For centuries, vinegar has been known for its wide range of beneficial properties. It is historically presumed that the Roman Army used a sort of vinegar power drink made of wine vinegar and water in order to stay hydrated and ready for battle.
Today, there are many different types of vinegar on the market: honey, apple cider, rice, wine, and balsamic are only a few of the options on a long list. Many of them are easy to find, while others are more elusive, but they have one element in common: alternative uses in medicine, beauty, and cleaning.
Alternative uses for vinegar: Health and Medicine
The versatility of vinegar definitely makes it more than just a simple condiment. Vinegar has several noteworthy therapeutic properties.
Apple cider vinegar, for example, is used to facilitate digestion and decongestion of the respiratory system. To take advantage of its emollient effects, it can be diluted and mixed with a bit of honey to treat coughs and mucus buildup.
To help heal intense itching caused by rashes or illnesses such as chickenpox, it may help to rest in a warm bath of water and white wine vinegar for around 15 minutes to soothe the skin.
Alternative uses for vinegar: Beauty
A common current practice in hair care is to rinse with apple cider vinegar. The vinegar helps to eliminate calcium deposits, which leaves hair soft and shiny. It also helps to close the hair cuticles, which makes hair appear healthier and more tangle free.
Diluted apple cider vinegar also helps to eliminate acne and other minor skin damage by maintaining the skin’s pH level.
Apple cider vinegar can also help to soothe sunburn. You can mix 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar with four cups of water and use a washcloth to soak up the mixture and apply to affected skin.
Alternative uses for vinegar: Cleaning
Instead of using household cleaners full of various chemicals that are harmful to your health and the environment, you can use vinegar! It is a natural, cheap way to clean surfaces and floors in your entire house. Mixing vinegar with some baking soda creates a powerful tool for cleaning hard calcium deposits in your sink and bathtub.
To make your windows spotless, you can mix equal parts of white distilled vinegar with warm water.
To remove stains from carpets, you can mix around 1 pint of warm water with 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar and 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent.
Vinegar can also be used to clean your window blinds, wood panels, leather furniture, and stainless steel!
These are only a few of the many alternative uses for vinegar – a potent natural resource that is cheap and eco-friendly.
You might also like:
- Baking soda: a natural solution to use in your everyday life
- How to clean your bathroom ecologically
- 3 beauty recipes from coconut oil
- How to make ecological cleaners at home
Images via Shutterstock