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VINEGAR * 50 Different ways to use it * Kitchen, Bathroom, Laundry Room, General Cleaning

6/5/2025

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The Gardening Cook
from The Gardening Cook
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KITCHEN: 

1. Soak your sponges in a container of vinegar overnight.  Then  squeeze them out in the morning. They will be refreshed and ready to use.


2. Combine 2 cups of vinegar and 1 cup of water in your coffee maker.  Run it for a full brew cycle and then replace the filter and run the coffee maker with 2 cycles of plain water. Presto~clean coffee maker!

3. Use vinegar in the dishwasher instead of Jet Dry to keep your glassware sparkling clean at a fraction of the cost.


4. Vinegar make a great disinfectant for wooden cutting boards

5. Hate the smell of your hands after peeling onions and dicing garlic?  Use vinegar to get rid of that smell.

6. Do you have a dirty microwave?  Mix 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in a glass bowl.  Microwave on high for 5 minutes and then wipe clean.


7. Fill an 8 oz, glass with vinegar, and set it on the bottom rack of the dishwasher.  The stainless steel will end up sparkling with no streaks and squeaky clean.

8. Use vinegar and a bit water to clean the inside of your fridge and freezer. It removes dirt and bad fridge odors and smells.

​9. Got clogged drains?  Place some baking soda in the drain and pour over full strength vinegar.  Finish with boiling water to clear the clog.
​


         ***

1. Do your cats and dogs drink from the toilet?  Don’t use harsh chemicals to clean it.  Mix baking soda and vinegar together to clean your toilet in a non toxic way.

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2. Vinegar is great for removing mold on the walls in damp areas.  It works better than many retail products.

3. Use vinegar to get hard water marks off a dark tile shower seat and floor.  Pour it over paper towels so it won’t all run down the drain and leave it for several hours and it will clean the tiles and floor.

4.Soap scum can be hard to remove.   Spray full strength vinegar and let it dry. Reapply and wipe clean.

5.You can remove old tub decals with vinegar.  Heat full strength vinegar in the microwave.  Saturate the decals with vinegar and let stand for about 5 minutes.  This should loosen the glue that holds the decal. Remove the left over glue with a damp sponge and vinegar.

6. Wipe down the inside of the shower curtain in the bath to remove mildew.

7.Clean your shower head easily when it begins to lose its spraying force.  Combine 1 cup of vinegar and 1/2 cup of baking soda in a zip lock bag and place it over the shower head and tie it at the top and let it soak for about an hour.

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1. Use vinegar to remove the mildew smell from towels.  Load the washer and add two cups of vinegar.  Do a normal cycle and then dry thoroughly.

2. Add 1/2 cup to your wash to remove static cling from clothes.

3. Use vinegar to clean the inside of your iron.   Just fill the reservoir and keep pushing the steam button until the vinegar is used.

4. If you have a scorch mark from ironing, rub the scorched area with a cloth dipped in white vinegar and then blot it with a clean towel.

5. Have an iron with a dirty metal plate?  Use vinegar!  Just mix 1 part vinegar and 1 part salt and scrub the plate with the paste.

6. To remove odors from clothes, add one cup to a washing load of laundry.



Vinegar Uses for General cleaning:

1. Mix equal parts of vinegar and water.  Use the mixture on a cloth to wipe your keyboard and mouse.  Also great to use on a phone and door knobs and other bacteria collecting items.

​2. Use vinegar with old newspapers to easily clean your windows and have them streak free. 

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TYPES of CABBAGE and how to use them

3/2/2025

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There are many different types of cabbage, and even your local grocery store will have at least 3 or different ones.  My favorite is Napa cabbage b/c you can just slice through the thick bottom and then chop (if you want) for coleslaw and you don't have the hard core that green cabbage has ~ and you have the soft ruffled leaves if you want to make stuffed cabbage rolls (or use those with lettuce in a salad).  We also use baby bok choy on the BBQ.  Kale is also type of cabbage, but I don't buy it. 
The most common is green cabbage.  Although it usually seems like the cheapest, remember that the price is per pound, and these are usually quite heavy. 

These are dense, and most often used for coleslaw ~ and the best to cut large whole slices, if you want to grill "cabbage steaks".  But the hard core and spines do need to be trimmed.
 




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green cabbage
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Savoy cabbage
Savoy cabbages tend to be smaller in size to regular green cabbages. They slice well and keep their texture and color even during cooking. This is the perfect cabbage for using raw in salads or adding to stir-fries.

