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February

Vinegar Tips Abound in the News
There has been a myriad of vinegar tips in the news recently, ranging from cleaning to health.  These tips are provided below. 

Cleaning

• In the Detroit Free Press, Lon Grossman suggests cleaning the radiator vent with vinegar.  For the entire tip, please use this link:  http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060120/BUSINESS04/601200373/1002/RSS02
  
• In the Monterey Herald, Gene Austin suggests using vinegar applied with a soft cloth to remove streaks from stainless steel appliances, but suggests trying in an inconspicuous place first.  To view the entire tip, use this link:  http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/macon/living/home/13655788.htm?source=rss&channel=macon_home
• A recent article on abcnews.go.com touted the benefits of using vinegar in place of chemical cleaners.  According to the article, Urvashi Rangan, an eco-product watchdog at the independent, nonprofit Consumer Policy Institute, is credited in the article with the following: ”If people have the time, there are also inexpensive ways to "eco-clean" your own home.  Rangan points out that combining basic household items, such as white vinegar, baking soda, olive oil, borax, water and lemon, can work just as well as any premium-priced product."  The article also provides the following cleaning tips, using vinegar as well as other items, from GreenerChoice.org (an independent, non-profit group):
  • Tub and tile:  Mix 1 2/3 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of liquid soap, and 1/2 of cup water. As the last step, add two tablespoons of vinegar (if you add the vinegar too early it will react with the baking soda). Immediately apply, wipe and scrub.
  • Toilet bowl:  Pour one cup of borax into the toilet before going to bed. In the morning, scrub and flush.  For an extra-strength cleaner, add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the borax.
  • Furniture:  Mix olive oil and vinegar in a one-to-one ratio and polish with a soft cloth.
  • Windows:  Put three tablespoons of vinegar per one quart water in a spray bottle.  For extra-dirty windows, try 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap, three tablespoons of vinegar, and two cups of water.  Shake well.  To view the entire article, please use the following link:  http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Business/story?id=1544322&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
    
• Peter Hotton of The Boston Globe suggests using white distilled vinegar to remove mothball odor.  Use the following link to view the complete tip:  http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/living/home/13718226.htm?source=rss&channel=bradenton_home
  
• The Seattle Times recently ran a story on "eco-friendly cleaners."  Not surprising, vinegar was included on the list.  The article notes, "Many people get excellent results from homemade cleaners, using common products such as lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda."    To view the article, please use the following link: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/makeitcount/2002797279_ecoconsumer12.html?syndication=rss  
  
• The Detroit News offered a tip to remove rock salt from leather shoes.  According to the article, "Make a solution of one part water to one part white vinegar, and use it sparingly on the shoes.  Just dip a cloth into the solution and dab it over the salt-streaked parts of your shoes."  The article notes that the shoes might need to be cleaned several times with the above solution before all of the salt is removed.  The tip can be accessed using the following link:  http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060215/LIFESTYLE/602150429/1005/rss32
  
• Gail Borelli of Knight-Ridder Newspapers provided a tip from the February 2006 issue of Country Home using vinegar to clean vintage lace.  The instructions are as follows: 
  • "Soak the lace in cold water, rinsing it several times.  Next, hand-wash the lace gently with a wool detergent, such as Woolite.  If rust spots are a problem, try removing them with a mixture of white vinegar and hot water..."  The article can be accessed using the following link:
    http://www.fprtwayne.com/mld/mewssemtomel/living/13870800.ht
    
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently recommended its readers wipe down leather shoes and handbags with white vinegar for a brighter shine.  Use the following link to access the tip: http://www.ajc.com/friday/content/epaper/editions/friday/home_garden_345f5289605ec14c00da.html
  
• A PR Newswire article from THE MAIDS(R) recommends washing fireplaces with a 50/50 ratio of water and vinegar to remove the blackened soot on glass front doors.  It is also noted that if the doors have a spring-loaded clip, remove it, then take out the doors.  Lay them flat on newspapers, spray with the vinegar/water solution and soak.  Wipe it off with newspaper.  The tip can be accessed using the following link:  http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060215/cgw006.html?.v=42

Gardening

• A recent edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution provided "A week's worth of helpful hints."  According to Hint 7:  "Keep flowers fresh longer.  Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a 1-quart vase of water.  Trim stems and change water every five days.”  Use the link below to view the hint: http://www.ajc.com/friday/content/epaper/editions/friday/home_garden_34fc6c3532bd507e00b4.html 
• Linda Tarr of The Olympian recently wrote a story about chemical-free gardening, noting "If you have weeds, you can spot-spray them with common full-strength household vinegar on a sunny day.  It's an organic weed killer that's safe for you and the environment."  To view the entire article, please use the following link: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/386706/just_say_no_to_chemicals_seminar_offers_tips_for_a/index.html?source=r_science

