Leah Berenson

Leah Berenson

January 21, 2025

13 Innovative Ways To Use Salt and Vinegar Around The Home

Salt and vinegar chips are a popular snack time option. However, it turns out you can use the combination for several hacks around the house. 

Salt and Vinegar Deodorize

Reaction of baking soda with vinegar in a bowl with a Cup of dry soda, a spoon and a bottle of vinegar. Copyspace text
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Firstly, and perhaps commonly known, is that salt and vinegar work together to make a powerful cleaner but they also work as a deodorizer. You can put them together in a glass or bowl in any room in your home, or in the refrigerator in place of the traditional baking soda method. 

Salt and Vinegar Breathe Life into Old Bricks

Eco-friendly natural cleaners. Vinegar, baking soda, salt, lemon and essential oil. Homemade green cleaning on white background.
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However, you can use vinegar alone for a number of things from treating your dog’s ear infection, using Apple cider Vinegar, to sprucing up the appearance of your home. If you have brick in or outside of your home, you can prevent them from looking dingy by mixing distilled white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Next, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes and use a cloth or scrub brush to wipe away the mixture. 

Salt and Vinegar unclog the Sink

clogged kitchen sink, dirty pipe being cleaned at home with baking soda, lemon and vinegar
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Meanwhile, salt and vinegar together have a variety of other uses including brightening the laundry and removing stains, according to HowStuffWorks and unclogging a sink drain. 

Read More:  10 Super Surprising Household Hacks Using Laundry Detergent

Salt and Vinegar Remove Corrosion

Hexagonal bars and brass products made on CNC metalworking machines. Manufacturing of parts from brass. Close-up.
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Interestingly, salt and vinegar also remove corrosion and damage from brass, and GrandBrass.com knows the recipe. They suggest using a “1 to 1” ratio of 2 cups of warm vinegar and 2 tablespoons of salt. To warm the vinegar, heat it in the microwave for about a minute and a half. Use caution when removing the vinegar as it’s likely to be hot. 

Air Dry Your Brass

brass yellow brass pipe copper pipe factory
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Next, allow the brass parts to soak in the salt and vinegar for a while. Then, use a scouring pad and running water to wipe away tarnish. Lastly, your brass to air dry. 

Science experiments with salt and vinegar 

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Interestingly, mixing salt and vinegar together creates a chemical reaction that’s often fun, engaging, and educational to play around with. Here are some science experiment ideas to do with the salt and vinegar solution. 

Make Incredible “Rock Formations”

Crystal clear alum stones or Potassium alum on basket, decorated with flowers. Useful for beauty and spa treatment. Use to treat body odor under the armpits as deodorant and make water clear.
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Salt and vinegar combines and crystallizes under the proper conditions. As such, you can mix 1/4 cup of salt to 1 cup of boiling water and 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Next, add some food coloring to a sponge and pour the salt and vinegar mix over the sponge. Repeat this over the next few days and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can grow colorful rock formations from your very home, explains Sciencing.Com

Read More: How to Remove Mattress Stains (Especially if You Have Kids)

Salt and Vinegar Make a Chemical Compound 

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When combined, salt and vinegar make Sodium Acetate, a common ingredient in industries like food and manufacturing. Meanwhile, the compound can be found in hospital IVs, meant to help hydrate patients and balance their electrolytes, explains PubChem

Vinegar is a Powerful Agent

SALT AND VINEGAR CUT OUT
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Although salt and vinegar together have some interesting effects, vinegar on its own is known to be a powerful agent. Actually, some have suggested it works well to deter ants and kill weeds. Subsequently, vinegar in a spray bottle can deter ants from ruining a picnic or meal outdoors. 

Clean your Scissors

opened scissors with blue handles
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While cleaning scissors with water can cause rust, using vinegar both prevents rust and cleans the sticky messes that water often can’t tackle alone.

Perfectly Hard-Boiled Eggs 

Saucepan with boiling eggs on a gas stove
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It’s not uncommon for eggs to crack when they’re put into a pot of boiling water but you can easily prevent this by adding 2 tablespoons of vinegar per quart of water before it boils. Additionally, the vinegar will help make it easier to peel the eggs later. However, some have suggested that doing so may alter the flavor so be sure not to use too much vinegar. 

Improve Hair Health

Woman, hair care and back with beauty in studio for healthy growth, keratin treatment or straight hairstyle aesthetic. Female person, wellness and collagen shine, cosmetics and white background
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Once a week you can apply a mixture of vinegar (it’s been suggested that you use apple cider or white but you can use any vinegar that you prefer) and water to shampooed hair to help prevent buildup in the scalp. 

Read More: 20 Women Dared To Get a New Hairstyle, and They Look Stunning

Make and Use the Mixture 

Brown hair close-up as a background. Women's long brown hair. Beautifully styled wavy shiny curls. Hair coloring. Hairdressing procedures, extension.
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To make the mixture you’ll need 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 cup of water. Pour the mixture over wet, shampooed hair and massage into your roots. Rinse thoroughly and apply conditioner as normal. Not only does this strange but age-old hack remove buildup but it also helps improve shine and hair health. 

Lastly, treating bug bites

woman with mosquito bite on her arm
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Purportedly, vinegar works well to minimize itching and irritation from a bug bite. Just dab the bite. However, you shouldn’t do so if there’s an open wound as that can cause burning and further irritation. Meanwhile, you can cover yourself in apple cider vinegar, or keep some nearby, while hiking, camping, or partaking in any other outdoor activities. This helps repel bugs and insects. 

Salt and vinegar are a popular flavor combination for snacks like chips and pistachios. However, the combination is surprisingly versatile and there are far more uses for the dynamic duo.