In the Medicine Cabinet
Control your dandruff
To give your dandruff the brush-off, follow up each shampoo with a rinse of 2 cups apple cider vinegar mixed with 2 cups cold water. You can also fight dandruff by applying 3 tablespoons vinegar onto your hair and massaging into your scalp before you shampoo. Wait a few minutes, then rinse it out and wash as usual.
Condition your hair
Want to put the life back into your limp or damaged hair? You can whip up a terrific hair conditioner by combining 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 3 egg whites. Rub the mixture into your hair, then keep it covered for 30 minutes using plastic wrap or a shower cap. When time's up, shampoo and rinse as usual.
Protect blond hair from chlorine
Keep your golden locks from turning green in a chlorinated pool by rubbing 1/4 cup cider vinegar into your hair and letting it set for 15 minutes before diving in.
Apply as antiperspirant
Why not put the deodorizing power of vinegar to use where it matters most? That's right, you don't need a roll-on or spray to keep your underarms smelling fresh. Instead, splash a little white vinegar under each arm in the morning, and let it dry. In addition to combating perspiration odor, this method also does away with those deodorant stains on your garments.
Soak away aching muscles
Got a sore back, a strained tendon in your shoulder or calf, or maybe you're just feeling generally rundown? Adding 2 cups apple cider vinegar to your bathwater is a great way to soothe away your aches and pains, or to simply to take the edge off a stressful day. Adding a few drops of peppermint oil to your bath can lend an able assist as well.
Freshen your breath
After you consume a fair portion of garlic or onions, a quick and easy way to sweeten your breath is to rinse your mouth with a solution made by dissolving 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt in a glass of warm water.
Ease sunburn and itching
You can cool a bad sunburn by gently dabbin濺濕噴灑 the area with a cotton ball or soft cloth saturated浸透的濕潤(rùn)的 with white or cider vinegar. (This treatment is especially effective if it's applied before the burn starts to sting刺疼, 使苦悶。) The same technique works to instantly stop the itch of mosquito and other insect bites, as well as the rashes皮疹 caused by exposure to poison ivy or poison oak.
Banish bruises
If you or someone you care about has a nasty fall, you can speed healing and prevent black-and-blue marks by soaking a piece of cotton gauze in white or apple cider vinegar and leaving it on the injured area for one hour.
Soothe a sore throat
Here are three ways that you can make a sore throat feel better:
* If your throat is left raw by a bad cough, or even a speaking or singing engagement, you'll find fast relief by gargling with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt dissolved in a glass of warm water; use several times a day if needed.
* For sore throats associated with a cold or flu, combine 1/4 cup cider vinegar and 1/4 cup honey and take 1 tablespoon every four hours.
* To soothe both a cough and a sore throat, mix 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 4 teaspoons honey, and 1 teaspoon hot sauce. Swallow 1 tablespoon four or five times daily, including one before bedtime. Warning: Children under one year old should never be given honey.
Breathe easier
Adding 1/4 cup white vinegar to the water in your hot-steam vaporizer can help ease congestion caused by a chest cold or sinus infection. It can also be good for your vaporizer: The vinegar will clear away any mineral deposits in the water tubes resulting from the use of hard water. Note: Check with the manufacturer before adding vinegar to a cool-mist vaporizer.
Treat an active cold sore
The only thing worse than a bad cold is a bad cold sore. Fortunately, you can usually dry up a cold sore in short order by dabbing it with a cotton ball saturated in white vinegar three times a day. The vinegar will quickly soothe the pain and swelling.
Make a poultice for corns and calluses
Here's an old-fashioned, time-proven method to treat corns and calluses: Saturate a piece of white or stale bread with 1/4 cup white vinegar. Let the bread soak in the vinegar for 30 minutes, then break off a piece big enough to completely cover the corn. Keep the poultice in place with gauze or adhesive tape, and leave it on overnight. The next morning, the hard, callused skin will be dissolved, and the corn should be easy to remove. Older, thicker calluses may require several treatments.
Get the jump on athlete's foot
A bad case of athlete's foot can drive you hopping mad. But you can often quell the infection, and quickly ease the itching, by rinsing your feet three or four times a day for a few days with undiluted apple cider vinegar. As an added precaution, soak your socks or stockings in a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 4 parts water for 30 minutes before laundering them.
