BESIDES adding that extra zing to your fish and chips, there are so many ways white vinegar will change your life, it could almost be forgiven for being wine’s less appealing cousin.

But before you roll your eyes and scoff, read on to find out how this acidic liquid can save you time, save you money and give you the same satisfied feeling as watching those before-and-after Verimark commercials.

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1. Spray the stray away

If there’s a bothersome neighbourhood cat that feels your front doorstep is the ideal space to relieve itself, then simply spray or pour some of this miracle liquid onto its favourite spot.

But it doesn’t end there, because the acidity in vinegar also works to neutralise odours – you’re deterring the unwanted visitor  and getting rid of the smell at the same time.

2. The pet care continues

Vinegar is not only great for getting rid of someone else’s unwanted pets, it’s also a great way to care for yours. If you have a floppy-eared dog that tends to get itchy, scaly ears, then simply add a tablespoon of vinegar to four tablespoons of water, soak in a cloth and wipe out the grime.

3. White liquid for green fingers

If you feel like doing a spot of gardening this weekend, then don’t go unprepared. Fill up your spray bottle with white vinegar and target those unwanted weeds. Just remember that vinegar is not discerning and will kill your beloved plants as well, so don’t fire recklessly. Vinegar weeding is best done on a hot, dry day.

4. Freshen the flowers

Even though vinegar can be a destructive element to flora, weirdly it can also promote plant health. If you have some freshly cut flowers and you want them to last a bit longer than the weekend, add a few tablespoons of vinegar and a dash of sugar.

5. Make that grout white again

Now we get into the cleaning section…and when it comes to vinegar, your house is going to sparkle! Walk into your bathroom and behold the tragedy that is your bathroom grouting. Spray the vinegar on the grout in the bathroom (or anywhere else really) and let it soak for an hour before taking a scrubbing brush to it. It’s like walking into a renovated bathroom.

6. Warm it up in the microwave

If your microwave is starting to congeal with grease and grime, there’s a simple way to cut through that hassle and clean the interior with ease – it’s vinegar! Place a bit of vinegar in a bowl of water for a few minutes and then just wipe the inside.

7. Freshen the dishwasher

Not only will vinegar clean the dishwasher itself, it can even be used as a rinsing agent to clean the cutlery and crockery as well. Just pour a cup into the dishwasher and run it – gets rid of excess build-up while leaving the dishes sparkly clean.

8. Home-brewed coffee cleaner

Your coffee maker is often an overlooked household appliance that requires more cleaning than it’s getting! For drip coffee makers, fill the reservoir with vinegar and run it through the brewing cycle. Just make sure you rinse it out thoroughly again before using it! Hopefully reading this has touched your life in some way. If not, order yourself some fish and chips with a glass of wine and enjoy the wonders of vinegar’s much more respected cousin. But we’ll get to that next week…

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