of vinegar and 3 tbsp of sugar per quart of warm water

33. Prevent Mildew; Wipe down shower walls with a vinegar solution.

34. Soften calloused feet; soak your feet in a mixture 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water for 30 minutes then scrub them with a pumice stone. The dead skin should slough off easily.

35. Treat Acne; start with a solution of organic apple cider vinegar and water at a ration of 1:8, apply the toner to blemishes and leave on a minimum of 2 minutes.

SO WHO IS THIS ‘JOE’ GUY?

Glad you asked. Joe claims that he is just an average guy with a passion for learning. Although he has been writing for Survival Life since its inception, he recently became the managing editor. Well deserved, I would say. Furthermore, he told me:

Survival Life is more than just one man. It is a growing and living community of individuals; all with the desire to be prepared to survive and thrive no matter what this world throws at us.

If you like my articles like this please subscribe to my biweekly newsletteror feel free to follow me on Facebook.

I am excited to have Joe as a regular contributor to Backdoor Survival and will be featuring the best of the best of his articles on Survival Fridays.

HOW TO MAKE ‘PEPPERMINT JUICE’

One of my favorite uses of vinegar is as an all-purpose cleaner. And while 1/4 cup added to water in a spray bottle while do the job just fine, it is a lot more fun to make Peppermint Juice. You will find the original recipe in the article Prepper Checklist: DIY Cleaning Supplies but I repeat it here for you as well.

Window, Floor, General Surface Cleaner aka Peppermint Juice

1/2 cup white vinegar
32 oz. (1 quart) cups water
1/4 tsp. to 1/2 tsp. peppermint essential oil

Make up a batch of Peppermint Magic in a repurposed juice jug. Fill your spray bottles from this master supply. Using different essential oils, you can make Tea Tree Juice, Lemon Juice or some other scent. I prefer peppermint oil or tea tree oil for their antibacterial and antiseptic qualities.

THE FINAL WORD

Vinegar is just one of the many inexpensive super-items that are useful in the survival cupboard. Some of the others include baking soda, salt, duct tape, aluminum foil, coffee filters and honey. With limited storage space and a limited budget, it is good to know that there a multi-use items out there that can do the job performing a number of functions around the home, the garden in the great outdoors.