Vinegar is a very, VERY, useful thing!  Forget all its kitchen and bathroom applications. Let me tell you how vinegar can help you take care of your baby clothes.

1- Clean Baby Cloths

If you add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to each load of your baby clothes during the rinse cycle, it will break down urine stains and other ‘residuals’ leaving the clothes soft and fresh.  Though, if you have hard water, you may have to skip over the vinegar (blasphemy!) because it can react with the urine and increase the stink.  Ick.

Clothes will almost always rinse better if you add a cup of white distilled vinegar to the rinse cycle. The acid in vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics but strong enough to dissolve the alkalis in soaps and detergents.  Cotton and wool blankets become soft, fluffy and free of soap odor if 2 cups of white distilled vinegar are added to the rinse cycle of the wash.

2- Remove Armpit Stains

Deodorant and antiperspirant stains can be eradicated by lightly scrubbing the offending stain with straight white distilled vinegar, laundering as usual.

3- Hide Small Holes in Cloths

After a hem or seam is removed, there is usually unsightly holes left in the fabric. These holes can often be removed by placing a cloth, moistened with white distilled vinegar, under the fabric and ironing.

4- Clean Leather

Clothing, or furniture made of leather, can be cleaned with a mixture of distilled vinegar and linseed oil. Rub the mix into the leather and then buff with a soft cloth.

To clean leather shoes of winter road salts, make a solution of one part water to one part white vinegar.  Dip a soft cloth into the solution, and dab it over affected parts of your shoes.  You may have to repeat the cleaning a few times before all the salt is gone.  Salt actually can damage leather, so you’d better clean those shoes as quickly as possible!

5- Remove Burn Marks

Accident with a lighter?  Rub white vinegar on your slightly scorched cloth. Wipe with a clean cloth.

6- Fix Cloths’ Colors

When you are dying your clothing add 1 cup of vinegar to the washing machine’s rinse cycle to help fix the color.

To set colors in fabrics that are rather prone to run (red!) soak them for a few minutes in white distilled vinegar before washing.

Keep your jeans bright and help them keep their store-bought shape by turning your jeans inside out and washing them in cold water, add a tbs. Vinegar per pair.

7- Remove Mildew

Add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to the rinse water when you launder your shower curtain.  Do not spin dry or wash out.  Just hang immediately to dry, it’ll help you with any mildew problems you might have.

Did we forget to take the laundry out of the wash again? (Guilty!)  After six or so hours, they begin to smell!  Rewash and add vinegar during the wash cycle, smell gone!

8- Cleanout Iron’s Water Chamber

Pour equal amounts of white distilled vinegar and water into your iron’s water chamber. Turn to steam and leave the iron on for 5 minutes in an upright position, supervise! Afterwards, unplug the iron and allow to cool completely before putting away.  Impurities should slide out when you empty the chamber.

9- Clean Carpet

Renting a carpet cleaner?  Skip the carpet cleaner solution and replace with vinegar and water instead.

10- Fabric Softener

Manufacture your own fabric softener; combine 3 cups water, ½ cup vinegar, 1 cup hair-conditioner of your choice.  Pour into a Downy ball and use!  Or just pour ¾ cups vinegar into the fabric softener dispenser, whichever you prefer.  Don’t worry, they won’t smell like vinegar.