As history would have it, apple cider vinegar was discovered almost accidentally and independently in different parts of the world when jugs of wine were left uncovered for a long time. The traces of this product date back to 5000 BC when Babylonians used it as a preservative and started experimenting by mixing apple cider vinegar with spices and herbs. Apple cider vinegar has a long history and there are a great variety of purposes it can be used for nowadays, apart from being a topping for your salad.
Food additive is probably the first thing associated with apple cider vinegar, also known as ACV. However, there are many more purposes it can be used for like sore throats, dandruff, foot odor, bathroom mold, and even garden weeds — you’ll be surprised to know you can solve all of these problems with the bottle of apple cider vinegar you keep in your pantry.
Bright Side wants to share this collection of 50+ apple cider vinegar tips with you.
For your beauty
- Acids found in apple cider vinegar fight the fungus that contributes to dandruff that growson the scalp. Mix equal parts ACV and water in a spray bottle. Apply this remedy to clean hair, let it sit for 15 minutes, and then rinse with water.
- ACV is a good natural toner. Many of us use cleansers and soaps that cause our skin to lose its natural acidity. Apple cider vinegar will help to regulate the pH of your skin and make it look healthier. Mix one part vinegar with 2 parts water and apply it with a cotton pad all over your face.
- Thanks to the malic and lactic acids that soften and exfoliate the skin, the same DIY toner can be used to treat acne and other skin problems.
- If you try to avoid chemicals in your cosmetics, substitute your everyday deodorant with ACV by applying a vinegar and water mixture to your armpits. Vinegar acid reduces odor by killing bacteria.
- Mix one tsp of apple cider vinegar with one cup of water and use as a whitening mouthwash. If you have stubborn stains, try rubbing vinegar right onto your teeth and rinse with water. Be careful not to use it too often as the acids found in ACV can be harmful to tooth enamel.
- Use as a DIY hair rinse made of 2 tbsp of ACV and one cup of water after shampooing for clean and shiny hair.
- Apply apple cider vinegar to your bare nails before applying nail polish and it will make your manicure last longer. Acids in the vinegar remove excess oil from your nails and make nail polish adhere to your nails better.
- Dilute ACV with water and rinse your hair with this mixture after dying. This tip will help you seal the color.
- Apple cider vinegar is a good remedy for razor burn. Apply vinegar with a cotton pad onto the affected area, let it dry, and rinse with water. Repeat 2-3 times a day until the burning stops.
- Add one or 2 cups of ACV to your bath once or twice a week and it will make your skin healthy, shiny, and smooth. Acids, trace minerals, and vitamins make for a detoxification effect, and by adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil you’ll make your bath relaxing as well.
- Use apple cider vinegar together with coconut oil to remove makeup. ACV will not only clean your pores, it will also nourish your skin thanks to its probiotics.
- Drinking diluted ACV and applying DIY vinegar-based shampoo will help you fight balding. ACV fights scalp buildup and improves blood circulation to hair follicles.
For your health
Apple cider vinegar can help with some minor health problems but remember that it’s not a substitute for medication and you should visit a doctor if your health bothers you.
- Apple cider vinegar is a great natural deodorizer for your feet because it kills the bacteria that cause the odor. Pour vinegar over baby wipes or paper towels and wipe your feet. You can even store these vinegar wipes in the fridge and use them when necessary.
- ACV has antibacterial properties and it may come in handy if you have a sore throat. Try mixing one tbsp of vinegar with 2 tbsp of honey in a mug of warm water or make yourself a cup of vinegar tea.
- It’s good to use ACV if you get a sunburn. The antiseptic properties of this product will prevent your sunburn from becoming infected. Spray a mixture of vinegar and water on your sunburn or pour the mixture on a napkin and dab it gently on the skin.
- Apple cider vinegar is a good remedy for itchy and irritated skin. Add a few drops of vinegar onto a cotton pad and dab it onto the affected area. Use organic ACV with sediment on the bottom of the bottle. This sediment contains enzymes and bacteria that sooth irritated skin.
- Drinking ACV diluted in water on a regular basis will help you lose weight thanks to the acetic acid that is found in apple cider vinegar.
- An apple cider vinegar compress can be effective in speeding up the healing of bruises. Vinegar enhances blood flow and helps dissolve the blood that has collected in the bruised area.
- Thanks to its antiseptic properties, organic ACV can be used to treat the symptoms of sinus infections that cause swelling in the nasal area. You can prepare DIY vinegar rinse by mixing ½-1 tsp of vinegar with a cup of warm water.
- If you want to get rid of heartburn symptoms, mix 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink it during your meal. ACV lowers the stomach acidity and tones the lower esophageal sphincter preventing stomach acid from traveling back into the esophagus.
- Organic ACV is a good natural product for removing warts. Remember that ACV only helps to eliminate the warts, but it doesn’t cure you from the HPV virus that causes warts.
- Apple cider vinegar is a popular home remedy for getting rid of toenail fungus. Mix one part vinegar with one part water and use it as a foot bath. Acids are too mild to damage skin and nails but are harmful for fungus that cannot survive in acidic pH.