Pamper your skin
Using vinegar as a skin toner dates back to the time of Helen of Troy. And it's just as effective today. After you wash your face, mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2 cups water as a finishing rinse to cleanse and tighten your skin. You can also make your own facial treatment by mixing 1/4 cup cider vinegar with 1/4 cup water. Gently apply the solution to your face and let it dry.
Say good-bye to age or sun spots
Before you take any drastic measures to remove or cover up those brown spots on your skin caused by overexposure to the sun or hormonal changes, give vinegar a try. Simply pour some full-strength apple cider vinegar onto a cotton ball and apply it to the spots for 10 minutes at least twice a day. The spots should fade or disappear within a few weeks.
Soften your cuticles
You can soften the cuticles on your fingers and toes before manicuring them by soaking your digits in a bowl of undiluted white vinegar for five minutes.
Make nail polish last longer
Your nail polish will have a longer life expectancy if you first dampen your nails with some vinegar on a cotton ball and let it dry before applying your favorite polish.
Clean your eyeglasses
When it's more difficult to see with your glasses on than it is with them off, it's a clear indication that they're in need of a good cleaning. Applying a few drops of white vinegar to your glass lenses and wiping them with a soft cloth will easily remove dirt, sweat, and fingerprints, and leave them spotless. Don't use vinegar on plastic lenses, however.
Treat a jellyfish or bee sting
A jellyfish can pack a nasty sting. If you have an encounter with one, pouring some undiluted vinegar on the sting will take away the pain in no time, and let you scrape out the stinger with a plastic credit card. The same treatment can also be used to treat bee stings. But using vinegar on stings inflicted by the jellyfish's cousin the Portuguese man-of-war is now discouraged because vinegar may actually increase the amount of toxin released under the skin. Warning: If you have difficulty breathing or the sting area becomes inflamed and swollen, get medical attention at once; you could be having an allergic reaction.
In the Bathroom
Wash mildew from shower curtains
Clean those ugly mildew stains off your plastic shower curtain by putting it and a couple of soiled towels in your washing machine. Add 1/2 cup laundry detergent and 1/2 cup baking soda to the load, and wash it in warm water on your machine's regular cycle. Add 1 cup white vinegar to the first rinse. Before the machine goes into the spin cycle, remove the curtain and let it hang-dry.
Shine ceramic tiles
If soap scum or water spots have dulled the ceramic tiles around your sink or bath, bring back the brightness by scrubbing them with 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup ammonia, and 1/4 cup borax mixed in 1 gallon (3.7 liters) warm water. Rinse well with cool water and let air-dry.
Whiten your grout
Has the grout between the tiles of your shower or bathtub enclosure become stained or discolored? Restore it to its original shade of white by using a toothbrush dipped in undiluted white vinegar to scrub away the dinginess.
Clean sinks and bathtubs
Put the shine back in your porcelain sinks and bathtubs by giving them a good scrubbing with full-strength white vinegar, followed by a rinse of clean cold water. To remove hard-water stains from your tub, pour in 3 cups white vinegar under running hot tap water. Let the tub fill up over the stains and allow it to soak for four hours. When the water drains out, you should be able to easily scrub off the stains.
Shine up your shower doors
To leave your glass shower doors sparkling clean -- and to remove all of those annoying water spots -- wipe them down with a cloth dipped in a solution of 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 cup ammonia, and 1/4 cup baking soda mixed in 1 gallon (3.7 liters) warm water.
Disinfect shower door tracks
Use vinegar to remove accumulated dirt and grime from the tracks of your shower doors. Fill the tracks with about 2 cups full-strength white vinegar and let it sit for three to five hours. (If the tracks are really dirty, heat the vinegar in a glass container for 30 seconds in your microwave first.) Then pour some hot water over the track to flush away the gunk. You may need to use a small scrub brush, or even a recycled toothbrush, to get up tough stains.
Remove mineral deposits from showerheads
Wash away blockages and mineral deposits from removable showerheads by placing them in 1 quart (1 liter) boiling water with 1/2 cup distilled vinegar for 10 minutes (use hot, not boiling, liquid for plastic showerheads). When you remove it from the solution, the obstructions should be gone. If you have a nonremovable showerhead, fill a small plastic bag half full with vinegar and tape it over the fixture. Let it sit for about 1 hour, then remove the bag and wipe off any remaining vinegar from the showerhead.
