DIY: distilled white vinegar uses

"Vinegar belongs in the hands of the wise."
- said someone some time ago

Today's edition of DIY highlights our good old friend, distilled white vinegar, and how incorporating it into my home has given me peace of mind (and piece of wallet!). If you're suspicious of all those multi-purpose sprays with a gazillion ingredients that you don't recognize (much less pronounce), and want to learn how to keep a natural home, then you're in the right place!

WHY USE DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR?

Vinegar is derived from wine (in French, vin = wine, aigre = sour). Its versatility ranges from culinary pursuits like pickling and salad dressings, to household uses e.g., multi-purpose cleaner and trapping fruit flies, even dipping into the greenery realm and being used as a weed killer. There's just SOO much to know about the underdog that is vinegar.

Check out Wormerley's Page for a brief read on its history. If you find yourself hunting for a new book, consider reading The Vinegar Cupboard by Angela Hutton, a book touted as a "usuable and accessible book for all home cooks." I also invite you to read the History of Blacks in Vinegar-Making (less than a 5-minute read). I love learning about food and especially, the history and evolution of specific ingredients, especially in regards to the migrations of peoples (either willingly or coercively).

A major plus of this centuries-old liquid is that it's extremely affordable! I don't know about you, but recently I've been on this kick to naturalize everything in my apartment. Rid your home of harmful chemicals and your quality of life can improve. Your wallet thanks you as well!

HARDENED MINERAL-STAINED ELECTRIC KETTLE?
Time investment: ~30 minutes (2 minutes of actually doing something)

Don't wait until it's too hardened to clean! This process realistically will take ~30 minutes, with only two or three minutes of action. I'm aiming to clean mine bi-weekly, especially since we use tap water and not filtered water. The minerals in tap water would encourage more hardening than filtered water.

1. Fill up your kettle with water (filtered if available; tap is fine otherwise!) and pour in a substantial amount of vinegar. Try a formula of 50/50 or even 75/25 if you're worried about too much vinegar. 
2. Set the kettle to boil. 
3. Leave the mixture to sit in the kettle for approx 15-20 minutes (imagine all the minerals un-surfacing.*angelic choral singing*)
4. Pour out mixture in sink and fill up with plain water.
5. Set to boil WITHOUT vinegar. Pour out water and repeat steps 4 and 5 until you no longer smell vinegar (approx 2-4 cycles).
6. Dry the exterior of your kettle with a towel or paper towel. 
7. Relish in the *almost new-like* shininess of your kettle.

I usually set a timer and go do a different task (probably something with my new bud, vinegar!).

The amazing thing about vinegar is that the smell dissipates after several rinses. If the minerals are being stubborn, don't hesitant to do another vinegary boil. Rinse and dry.

DIRTY LAUNDRY CLOTHES TEARING UP YOUR EYES? 
Time investment: 1 minute or less + use of timer

My spouse recently started a job at a garage door company. Since he's fairly new, they've got him doing all sorts of work. Mainly a lot of heavy lifting and painting. Needless to say, he'll come home with paint stains, oil stains, sweat stains, some-kind-of-stain on his clothes, skin, and hands. Lo and behold, distilled white vinegar to the rescue!

The past few times I did the laundry, I've measured out about 3/4 cups of vinegar and added it to the rinse cycle. Our clothes come out better and (almost) stain-free. I wonder if this continues if the paint stains will eventually come off. Who knows these things? Maybe you? If so, let me know in the comments below!

1. Wash your clothes normally in washer.
2. Be mindful of when the rinse cycle starts. (This is where setting a timer can be helpful. I just use my phone).
3. During the beginning of rinse cycle, add approx 3/4 cups of white vinegar. 
4. Dry clothes as usual. 

WHITE SNEAKERS TURN BROWN AND/OR SMELLY?
Time investment: ~20-30 minute soak + 5-10 minutes to clean+ at least 24 hours to dry (depending on how dirty your shoes are!)

Looking a bit rough there!

