20 ways to use apple cider vinegar

Next time you go shopping, grab a bottle of apple cider vinegar because it has a multipurpose value that will improve your cooking, health and cleaning lifestyle. Apple cider vinegar, like baking soda, is popular for its ability to be a preservative, skin care regimen, hair care product, and cleaning agent.

So when next you go shopping, here are twenty (20) ways and reasons to pick a bottle of apple cider vinegar from the shelf for your home.

Skincare

This ingredient is popular for beauty enhancement because it contains acetic acid, which lightens dark spots on the skin. It is frequently featured in many beauty products like shampoos, toners, face cleansers, etc.

Cleaning tough stains

This ingredient is a real multitasker when cleaning your home because of its antimicrobial properties. To use, dilute apple cider vinegar with water to degrease your kitchen or clean mildew in your bathroom. You can also use it to clean sticky scissors, remove sticker residue from surfaces, polish metals, freshen clothes, and remove stains.

Food ingredient

Distilled apple cider vinegar is used for salads, marinades, and canning and pickling (thanks to its 5 per cent acid content). Unfiltered apple cider vinegar can be used in cooking, salads, and marinades, and one teaspoon can be mixed into drinks to give some kick. It can also be used in soups and sauces to enhance the flavour. You need to add it according to your taste.

To preserve food

Just like other types of vinegar, apple cider vinegar is an effective preservative. For thousands of years, people have used vinegar as a pickling agent to preserve foods. It makes the food more acidic, deactivating its enzymes and killing bacteria that may cause spoilage. You can find many recipes online for preserving or pickling food using apple cider vinegar.

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As a facial toner

Anecdotally, apple cider vinegar is claimed to help remedy skin conditions and provide graceful ageing support. As such, many people like to use apple cider vinegar to make a skin tonic. The general recipe is 1 part apple cider vinegar to 2 parts water. You can then apply this to your skin using a cotton pad. However, if you have sensitive skin, you may want to make a more diluted solution by adding more water. Insufficient research supports the safety of using apple cider vinegar for this purpose.

To trap fruit flies

Fruit flies can be pests, and it’s really easy to use apple cider vinegar to make a cheap fruit fly trap. Pour some apple cider vinegar into a cup, add a few drops of dish soap (so that any trapped flies sink), and you’re good to go.

To boil eggs better

Adding vinegar to the water you boil or poach eggs in, can help you produce consistently good eggs. This is because the protein in egg whites firms up more quickly when exposed to a more acidic liquid. When poaching eggs, you want the egg whites to firm up as quickly as possible so they keep their shape. Using vinegar when boiling eggs can also speed up egg whites’ coagulation, or clotting. This can be useful if the shell cracks while the egg is being boiled.

As a marinade

Another way to use apple cider vinegar when cooking is to make a marinade. Apple cider vinegar is a popular ingredient in many steak marinades. This is because it gives the meat a nice sweet-and-sour flavour. Combine it with wine, garlic, soy sauce, onion, and cayenne pepper to give your steak a delicious flavour.

To wash fruits and vegetables

Pesticides in fruits and vegetables can be harmful to many people. That’s why some people wash their fruits and vegetables in apple cider vinegar. The hope is that it will remove more chemical residues than water alone. Washing foods in vinegar has been shown to remove dangerous bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. Some even use it to rinse frozen and fresh protein like chicken and meat.

In the bath

For the same reasons people like using apple cider vinegar as a beauty enhancement, like making a homemade facial toner, they also use it in the bath. If you want to try it, add 1–2 cups of apple cider vinegar to your bath water and enjoy a soak in your tub. Be sure to dilute the vinegar adequately because a large proportion can irritate your skin.

Hair rinse

An apple cider vinegar hair rinse removes product buildup, detangles, and adds shine to your hair. Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 1 part water and pour the mixture over your hair. Please leave it in for a few minutes before washing it out. If you have sensitive skin, try doing this with a weaker dilution first on your skin since apple vinegar is quite acidic and can have effects if used wrongly or without a test.

As a weed killer

Apple cider vinegar acts as an effective homemade weed killer. Spray undiluted vinegar on unwanted weeds in your garden to eliminate them.

For homemade cakes and candies

Apple cider vinegar is a popular flavour and texture enhancer in baking, especially when making vegan treats that can’t include eggs. It can also add extra flavour to homemade candy and caramels.

Therapeutic hot drink

For an alternative to hot chocolate or warm tea, mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, one teaspoon of cinnamon, one tablespoon of honey and two tablespoons of lemon juice into 12 oz (355 ml) hot water.

As a mouthwash

Apple cider vinegar is often said to be a useful alternative to commercial mouthwashes. Its antibacterial properties may help with bad breath, although no studies examine how effective it is. If you try apple cider vinegar as a mouthwash, make sure you dilute it well with water. The usual amount is one tablespoon for every cup or 240 ml of water. This is because the acidity of the vinegar could damage your teeth.

To clean your toothbrush

Having really clean teeth is worth considering how clean your toothbrush is. Since apple cider vinegar has antibacterial properties, you can use it as a homemade cleaner for your toothbrush. To make your own toothbrush cleaner, combine half a cup (120 ml) water with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons baking soda. Mix well, then leave the head of your toothbrush in the mixture for 30 minutes. Make sure you rinse your brush well with water before you use it. Otherwise, the acidity of undiluted vinegar could damage your teeth.

To treat acne

Dabbing small amounts of diluted apple cider vinegar onto pimples is anecdotally claimed to be a good way to eliminate them. However, undiluted apple cider vinegar is strongly acidic, by putting it directly onto your skin, you can cause burns.

To get rid of warts

As with acne, apple cider vinegar has been said to be a natural agent for getting rid of warts. It’s likely effective for removing warts from skin, due to its acidic nature. However, this method is very painful, and some people who’ve tried it have required a local anaesthetic.

As a natural deodorant

Wiping your underarms with diluted apple cider vinegar is said to be a homemade alternative to commercially produced deodorants. It has been shown to reduce bad odours.

To burn belly fat and lose weight

Ingesting diluted apple cider vinegar has proven to help burn belly fat and aid weight loss because of the acid present in the ingredient. However, ingesting only doesn’t give results. One can only see positive results if one maintains a healthy diet and exercises daily.

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