Wipe down bathroom fixtures
Don't stop at the shower when you're cleaning with vinegar! Pour a bit of undiluted white vinegar onto a soft cloth and use it to wipe your chrome faucets, towel racks, bathroom mirrors, doorknobs, and such. It'll leave them gleaming.
Fight mold and mildew
To remove and inhibit bathroom mold and mildew, pour a solution of 3 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 teaspoon borax, and 2 cups hot water into a clean, recycled spray bottle and give it a few good shakes. Then spray the mixture on painted surfaces, tiles, windows, or wherever you see mold or mildew spots. Use a soft scrub brush to work the solution into the stains or just let it soak in.
Disinfect toilet bowls
Want an easy way to keep your toilet looking and smelling clean? Pour 2 cups white vinegar into the bowl and let the solution soak overnight before flushing. Including this vinegar soak in your weekly cleaning regimen will also help keep away those ugly water rings that typically appear just above the water level.
Clean your toothbrush holder
Get the grime, bacteria, and caked-on toothpaste drippings out of the grooves of your bathroom toothbrush holder by cleaning the openings with cotton swabs moistened with white vinegar.
Wash out your rinse cup
If several people in your home use the same rinse cup after brushing their teeth, give it a weekly cleaning by filling it with equal parts water and white vinegar, or just full-strength vinegar, and let it sit overnight. Rinse thoroughly with cold water before using.
醫(yī)藥箱中必備
控制頭皮屑
按照下面的方法去做,就可以告別頭皮屑:在洗發(fā)水里混合2杯蘋果醋和2杯冷水,然后進(jìn)行進(jìn)行漂洗。也可以這樣來擺脫頭皮屑:用洗發(fā)水之前,將3大湯匙醋涂抹在頭發(fā)上,按摩頭皮。幾分鐘后,漂洗掉醋,像往常一樣沖洗頭發(fā)就可以了。
調(diào)適頭發(fā)
