My New Best Friend - Vinegar

We seem to have a huge stockpile of vinegar in our pantry.  I assume that it is leftover from The Great Pickle Canning Extravaganza of 2010.  Lately, I've been putting it to good use all over the house!

Please pay no attention to the random ear of corn in the background of this shot, although, we have been eating a lot of corn on the cob around here lately.

There is even an entire website devoted to cleaning with vinegar.  Here are a few helpful hints from VinegarTips.

Clean the microwave by mixing 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.

Remove mineral deposits from coffee makers with white distilled vinegar. Fill the water reservoir with 1 cup or more of white distilled vinegar and run it through a whole cycle. Run it once or twice more with plain water to rinse clean. (Check the owners’ manual first.)

Discourage ants by spraying undiluted white distilled vinegar outside doorways and windowsills, around appliances and wherever you find the pests coming in

To make cleaning the grill easier, spray a solution of half water and half white distilled vinegar on the cooking surface.

For an economical and environmentally friendly floor cleaner, mix a solution of 3 drops dishwashing liquid to 1/3 part white distilled vinegar, 1/3 part alcohol, and 1/3 part water. Spray sparingly and mop for a fast clean-up.

To kill germs, spray full-strength white distilled vinegar on doorknobs and then wipe them dry.

It's non-toxic and a great way to avoid using chemicals.  In addition, it's inexpensive, and with it's many uses (including pickles) takes up much less storage space than other cleaners.