​Apart from the wrinkly leaves, one difference between Savoy cabbages and regular cabbage is the loosely packed leaves that form a small round head
Red cabbages could be one of the healthiest cabbages as they contain antioxidants called anthocyanins.  

Due to its color, pleasant flavor, and crunchy texture, red cabbage is a popular ingredient for coleslaw and salads. You can also 
pickle red cabbage
 to have as a side accompaniment for many meals

But remember that red cabbage will BLEED when in contact with acid (i.e. vinegar).  So, I personally will never use them (or red onions, for the same reason)

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Red cabbage
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Napa Cabbage
My personal favorite ~ Napa cabbage has an oblong shape with frilled pale green and yellow leaves and a thick white crunchy stem

.The mild flavor of Napa cabbages and soft green leaves mean that this is a popular type of cabbage for salads. Even the white part of the stem isn’t too bitter or tough to chop up and eat raw in a salad.

Napa cabbage is often cooked and used in soups, stir-fries, or stews. The tender sweet cabbage leaves also make good wraps for pork or oyster dishes or stuffed cabbage rolls
.

My other favorite is Bok Choy, which comes as large as a Napa cabbage, although I buy baby bok choy and rub them with olive oil and grind some pink Himalayan salt on them ~ then put them on the BBQ.  A little char on them is good! 

Bok choy doesn’t form a head. It has a white bulb-type base from which dark green leaves grow. Regular Bok choy has crinkly green leaves and a crunchy white stem. This type of Chinese cabbage is perfect for stir-fries
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Bok Choy
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TIPS for WAXED PAPER (1) never use flour to roll dough again ~ (2) never drip frosting when icing a cake

12/14/2024

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2 things your grandmother never taught you, but MINE DID!  
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silpat mat
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inches & pie circles
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roll out cinnamon roll dough between 2 pieces waxed paper
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take top piece off ~ spread filling ~ use bottom sheet to help roll up cinnamon roll log
Why are there still so many recipes saying to flour your surface when rolling out dough?  Adding more flour to dough will make it tough (not to mention making a mess).  I have a silpat mat, with circles for pie crusts on it ~ along with inches along the top.  But my grandmother taught me to use 2 sheets of waxed paper!  On the underside of the bottom sheet, you can mark off the size you want to roll whatever it is you're making ..... put the dough in between the 2 sheets of waxed paper and roll.  Your shape is already marked off, and no floury mess! 

If you're making cinnamon rolls, the added bonus is that you can take off the top sheet of waxed paper (when you're at the right size) ~ add your filling ~ and then use the bottom sheet of waxed paper to help you roll up your log for the cinnamon rolls.

You can even wipe off those sheets of waxed paper and use them again, if you want.
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TIP #2 ~ and I've never, ever made a frosted or glazed cake without doing this (in the 50+ years that I've been baking) ~ yet I've never heard anyone speak of or do this on any cooking show on TV.  Gram told me to put pieces of waxed paper under my cake and on the plate (or surface) that I want to serve the cake from.  Then frost (or drizzle glaze) your cake.  Wait for the frosting / glaze to set and gently pull the waxed paper strips out.  EASY! 
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KITCHEN TIP:  Never have a pot over-boil again

10/14/2024

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If you spend enough time in the kitchen, you will end up familiarizing yourself with cooking on the stovetop. Stovetop cooking can be a great way to throw together a quick meal. Unfortunately, if you get distracted while boiling your water you can end up with a mess on your hands!


To limit your exposure to messy spills from water boiling over, get in the habit of keeping a wooden spoon handy! When you step away from your boiling water, merely lay the spoon across the top of the pot. The spoon will prevent the water from overflowing while you work on other parts of your meal!

​from lifehackguru.com

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TIP: for my COLD WEATHER FRIENDS who don't have a GARAGE

10/14/2024

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For those who don’t have the convenience of a garage to shield their cars from winter’s chill, there’s a clever hack to keep Jack Frost at bay: simply use Ziplock bags. Open a Ziplock bag and slip it over each of your car's side mirrors. These makeshift plastic covers will act as a barrier against ice and snow accumulation, making your frosty mornings significantly more manageable.
Winter’s harshness often brings about the challenge of dealing with ice-encrusted windscreens and mirrors, turning the start of your day into a frigid task. This simple yet effective method can save you time and effort, ensuring a smoother departure on those cold mornings.
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from lifehackguru.com
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Kitchen TIP:  Ordinary SALT to unclog your kitchen sink drain

10/14/2024

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Salt serves as an effective anti-clogging solution for your kitchen sink. To enhance its efficacy, blend half a cup of salt with one cup of baking soda. Allow it to sit for 4-6 hours, making it convenient to pour the mixture down the sink before bedtime.
After letting it sit for several hours, or overnight, flush the sink with hot water to remove the mixture. Repeat as necessary.