- ACV can be a good detoxifier for your liver as it helps to remove harmful toxins that build up in this organ. Drink a mixture of 1-2 tsp of vinegar in glass of water when you wake up in the morning, before lunch, and before dinner and this mixture will flush the liver, improving its blood filtration function.
- Apple cider vinegar can improve your digestion by delaying the food passage from the stomach to the small intestine and helping food to break down easier. Mix ACV with water in different proportions to treat the symptoms of indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea.
- ACV is also good for improving your immune system. If you are brave enough for experiments, prepare a DIY immune-boosting tincture by mixing apple cider vinegar with ginger, garlic, herbs, horseradish, and honey.
For your household
- Apple cider vinegar is a great natural product to clean contaminated shower heads. Fill a plastic bag with ACV, wrap it around the shower head as shown in this video and let it sit for a few hours.
- Mix one part apple cider vinegar with 4 parts water and add this mixture to your washing machine before adding the garments to be washed. This mixture will add to the cleaning effect of your detergent and will deodorize your clothes.
- If you try to avoid using chemicals in your household, use ACV as a laundry softener. It’s purely natural and it works both as a washing agent and as a softener.
- ACV can be used to clean the washing machine itself. Clean the machine with one cup of ACV when there’s no laundry inside.
Prepare a multipurpose cleaning liquid by mixing one part ACV with one part water in a spray bottle. This natural cleaning liquid fights various types of stains and it is suitable for cleaning hard surfaces (floors, counter tops, kitchen furniture), bathrooms, carpets, and fabrics. Remember to test the spray on a small area first.
- Apple cider vinegar is a perfect solution to make your bathtub sparkle. Just use this DIY vinegar spray made of ACV and dish soap.
- Mold is another problem that we could face when cleaning the bathroom. ACV is a good product to fight mold, just spray it onto the moldy surface, clean thoroughly with a brush, and let dry. Be careful not to use the vinegar on wooden surfaces as the acid found in ACV may destroy them.
- Use baking soda and apple cider vinegar to unclog the drain in your bath or kitchen sink. Sprinkle ½ cup of baking soda inside the drain and add 1-2 cups of ACV. Let it work for a few minutes and rinse with water. The ‘volcano’ effect created by the soda and vinegar mixture will unclog the drain.
- ACV works well on yellow perspiration stains on clothes. Dab the vinegar onto the stain and wash your clothes as usual.
- Wipe fridge door seals with apple cider vinegar to kill bacteria and mildew. Then clean the inside of the fridge with a mixture of equal parts water and ACV to get rid of smells.
- You can even try ACV for cleaning gold jewelry. Just put your jewels into a cup of vinegar and let them sit for 15 minutes.
- To clean your iron fill the reservoir with vinegar, turn it onto steam, and let it sit upright for 10 minutes. Then fill the reservoir with water, turn it onto steam again, and let sit 10 minutes in the upright position.
- You can get rid of fungi and mildew on the shower curtain by washing it with one cup of apple cider vinegar in a rinse cycle and adding some baking soda to the detergent load.
In the kitchen
- Apple cider vinegar alone is a perfect dressing for your salad. However, there’s a variety of dressing recipes that use ACV.
- Add apple cider vinegar to a pot with boiling eggs and you’ll get hard boiled eggs that are easy to peel.
- To keep fruit and vegetables fresh for a long time, try this DIY produce wash. Add one tbsp of apple cider vinegar to a cup of water, add fruit or vegetables, soak for 5 minutes, rinse with water, and dry. You can also put fruit and veggies into a colander and pour the ACV and water mixture over them.
- If you are a heavy coffee drinker and you want to cut down on this drink, try this energy-boosting ACV tea recipe.
- Apart from being used as a dressing ingredient, apple cider vinegar can add flavor to your favorite dishes. Try this recipe to make a banana-peach-ACV smoothie and get the maximum health benefits from your dessert.
- If you want to add some spice to your healthy diet, try an ACV marinated vegetable salad. All you need is seasonal crunchy veggies, apple cider vinegar, and seasoning to your taste.
- Add one tbsp of apple cider vinegar to a cup of milk or cream and you’ll get homemade buttermilk.
In the garden
- Mix ACV with Epsom salt in a spray bottle as shown in this video and spray the weeds in your garden. You’ll be surprised to see the weeds dry out in a day or too.
- Despite its weed-killing effect, ACV can be used as a fertilizer for plants that grow well in acidic soil, like azaleas, gardenias, and blueberry.
- Rabbits, raccoons, moles, and rodents cannot stand the smell of vinegar, so if your garden is often visited by these animals, soak a few rags in ACV and place them throughout your garden.
- If your garden is attacked by fruit flies, try this DIY apple cider vinegar fly trap. All you need is a plastic bottle, a nail, a string, some apple cider vinegar, and a few drops of dishwashing liquid.
- ACV is a good product to clean rusty garden tools. Spray rusty tools with vinegar or let them soak in it for a few hours if the problem is more serious.
- Don’t throw away old clay pots, just try to clean them with ACV. Scrub the pots using vinegar and then soak them for a few hours in a mixture of one cup of vinegar and 4 cups of water.
- Spray a little apple cider vinegar on the edges of your garden to keep dogs and cats off of your garden beds.