Why vinegar should be in your stockpile

Vinegar is one of those tried-n-true remedies for all sorts of problems. It is very inexpensive and stores very well. There is no reason to not have a good supply of it on hand. Here are just some of the uses of vinegar.

–Disinfection: Vinegar works very well in killing all sorts of nasty organisms like e. coli and salmonella. Use it to wipe down counter tops and cutting boards to reduce potential illnesses.

–Grease cleaning: Undiluted white vinegar is one of the best grease cutters around. Dip a sponge into vinegar, wipe down the grease spots, then use a rag with cold water.

–All purpose cleaner: Rinse out an old spray bottle or buy one at the dollar store. Fill it with 2 parts water, one part vinegar, and a couple drops of dish soap. This works very well on plastic laminate, stainless steel, and even glass.

–Scrub for pots and pans: Mix equal parts flour and salt, then add just enough vinegar to make a paste. This often works better than dish soap when cleaning pots and pans.

–Meat tenderizer: If you have a cheap cut of meat that seems a bit tough, before you cook it soak it in a couple cups of vinegar for an hour or two. The vinegar breaks down the fibers in the meat and also kills off any harmful bacteria.

–Stinky hands: When you clean fish or use garlic, often that smell seems to linger on your hands for what seems like forever. Rub some vinegar on your hands before and after and you’ll be smelling like a rose.

–Cough and sore throat: Mix 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, and four teaspoons honey. Swallow a tablespoon 4 or 5 times a day, including one before bed.

–Remove bloodstains from fabric: If you can get to the stains before they set, pour vinegar on them, then blot with a rag. It may take a couple attempts. Then wash as normal.

–Treat plant diseases: Mix two tablespoons apple cider vinegar in two quarts water. Spray the affected plants in the morning or evening.

There are literally hundreds of uses for vinegar. Keep several bottles on hand in your stockpile.

Published by

Jim Cobb

Jim Cobb has been a student of survivalism and emergency preparedness for almost thirty years. As a young child, he drove his parents nuts with stockpiling supplies in the basement every time he heard there was a tornado watch in his area. Of course, being a child, those supplies consisted of his teddy bear, a few blankets and pillows, and random canned goods he grabbed from the kitchen cabinets. Later, he was the first (and likely only) child in his fifth grade class to have bought his very own copy of Life After Doomsday by Bruce Clayton. Today, he is a freelance writer whose work has been published in national magazines such as Boy’s Life and Complete Survivalist Magazine. He is a voracious reader with a keen interest in all stories with post-apocalyptic settings. He maintains the Library at the End of the World blog and is also the Content Director for SurvivalWeekly.com. He currently resides in a fortified bunker in the upper Midwest, accompanied by his lovely wife and their three adolescent Weapons of Mass Destruction. Jim's first book, Prepper's Home Defense, was published late 2012 and his second book, tentatively titled The Prepper's Complete Guide to Disaster Readiness, will be out in mid-2013, both coming from Ulysses Press.

2 thoughts on “Why vinegar should be in your stockpile”

  2. Pingback: Uses for baking soda | Survival Gear

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *