Don’t get a plumber, get the vinegar out. This and many uses for this wonderfully green product.

November 8, 5:55 PMBoston Green BuildingLoretta White

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  Yes, that is right, save yourself the cost of a plumber and help your pipes work better and so many more things can be achieved with this versatile product.

Vinegar, for this purpose, unless otherwise mentioned use plain, white vinegar, not the cider vinegar. This is a very versatile product that can play so many roles. Many people know of the value that vinegar provides as a cleaner for most basic things , these uses are so well known that here we will talk about several not published before. Below are ways to use vinegar alone, there are also cleaning recipes for mixing this with other products for other uses.
Usage tips

1. Musty Smells- could be a fungi or mold and your nose picks up on the scent because actual mold spores in the air in fact travel into your nasal passages. This is not healthy, no matter how bothersome the smell, your health is paramount. The EPA lists this as a health hazard so if you have a problem, eliminate the source of the moisture and call a professional to come in and clean up. Most home owners insurance have fungi clauses.
2. Rid your self of a musty smell in the cellar or closet by pouring a bowl of vinegar, approximately a cup and placing in the area needed to deodorize. Leave there indefinitely, but the smell should dissipate within 48 hours
3. Clogged pipes-½ cup in your drain replaces the need for toxic chemicals or off the shelf drain cleaners. At night before you go to bed, pour into sink and leave until morning. Can be used as a preventative, bi-yearly shot, or for problems, use 1 cup and rinse in morning with boiling water from the teakettle. Repeat if necessary.
4. Laundry use- gum on wool, fur, or other materials are easily removed with this great product and now heavy scrubbing is required. Place effected area in a bowl with plain vinegar. Normally overnight will dissolve the gum and launder as usual.
5. Hard Water and calcium build up-soak shower head in vinegar for at least 5 hours. This should remove the deposits. Spray on tub, shower doors, anywhere there is this issue. Also, see borax tip.
6. Fabric softener -½ cup in wash acts as additional soap booster and fabric softener. Do not use with bleach as these chemicals do not play nice together.
7. End the electrostatic attraction to electrical devices that creates the need to dust these items continuously. Mix ¼ cup water in a gallon of water, wet a cloth with the mixture and ring out the cloth as much as you can to give you a damp cloth. Then dust as usual. The vinegar acts as a deterrent to the charge and cuts your dusting in ½. 5. Coffee Maker cleaning-Put cup in coffee maker and run through cycle – rinse thoroughly, at least 3-4 times after complete.
8. Diluted in garden – stops plants going to seed. 100 parts water to 1 part vinegar. Mix in a spray bottle, lightly mist the plant and ground and this will delay the plant going to seed. It will also put some compounds back into the earth that are needed.

Benefits:

• Save the cost of a plumber! Dissolves soap scum, hair, and alleviates water flow issues.
• Keeps you healthy by eliminating problems with mold and mildew.
• Saves your pipes, your septic/sewer systems toxicity and will not hurt your pipes like other products.
• Good for your septic, actually aids in the break down of waste

Read More:

Save $500.00 or more this year on cleaning products alone
Green cleaning