Apple Cider Vinegar and Its Many Uses

Vinegar made from apple juice, or apple cider vinegar, has tons of great uses. Old timers will remember all of the household uses the stuff had and now there's a rediscovery of the health benefits this stuff has too.

Apple cider vinegar is the brown liquid in a bottle at the grocery store, probably next to the "organics" or "naturals." The good, organic apple vinegars will have sediment (leftover apple pulp) on the bottom and a murky appearance.

First, let's look at some of the numerous household uses for this stuff. Note that many of these can employ regular white or clear vinegar as well, so if that's a cheaper alternative, go ahead and use that for your household chores.

Household Uses for Vinegar
You probably already know that vinegar is the ultimate in natural household cleaners. It cleans, it disinfects, and it doesn't hurt anybody. You can use vinegar to clean windows, break down hard water stains, remove glues, and more.

Vinegar is also a great rinse for produce to clean off any pesticides and waxes that were used on them before you eat.

You can also ad vinegar to your carpet cleaning routine to remove spots. If you use a steam vacuum, try using a splash of vinegar instead of soap. Or use a vinegar-wetted rag to remove spots from carpets. For the ultimate in carpet-cleaning, combine 1 part vinegar, 1/16 part lemon juice, and 8 parts water (filtered or distilled is best) and use that for carpets and rugs.

Finally, you can also use vinegar instead of bleach to get white, fresh laundry with much less chance of washing out your colors. Vinegar works awesome on organic stains like blood, grass, etc.

The Difference Between Clear Vinegar and Apple Cider Vinegar
Before we get into any medicinal uses for apple cider vinegar, a note about the difference between apple vinegar and the common white or clear vinegar you'll also see on the shelf.

The largest difference is in the processing and distillation process, since grape-derived vinegar (aka "wine vinegar") is as beneficial as apple cider vinegar, though much more expensive.

White or clear vinegar, however, is fully distilled through steam distillation, so it's a "dead" vinegar. This means it wasn't cured through the natural, sugar-induced process where the sugar breaks down and creates alcoholic vinegar. Instead, it was induced through external heat and steam distillation.

Pure apple cider vinegar, by contrast, will have been cured through a natural process wherein the apple juice or cider is just sealed into a container. Over time, the natural process will do it on its own without need of outside interference. This process leaves a lot of the good nutrients and new, good bacteria present.

Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
Many holistic medical doctors and natural remedy promoters will advise you to put a large teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar into a glass of water as a daily routine. I like to drink mine in the morning, since it also eliminates morning breath and settles my stomach. There are a lot of benefits to a daily or occasional dose of apple cider vinegar.

Hiccups can be cured with apple cider vinegar. Didn't know that? Next time you get hiccups, take a little swig of apple cider vinegar and you'll see!

Another benefit of taking a daily dose is cramp elimination. Most muscle cramps are due to low potassium levels, especially while resting and after long exercise. Taking a little apple cider vinegar before bedtime or before exercise can eliminate those cramps before they start by helping your body more readily use potassium.

Apple cider vinegar is a great heartburn reliever, can help with joint pain, and with a lot of skin blemishes and complexion issues.

For your pets, it will help control fleas and internal parasites, give a healthier coat of fur, and aids digestion and gastrointestinal issues.

Finally, if you have chronically stinky feet, you can use a weekly soak in vinegar (either apple cider or regular white) to kill the bacteria causing the smell. I like to use a bowl full to soak my feet and then take that vinegar and use it for mopping the tile and linoleum floors clean afterwards.

There are tons of great uses for vinegar. It's really a wonder juice. If you have more uses for it, share them by leaving a comment below!