You know what I'm talking about..the ones with the blindingly white canvas that's amplifed by the sun rays? You got them fresh off the racks and wore them with every Spring and Summer outfit. Maybe you wore them to a music festival (like my friends and I did) where it had rained a few days before, and walked around in a mindnumbing, muddy and drunken stupor all day and night. (Why would ANYONE choose to wear white shoes to a muddy place you ask? They went with my outfit, of course! 😄)

1. Use a bucket or some sort of contraption wide and deep enough to hold water and your shoes (who has a bucket anyway?! I just used a cooler.) 
2. Fill up with water (I used boiling hot water from my clean and shiny electric kettle). 
3. Mix in some white vinegar and soap (I used detergent) and let them soak for at least 20 minutes. (75/25 formula)
4. After the soaking phase and working with one shoe at a time, scrub dirt away with a toothbrush or a towel. (Tip: keep a bowl of clean water nearby to dip the towel in between scrubs.)
5. Once they're clean according to your standards**, allow the shoes to airdry (or dry in the sun) by tilting them at an angle and allowing the tongues to hang out. 😛

**If there's some stubborn dirt (because you left your shoes in this state for over three months), go ahead and soak the shoes again to let the vinegary mixture work its magic, then remove the shoes from the contraption, and continue to scrub/wipe away. Return to step 5. 

I cleaned my shoes with vinegar and a towel. In retrospect, a toothbrush or some sort of brush-device would be helpful to get into every nook and cranny of the shoes. I also read baking soda is extremely helpful, but we generally don't have that on hand. I think the baking soda would definitely whiten up the stains on the canvas-area, however, the dirt has all but disappeared from the leather. 

NOTE: You could technically dry them in the dryer. Though my experience (and the internet) tells me that drying shoes in the dryer will contort the shape of your shoes. If you want to keep the shape and prolong their shelf life, allow the shoes to airdry outside (sun or no sun, it's entirely up to you though the sun may be faster and help with the whitening process).

But, if you want instant gratitification, you can go ahead and dry them in the dryer and (silently) deal with the way your shoes weirdly form to your feet.

Remember, the best things in life take time. Your sneakers that you bought with your hardearned money (or not) keep your feet looking cool and protected. They go through so much throughout the day only to be kicked off to the side, never complaining or asking for gratitude. Your shoes do a lot for you and make your outfits seem effortless. So why not give your white sneakers the care and love they deserve?

THOSE DAMN FRUIT FLIES! BEGONE!
Time investment: approx 2-10 minutes depending on what materials you have

You went to the grocery store (bravo, you did a thing!). You even bought fruits and vegetables (give yourself a pat on the back!). But if there's one thing that really grinds your gears, it's those damn fruit flies that come with leaving fruits out on the kitchen counter.

Picture this..you're sitting on your couch watching TV when you see those black specks zooming in and out of your peripheral vision. Before you can even think, your hand lashes out and returns with....nothing.

Inspired by Mr. Miyagi catching flies with a pair of chopsticks, your right hand and your left hands keep zapping out. They keep coming up empty. You clap your hands together in frustration hoping to nag one in between. NOTHING. Now, your palms are stinging and your rage is beyond you. Sound familiar? Take a few deep breaths and get that vinegar out!

According to this site, there's a few effective strategies to create a fruit fly trap.

One option. You can use a plastic wrap or piece of aluminum foil with a few holes poked in, and cover a small bowl of vinegar. Reportedly, fruit flies will be attracted to the smell, fly in through the little hole, and remain trapped in there FOREVER. Or until you dispose of the device.

Alternatively, you can use a plastic bottle of some sort, cut it near the bottleneck and place the bottleneck inside the lower half of the bottle to create a funnel so that the fruit flies would be lured into the bottom half of the bottle whilst staying trappe. HA-HA! I've got you now!

Keep your kitchen space clear of flies with this vinegary concoction! Vinegar is also effective at warding away smelly odors so if you've just fried some fish or seared a steak (lucky you!), keep a small bowl out to deodorize your space.

What're some other ways you've used vinegar? How has it generally been for you? Is there anyone in your life who holds their breath when you do something "unusual"? Drop a line in the comments below!
If you've set up camp in Indecision Land, please take the leap of faith and purchase a small bottle of vinegar to keep around! Try out one or two of these and let me know how it goes!