The Bad Air Sponge

By David Uffington

There’s an inexpensive product with so many uses, it can take the place of dozens of other products — white vinegar. Many people know they can clean out a coffee pot by running vinegar through a cycle, but there are many other uses.

Laundry

• Remove rust stains from clothing by wetting the spots with vinegar and rubbing with salt before washing.
• Pretreat ketchup, spaghetti and mustard stains. Soak clothing in a solution to remove grass, berry, coffee or tea stains.
• Scrub vinegar onto children’s clothes to remove crayon marks.
• Get smoke out of clothing by filling a bathtub with one-cup vinegar and hot water. Hang the clothes on the shower rod and close the door. The steam will remove the smell.
• Use vinegar in the washer’s rinse cycle to dissolve soap and detergent residue, get rid of static cling and whiten whites.
• Add one-half cup of vinegar when you wash new clothes to get rid of the chemicals.
• Remove perspiration stains and mildew by spraying clothing before you wash.

Cleaning

• For vases, jars and thermoses where a brush won’t reach, fill them halfway with uncooked rice (for abrasion) and vinegar. Swish or shake.
• Use a 50/50 vinegar and water solution to clean the inside of your refrigerator, rinse hard water spots from stemware, clean countertops, clean up after pet accidents, wipe down shower doors and remove mineral deposits from the shower head.
• Steam a four-to-one solution of water and vinegar in a bowl in the microwave to break up dried food spills.
• Saturate bumper stickers and wallpaper with vinegar and water to make removal easier.
• Use full-strength vinegar to clean the stove top and overhead fan, disinfect cutting boards, remove mildew from outdoor furniture, clean the dishwasher, remove mineral deposits in tea kettles, sanitize can-opener cutting blades, scrub bathroom grout and clean the toilet.

Miscellaneous

• In spite of its strong odor, white vinegar makes an excellent room deodorizer, for pennies instead of dollars spent for chemicals that only mask with stronger odors. Place a few saucers of vinegar around the room, and odors from paint, pets and cigarettes will disappear. Or boil a half-cup in a cup of water and let the pot steam.

David Uffington will incorporate reader questions into his column whenever possible. Write to him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or e-mail columnreply@gmail.com.