​from lifehackguru

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KITCHEN TIP * Pants Hanger to hang cookbooks & recipes

10/14/2024

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Clothing hangers can be extremely flexible accessories for a variety of household projects. Outside of holding your pants up in the closet, pants hangers can work to perform a number of tasks around the kitchen. One of our favorite inventions for pants hangers is this DIY Recipe Holding rig!
By using your pants hanger, you can prop up a recipe book for easy reading while you work around the kitchen. The hanger will allow you to simply hang the recipe wherever it is that you are working, thus leaving your hands free to focus on the meal before you. Who said cooking was hard?

​from lifehackguru

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TIP: MOTH BALLS to keep away RODENTS ~ other CRITTERS & SLITHERING PESTS

10/3/2024

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3 pack from Walmart for $6.24 on-line, but also available in store (on the aisle where the irons & laundry room stuff is)

​DO NOT USE THESE if you have pets or small children!

We have a small yard (in a Del Webb community) with a block wall in back (no small children or pets).  There were mice running back and forth by the fence & burrowing under the structural block posts.  I didn't want them getting close to the house, so I googled what to use on-line.

Actual mouse bait (for outside) is pricey (starting @ about $25+ and needs to be shipped).  MOTH BALLS do the trick for any living pests that you have (including the slithering "s word") ~ so I bought this box with 3 separate bags inside.  I opened 1 bag and emptied all the little balls along the fence (and into the holes) and haven't seen a mouse in days!  ** It would be perfect to put down gopher or armadillo holes too. 

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:  They smell horrible (and can trigger migraines), so only open the packages outside (and put the others into a zip-lock baggie).  Use a scissors that you can wash really well with a bleach-based cleaner ~ and your hands may need to be washed multiple times!  ** I didn't realize all this and cut the bag open in my kitchen sink.  I needed to wash my sink multiple times ~ including putting my dish drying cloth into the washing machine ~ any silverware or cups that were anywhere near the sink needed to be washed multiple times ~ and I could still smell it in there for a couple of days!  I used a lysol-bleach spray and then also my apple cinnamon antibacterial foam kitchen soap ~ and spiced apple fragrance spray (it's October), but it took 2 days to go away!  I can certainly see why no animals like it!  

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HOW to CARRY a CAKE to SOMEWHERE ELSE ~ on a 10" cake board ~ HOW TO KEEP YOUR CAKES from SLIDING during TRANSPORT

12/15/2023

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cake fits securely in box
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large flat rate priority box
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large dollop canned frosting
If you need to transport a 8", 9" or 10" cake to somewhere ~ and it's on a cake board ~ the best way is in a LARGE priority flat rate box from the Post Office.  (You can order these boxes free on their website, and your postman will deliver them to your house.)  It's 12x12" but when you fold the sides down inside, it will securely hold a cake that's on a 10" cakeboard! 

To KEEP YOUR CAKES FROM SLIDING ~ put a big dollop of CANNED FROSTING in the center of the cakeboard (if you're using a doily, put a dollop under the doily and also on top).  Canned frosting dries quickly and works like "glue"
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How to SOFTEN BROWN SUGAR that's gotten hard

11/29/2023

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HOW to SOFTEN BROWN SUGAR that's gotten hard.

My mother and grandmother always keep a slice of bread in their canister of brown sugar, and when I started baking, I realized why.  It will keep your brown sugar soft and stop it from getting rock hard and clumping up in your canister.  So, just stick the heel of a loaf of bread in there (I replace it occasionally with another heel of a loaf).

To be doubly sure that my brown sugar stays soft, I also have one of those special brown sugar terra cotta discs in my brown sugar canister.  I dampen it occasionally, and set it in an old 1/4-cup measure (so it isn't resting directly on the sugar).  You can find them on-line @ eBay, Etsy, or any store that has baking supplies.  

BUT ~ what do you do when you need your brown sugar NOW and haven't done either of the above precautions ~ and your brown sugar is rock-hard?  You can soften it in the microwave! 

1. Put the amount of brown sugar in a microwavable bowl.
2. Put a couple of damp paper towels on top of the brown sugar.
3. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap or microwave safe lid.
4. Heat the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds. (If not yet softened, continue to heat for 10- second intervals.)
5. Fluff the sugar with a fork or whisk and use it immediately
​6. Put that piece of bread in your canister to soften what's in there for next time!! 
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