想要頭發(fā)受損還是希望變回頭發(fā)般順滑的生活?由一茶匙的蘋果醋、二大湯匙的橄欖油、三個(gè)雞蛋清配出的護(hù)發(fā)素,效果讓人驚奇。將該護(hù)發(fā)素涂抹到頭發(fā)上,用塑料袋或浴帽包裹,三十分鐘后,正常沖洗掉就可以了。
避免金色頭發(fā)被氯水漂白
在頭發(fā)上涂搽四分之一杯的蘋果醋,保持十五分鐘后清洗掉,可以避免金色發(fā)素在氯水漂白池中變綠。
應(yīng)用于止汗藥
為什么不將帶醋的除臭劑用于最有效的地方呢?簡(jiǎn)而言之,不需要除臭劑或噴霧去保持腋下沒有異味,而只需要早上在腋下噴點(diǎn)白醋,讓它自然晾干就可以了。另外,除汗味的方法也適用于去除衣服上的污點(diǎn)。
在醋里浸泡可消除肌肉酸痛
有沒有感覺到過背痛,肩膀或者小腿肌腱緊張,抑或只是疲弱無力呢?在浴缸里加放兩杯的蘋果醋是一個(gè)減緩酸痛的好方法,也可能會(huì)完全減弱一天的壓力。沐浴時(shí),加放幾滴薄荷油也可緩解疲勞。
使呼吸清新
當(dāng)吃了蒜或洋蔥時(shí),有一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)便快捷的清新呼吸的方法:用溶解兩大湯匙蘋果醋和一茶匙鹽的溫水漱口。
緩解曬傷和騷癢
用浸透白醋或者蘋果醋的棉花球或者軟布可以冷敷曬傷嚴(yán)重的地方(在曬傷發(fā)痛之前使用這種方法,尤其有效).同樣的技術(shù)方法,可以立即止痛蚊子造成的瘙癢及其他昆蟲的咬傷,也適用于有毒常春藤及橡樹碰觸造成的皮疹。
消除擦傷
如果你或者你關(guān)心的人嚴(yán)重跌倒,用浸透白醋或者棉紗敷于受傷的地方一小時(shí),可以快速治愈,防止淤青。
緩解喉痛
這里講三種方法可以緩解喉痛地方法:
*如因唱歌,演講,或者感冒致使喉痛,用溶解了一大湯匙的蘋果醋和一茶匙的鹽的溫水漱口,可以快速緩解疼痛;如需要,一天可多次漱口。
*如喉痛伴隨感冒或者流感,可將四分之一杯的蘋果醋混合四分之一杯的蜂蜜,每四小時(shí)服用一大湯匙。
*為緩解感冒和喉痛,可將二分之一杯的醋,二分之一杯的水,四茶匙的蜂蜜,一茶匙的調(diào)味汁調(diào)配。每次服用一大湯匙,每天四五次,包括睡前一次。警告:對(duì)于一歲以下的兒童,絕不能放蜂蜜。
呼吸順暢
在蒸汽加濕器中,加入四分之一杯的白醋,可以緩解胸腹受涼或者鼻竇感染造成的呼吸堵塞。醋可以消除因長(zhǎng)期使用硬水而沉淀在水管里的水垢。注意:加醋前請(qǐng)檢查加濕器的構(gòu)造。
治療重感冒潰瘡
唯一比重感冒更壞的就是重感冒潰瘡。幸而,可以簡(jiǎn)單的用棉球浸透白醋涂抹患處直至晾干,每天三次,就可以很快緩解疼痛和腫脹。
制作治療雞眼及老繭的藥膏
這里告訴你一個(gè)古老而實(shí)用的治療雞眼及老繭的偏方:將一小片白面包或者過期面包在四分之一杯的白醋里浸泡30分鐘,撕下一片敷在雞眼上,用紗布或者膠帶固定好,放置一晚上。第二天早上,堅(jiān)硬的老繭已經(jīng)軟化了,雞眼也可以很容易的去除了。多次這樣的重復(fù),厚厚的老繭也可以去除。
先發(fā)治療腳癬
嚴(yán)重的腳癬能讓把人逼瘋。每天將腳浸泡在純蘋果醋三四次,連續(xù)重復(fù)幾天,就可以很快的去除感染,緩解疼痛。洗燙之前,也可以額外預(yù)防一下:將醋和水按照一比四的比例融合,將襪子在溶液里浸泡半小時(shí)。
滋養(yǎng)皮膚
將醋用于調(diào)節(jié)膚色始于特洛伊傳說中的海倫。但是今天仍然有效。洗臉之后,將1大湯匙的評(píng)估粗和2杯水融合后清洗臉頰,可以使皮膚緊致干凈。也可以這樣自制面膜:融合四分之一蘋果醋和四分之一杯水。將該容易敷于臉上直至晾干。
告別老年斑和曬斑
對(duì)于過度暴曬或者荷爾蒙因素導(dǎo)致的褐斑,在采取強(qiáng)硬措施之前,嘗試試用一下醋。簡(jiǎn)單來說,用棉球蘸強(qiáng)度醋到斑痕處,每次敷十分鐘,每天至少兩次。幾周后,斑痕會(huì)淡去或者消失。
軟化外皮角質(zhì)
剪修指甲之前,浸泡指甲在一個(gè)放了純度白醋的碗里五分鐘,然后可以軟化指甲或者腳趾上的外皮角質(zhì)。
延長(zhǎng)指甲油效用
涂抹最喜歡的指甲油之前,在棉球上蘸上白醋沾濕指甲直至晾干,可以延長(zhǎng)指甲油的持久力。
