You sure can catch more flies with honey, than with vinegar. But that is practically the only thing vinegar is not good for, catching flies.
Vinegar is a wonderful all around cleaner, deodorizer, disinfectant, and of all things, a great weed killer. Used full strength in a spray bottle, it can cut grease on counter tops, and stoves, or make your windows shine, just use newspaper to dry them, stand back and see the sparkle that rivals diamonds.
In the garden vinegar makes a great natural weed killer. And if you have pets or children this should be very important to you. While it definitely works better on a sunny hot day, on small or young weeds, it does a great job practically any dry time of the year. You may need to reapply on mature weeds, but what would you rather use, a dangerous pesticide, or a natural product.
I have come across a recipe for a natural weed killer using 4 cups full strength vinegar, 1/2 cup of salt, 2 tbsp. of dish detergent. I have not had a chance to try this out, so please be careful which plants you spray it on. Watch out for your lovelies, since this may damage your other plants. I just use full strength vinegar in a spray bottle, wet the leaves thoroughly, and let the sun do it's work.
Got any great vinegar tips? Do you love to add a bit of fresh lemon juice, or a essential oil to your spray bottle to "freshen it up," do you pour a cup full into your
washing machine to soften the water?
What else do you use vinegar for?
If you are wondering who's garden this is, it belongs to Floweriscious
Does that blue, not just reach out and grab you?
In the garden vinegar makes a great natural weed killer. And if you have pets or children this should be very important to you. While it definitely works better on a sunny hot day, on small or young weeds, it does a great job practically any dry time of the year. You may need to reapply on mature weeds, but what would you rather use, a dangerous pesticide, or a natural product.
I have come across a recipe for a natural weed killer using 4 cups full strength vinegar, 1/2 cup of salt, 2 tbsp. of dish detergent. I have not had a chance to try this out, so please be careful which plants you spray it on. Watch out for your lovelies, since this may damage your other plants. I just use full strength vinegar in a spray bottle, wet the leaves thoroughly, and let the sun do it's work.
Got any great vinegar tips? Do you love to add a bit of fresh lemon juice, or a essential oil to your spray bottle to "freshen it up," do you pour a cup full into your
washing machine to soften the water?
What else do you use vinegar for?
If you are wondering who's garden this is, it belongs to Floweriscious
Does that blue, not just reach out and grab you?
My problem is...aphids. *breathe* To veer off topic ever so slightly, I heard a good recommendation for that problem was to plant garlic around the plants you want to protect from aphids. I wonder if spraying the juice from crushed garlic would have the same effect. I'll have to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteI also run vinegar through my coffee pot when it begins to get sluggishly slow. I drink about 2 tsp. from time to time. Yes, those are beautiful blues in the photos!
ReplyDeleteI use vinegar and baking soda to clean the sinks occasionally to freshen them.
ReplyDeleteThese are pretty blues today.
Pretty basket of blue flowers. I had forgotten some of its uses. I'll try it on weeds. Happy Memorial Day. Becca
ReplyDeleteHi Jen
ReplyDeleteSlightly non gardening related but importantant all the same, vinegar neutralises the smell of cat pee.
I've got three cats, one of them, Horace (a stray we took in 4 years ago) will very occasionally 'spray' indoors. I have a spray bottle filled with a 20% vinegar solution which both gets rid of the smell and stops him from re- offending in the same place. If you use household anti-bacterial sprays, then there's a good chance that a cat will re offend in the same spot as there's something in the products which reminds them of the smell.
See, there really isn't much vinegar can't do.
Rob
I rarely use anything other than vinegar or baking powder for cleaning around the house. They work better than most things which are sold specifically for the purpose.
ReplyDeleteMy only problem is that I boycott products associated with Nestle because of its record of miss-selling baby products in developing countries - and that makes vinegar buying more complicated.
Lucy
My husband hates the smell of vinegar. So I add a little essential oil to my half vinegar/half water solution in a squirt bottle. He likes it a lot better now!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Rather fond of it on french fries if that counts.
ReplyDeleteVery ineresting door color..very welcoming! I use vinegar in my scrub pail for scrubbing the tile floors on my hands and knees. I have heard it used as a natural fly repellant for horses..but I don't have any of those! I will have to try it on a few weeds..it is certainy worth a try on my chives that have escaped all over!:)
ReplyDeleteI love that ceramic blue pot that contains all those lovely pansies too!
ReplyDeleteUsed to use the cider on my brunette hair as a rinse. Brought out a redish tint.
ReplyDeleteAlso once when I caused smoke damage to the house from letting a pot burn on the stove too long, I place a half cup full strength in every cupboard and behind each curtain to take the smell of smoke away. Took about two days.
A fourth cup of white vinegar in a spray bottle helps set the pleats when ironing.
White vinegar in pretty bottle and about 10 fresh raspberries. Let steep for a week. Makes the MOST DELICIOUS raspberry vinegar ever. I won't have anything else on my salads. mmmm coleslaw is great too with it.
That's all I can think of, off the top of my head. Pretty good for midnight, eh?
These ideas are wonderful! I didn't know that vinegar could be used on weeds. Oh, happy day! Seriously -- a good tip.
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago I read a post on "Pioneer Woman" that talked about rinsing your hair with vinegar. Since then I've been doing that a few times a week and the result has been wonderful. Clean, sparkly clean, SHINY hair. Go here to see the post:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeandgarden/2009/04/this-might-just-save-my-hair/
I forgot to mention just how much I LOVE that hanging "basket." Oh man, I would love one or two or ten of those!
ReplyDeleteI've lived this way all my life so it's gratifying to come across someone else who uses vinegar for so many uses. I do all of the above :) Although my dogs hate being sprayed, I use it in the mosquito season to spray on their coats to help keep the mosquitoes at bay. It's not 100% but it is a deterrent.
ReplyDelete