Take another look at that apple cider vinegar lurking in your kitchen cabinets—you may be surprised to learn there’s a lot more to this common ingredient than salad dressing!
Praised as everything from a health tonic to a skin cleanser, apple cider vinegar offers all kinds of benefits. Below, take a look at 15 uses for this common kitchen staple.
1. Clean the House.
Combine 1 part water, 1 part apple cider vinegar and a few drops of essential oils to make a fast, effective, all-purpose cleaner for using on countertops and other surfaces.
2. Freshen the Fridge.
Get rid of hard-to-fight refrigerator odor by placing a cup of apple cider vinegar in the back of the fridge overnight.
3. Unclog the Sink.
Combine baking soda and vinegar to make the perfect de-clogging mixture for your sink drain. Pour this frothy concoction down a clogged drain and see if it smooths things out.
4. Clean the Toilet Bowl.
Get rid of stubborn stains in the toilet bowl and knock out odors by pouring apple cider vinegar in the toilet bowl and letting it sit overnight.
5. Catch Fruit Flies.
Frustrated by those tiny bugs that circle your ripening fruit? Combine a little apple cider vinegar with a drop or two of liquid soap in a cup and set it on the counter. The fruit flies will come right in and get stuck there.
6. Fertilize Plants.
Give your indoor plants a refresher with your own apple cider vinegar fertilizer! Add a splash of the vinegar to a gallon of water and use it to refresh your houseplants.
7. Tone Your Face.
Combine 1 part apple cider vinegar with 3 to 4 parts water, and you have a homemade facial toner. Use a cotton ball to apply some to your face, let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse. Use up to three times a day.
8. Banish Dandruff.
Combine 1 part apple cider vinegar with 1 part water in a spray bottle. Spray this mixture into your hair, let it sit 15 minutes and rinse it out. Do this two times a week, and you’ll be free of dandruff in no time!
9. Whiten Teeth.
Gargle with a little apple cider vinegar each morning to help remove stains for your teeth, as well as to clean your gums.
10. Freshen Breath.
Combine 1/2tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a cup of water and gargle with this mixture for 10 seconds.
11. Comfort a Sore Throat.
Make your own sore throat soother by combine 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar with 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 3 teaspoons of honey.
12. Detoxify in the Bath.
Turn your soothing soak into a detoxifying routine when you add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and some Epsom salts to your bathtub.
13. Soothe a Sunburn.
The next time you get a bad sunburn, treat yourself to the soothing comfort of a bath. Add a cup or two of apple cider vinegar to the bathwater and let it neutralize the burn while you soak for 10 minutes or more.
14. Relieve Bug Bites.
When you can’t seem to stop scratching a bug bite, try applying apple cider vinegar to a cotton ball and putting it directly onto the bite.
15. Improve Digestion.
Drinking apple cider vinegar can help lower your stomach’s pH levels, which improves indigestion and activates digestive juices. Try mixing a tablespoon into your water or tea before meals or mixing it with ginger to drink when your stomach is upset.