清洗眼鏡
當(dāng)戴著眼鏡還不如不戴時(shí)看的清楚時(shí),說明眼鏡需要好好清洗了。在玻璃鏡片上滴上幾滴白醋,用軟布輕輕去除眼鏡上的污垢,汗跡,以及指印,直至鏡片上沒有任何污點(diǎn)。注意,醋不適用于塑膠鏡片。
治療螫咬疼痛
海蜇蘊(yùn)藏有讓人討厭的毒刺。如果你與海蜇狹路相逢了,到一些純度醋到蟄咬過得地方,會(huì)立刻消解疼痛,再用塑料卡片刮掉毒刺。同樣的方法也適用于蜜蜂蟄咬。但不建議用白醋對(duì)付海蜇的遠(yuǎn)方表親--僧帽水母,因?yàn)槟菢訉?shí)際上會(huì)增加皮膚上的毒素量。警告:如果呼吸困難,或者叮咬的地方開始發(fā)炎紅腫,立即采用醫(yī)學(xué)辦法;否則會(huì)有過敏反映。
用在浴室里
清洗浴簾上的霉污
用洗衣機(jī)洗掉塑料浴簾及臟毛巾上的霉污:在滾筒里加入二分之一杯的洗滌劑和二分之一杯的發(fā)酵粉,放入溫水,按照常規(guī)程序轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng)洗衣機(jī)。第一次沖洗前,再加入一杯白醋。在洗衣機(jī)甩干程序啟動(dòng)前,拿出浴簾掛好涼干即可。
擦洗瓷磚
如果水池或者浴缸的瓷磚上有肥皂渣或水斑,可以用這樣的容易擦洗讓它回歸锃亮:將二分之一杯白醋,二分之一杯氨水,四分之一杯硼砂,融入一加侖(即3.7升)的溫水中。再用冷水沖洗后,自然風(fēng)干即可。
漂白水泥地面
淋浴澡盆的瓷磚附近的水泥地是否有污斑或者污跡呢?用牙刷蘸純白醋擦洗,可以去除污跡,回歸原來的樣子。
清洗水池和浴缸
用強(qiáng)度白醋擦洗水池和浴缸的瓷磚,再用冷水沖洗干凈,就可以回歸閃亮。按照下面的方法可以消除浴盆上的硬水斑痕:傾倒三杯白醋在流動(dòng)的熱水龍頭下;直至水位到達(dá)污跡的地方,浸泡四小時(shí)后排干,這是可以輕易的擦去污跡了。
擦亮浴門
將二分之一杯的白醋,一杯氨水,和四分之一杯的發(fā)酵粉融合在一加侖(3.7升)的溫水中;用布蘸調(diào)配的溶液,可以去除那些讓人討厭的水斑,讓里浴門回歸锃光瓦亮。
給浴門軌道消毒
用醋可以去除浴門軌道累積的污垢。在軌道里倒入兩杯的強(qiáng)度白醋,放置三到五小時(shí)(如果軌道實(shí)在太臟了,可以在微波爐里先將醋預(yù)熱三十秒),再用熱水沖掉那些粘稠物質(zhì)。也許需要用到一個(gè)小板刷或者一個(gè)回收利用的牙刷,去刮起那些硬質(zhì)的污垢。
去除淋浴頭上的礦物質(zhì)沉淀
將一跨托(1升)的沸水和二分之一杯的蒸餾醋混合,將可移動(dòng)的淋浴插頭放置其中,可以去除堵塞物和礦物質(zhì)沉淀物(如果是塑料插頭,需要用熱水而非沸水);當(dāng)從溶液中拿出插頭時(shí),堵塞物已經(jīng)不見了。如果淋雨插頭不可移動(dòng),將一個(gè)小塑料袋子裝半袋子醋,并將它捆綁在固定架上,放置一個(gè)小時(shí)后去掉袋子,并將插頭上的粗的殘留物擦掉即可。
擦拭浴室固定架
不要僅僅停留在用醋淋浴。在軟不上倒上純度醋,用來擦拭水龍頭,毛巾架,浴室鏡,門把手,等等。這會(huì)讓他們閃閃發(fā)亮。
戰(zhàn)勝真菌和霉菌
傾倒三大湯匙白醋、一茶匙的硼砂和兩杯的熱水組成溶液,放在噴霧瓶子里搖晃均勻,可清除或抑制浴室里的真菌和霉菌。將溶液噴涂在油漆表面,瓦礫,窗戶或者任何你看見真菌或霉菌的地方。用軟刷擦洗污斑或者只浸透放置就可以了。
給馬桶消毒
想要知道讓衛(wèi)生間美觀清新嗎?最簡(jiǎn)便地方法就是傾倒2杯白醋到馬桶里,沖洗之前浸泡一晚上。每周定期用白醋清洗的方法也可以幫助防范丑陋的水環(huán),尤其是出現(xiàn)在水位之上的。
清洗牙刷架
用棉簽蘸白醋清洗,可去除浴室里牙刷架凹槽里的污點(diǎn),細(xì)菌,以及牙膏斑塊。
洗凈洗漱杯
如果您家中幾個(gè)人刷牙后用同一個(gè)洗漱杯,您可以每周定期清洗它,在杯子里加入相等的水和白醋,或者只裝滿高酸度醋,然后放置一晚上。用之前,用冷水徹底沖洗干凈。