Miscellaneous

• Elis Lotozo, staff writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote a story about the return of the centuries-old-furniture-painting techniques.  The article provides information on Bill Russell, who is known for his skill at what is known as "vinegar painting."  Mr. Russell has written two books on decorative furniture painting and faux wood graining and obtains "his effects with much the same formula as his creative forebears:  a mixture of pigment and vinegar."  The article notes, "The acid cuts the surface tension down, so you can lay a thin layer of paint down and manipulate it."  To read the entire article, please use the following link:  http://www.sunherald.com/mld/inquirer/living/home/design/13721898.htm?source=rss&channel=inquirer_design
  
• In a recent edition of the Washington Post, a reader shared with Heloise a tip to prevent her dog from taking paper from the bathroom wastebasket.  The tip?  Spray vinegar around the top of the wastebasket.  Heloise thanked the reader for the tip and noted that vinegar had a "multitude of positive uses around the house.   To view the article, please use the following link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/03/AR2006020301387.html?nav=rss_print/style

Health

• USA Today recently asked its readers how to prevent colds and flu.   Among the tips was apple cider vinegar.  To view the entire article, please use the following link:  http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20060206/bl_yourhealth06.art.htm
• An article in The News and Observer, titled, "The People's Pharmacy," touted the use of apple cider vinegar, along with honey and orange-flavored gelatin, for arthritis relief. View the following for the entire tip:  http://www.chapelhillnews.com/living/story/2893482p-9348295c.html
• Medical News Today recently ran a story on items to try to lessen morning sickness.  One tip suggested by the article was to "Consider drinking some apple cider vinegar in water, with honey added.  This concoction can help calm a queasy stomach."  This article can be accessed using the following link:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=37757&nfid=rssfeeds

Vinegar Increases Killing Power of Bleach

According to the American Society for Microbiology, researchers from MicroChem Lab, Inc. determined that adding white vinegar to diluted bleach greatly increases the disinfecting power of the solution by making it more acidic.  It is recommended to first dilute one cup of household bleach in one gallon of water and then add one cup of white vinegar.  The complete story is provided below:  
 
American Society for Microbiology
February 19, 2006

Adding white vinegar to diluted household bleach greatly increases the disinfecting power of the solution, making it strong enough to kill even bacterial spores. Researchers from MicroChem Lab, Inc. in Euless, Texas, report their findings today at the 2006 ASM Biodefense Research Meeting.
Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in the form of laundry bleach is available in most households. The concentrate is about 5.25 to 6 percent NaOCl, and the pH value is about 12. Sodium hypochlorite is stable for many months at this high alkaline pH value.
"Laundry bleach is commonly diluted about 10 to 25-fold with tap water to about 2000 to 5000 parts per million of free available chlorine for use as an environmental surface disinfectant, without regard to the pH value of the diluted bleach. However, the pH value is very important for the antimicrobial effectiveness of bleach," says Norman Miner, a researcher on the study.
At alkaline pH values of about 8.5 or higher, more than 90 percent of the bleach is in the form of the chlorite ion (OCl-), which is relatively ineffective antimicrobially. At acidic pH values of about 6.8 or lower, more than 80 percent of the bleach is in the form of hypochlorite (HOCl). HOCl is about 80 to 200 times more antimicrobial than OCl-

"Bleach is a much more effective antimicrobial chemical at an acidic pH value than at the alkaline Ph value at which bleach is manufactured and stored. A small amount of household vinegar is sufficient to lower the pH of bleach to an acidic range," says Miner.

Miner and his colleagues compared the ability of alkaline (pH 11) and acidified (pH 6) bleach dilutions to disinfect surfaces contaminated with dried bacterial spores, considered the most resistant to disinfectants of all microbes. The alkaline dilution was practically ineffective, killing all of the spores on only 2.5 percent of the surfaces after 20 minutes. During the same time period the acidified solution killed all of the spores on all of the surfaces.
"Diluted bleach at an alkaline pH is a relatively poor disinfectant, but acidified diluted bleach will virtually kill anything in 10 to 20 minutes," says Miner. "In the event of an emergency involving Bacillus anthracis spores contaminating such environmental surfaces as counter tops, desk and table tops, and floors, for example, virtually every household has a sporicidal sterilant available in the form of diluted, acidified bleach."

Miner recommends first diluting one cup of household bleach in one gallon of water and then adding one cup of white vinegar.