20 Uses for Vinegar...

1. Loosen a rusted screw or a rusted lock. Pour some vinegar on or into the area.

2. Tenderize meat. A strong vinegar and water marinade will make meat tender in just a few minutes.

3. Soften a hard paint brush. Boil it in vinegar, or soak it in very hot vinegar, then wash in soapy water.

4. Prevent a cat from digging in plants. Add some vinegar to the misting water.

5. Keep cheese from molding. Wrap it in a vinegar-soaked cloth, then place in a sealed container.

6. Prevent paint from peeling off cement floors. First "paint" the floor with white vinegar. Once it's dry, apply the paint. (Same trick works with galvanized metal.)

7. Remove soapy gunk around faucets. Soak a paper towel in white vinegar, squeeze it out, wrap it around the chrome for 10 minutes, then wipe dry.

8. Keep fruit flies away. Pour 1/2 inch of cider vinegar in the bottom of a small jar and punch a dozen or so holes in the lid (using an ice pick). The vinegar attracts the flies through the holes and they can't get out. Or just set out a small dish with the vinegar plus a few drops of dish detergent; it attracts, then drowns them.

9. Remove the odor of cigarette smoke. Leave bowls of vinegar around the room. Or saturate a towel with vinegar and wave it all around the room.

10. Clean a slimy sponge or loofah. Soak it in a strong solution of vinegar and water for a day, then rinse several times in cold water. Let dry in the sun.

11. Repel fleas. Add about 1 cubic centimer of vinegar per 2 pounds of dog's body weight to the dog's food (not water) each day (for a 60-pound dog, that's 2 tablespoons of vinegar), and you'll help him repel fleas.

12. Remove decals. Sponge distilled vinegar on any decals that stubbornly resist removal. After a few minutes, you should be able to scrape them off. (Use the edge of an old credit card to avoid scratching any surface.)

13. Soften jeans. Add a cup of vinegar to the last rinse.

14. Clean patio furniture cushions. Scrub with a stiff brush dipped in white vinegar.

15. Remove dried paint. Heat white vinegar until it's lukewarm and apply with a plastic scrubbing pad.

16. Repel ants. Wash counters with vinegar.

17. Remove wallpaper. Pour a cup of white vinegar into 2 gallons of hot water, then transfer that into a spray bottle. Apply to wallpaper until very wet. Let stand about 15 minutes or until wallpaper is loose.

18. Clean copper, bronze, brass, dishes, pots, pans, skillets, glasses, windows. Mix with salt, rub, and rinse the item afterward.

19. Make "buttermilk" for baking. Add two tablespoons of vinegar to a cup of skim or 1- percent milk; let mixture stand five minutes.

20. Rinse clothes thoroughly. Add a cup of white vinegar to the last rinse water cycle, and the mild acid will neutralize the alkalis in soaps and detergents.

And for a seasonal treat, try cutting up sweet strawberries and drizzling them with balsamic vinegar. You're in for a surprise!