Tightwad top ten: stuff to do with vinegar

Okay so you have a 4 gallon container of white vinegar that of course you paid pennies for. Now what? And what the heck is vinegar, anyway? Here are some answers to these weighty questions. Vinegar is a versatile liquid that results from the fermentation of ethanol. The key ingredient in vinegar is acetic acid, which is why it cleans things so well. It is a multi-purpose product as an ingredient or condiment, but aside from cooking, vinegar has medicinal and household cleaning applications. Tightwad loves vinegar for its versatility and because it's so inexpensive. Here are just a few of its myriad household applications:

10. Grease remover: the acetic acid in vinegar eats through grease quickly and easily (read: stove).

9. Laundry: for pennies a load, add a cup of white vinegar to your rinse cycle for brighter whites.

8. Crayon remover: dip a toothbrush in vinegar, scrub away.

7. Stainless steel cleaner: cut away at grease in second with white vinegar/water solution in a spray bottle.

6. Window cleaner: toss the blue stuff, this is better and more enviro.

5. DVD/CD cleaner: holding carefully, wipe disc with cloth that has been dampened with vinegar whilst rotating the disc, wipe with a dry cloth and pop it in your DVD player.

4. Make nail polish last longer: dip your nails in white vinegar and allow them to dry, then paint as usual. Vinegar removes the natural oils from the surface of your nails so that polish adheres to your nails and not the oils.

3. Keep cheese longer: wrap your cheese in paper towel or cloth that has been moistened by vinegar and stick it in a plastic bag or lidded storage container and refrigerate. The acetic acid in the vinegar inhibits the growth of mold. Personally, at Tightwad's house we never keep cheese around long enough to grow mold, but I thought this was a handy tip for people with lots of willpower and few snacking habits.

2. Salad dressing ingredient: add 3 parts olive oil and 1 part vinegar et voila! You have yourself a salad dressing. Add to that some salt, pepper, diced garlic, fresh lemon juice, grainy mustard and a dash of maple syrup and mon dieu! formidable!

1. Windshield washer fluid: you need: combine equal parts white vinegar and water, fill your car's windshield's washer fluid reservoir. Environmentally friendly and inexpensive.

For more info on vinegar and its uses, click here.