Coke is for more than drinking.....

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A revision of one of the most popular House-Wise articles published on the blog. Originally posted 2011.

Coke is for more than drinking.....

Who knew?

OK, so you probaby did that experiment in school where you put a nail in a bottle of Coca-Cola, only to come back the next day & see the rust removed. Then to come back in a week and see the entire nail dissolved. Pretty freaky huh. And we guzzle this stuff by the gallon!

Coca-Cola 1886 - Present Day

One of the active ingredients in Coca Cola is phosphoric acid. It has a pH of 2.8, (On a scale of 1 -14, with 1 being the most acidic, 7 being neutral, and 14 being very caustic). Pure phosphoric acid can eat through metal, and dissolve concrete, but it sure makes the coke taste good.

But this insanely good tasting, rust eating carbonated drink can be used for so much more. Here are a few interesting ones I have found on the web......

These tips were taken from around the web. I hold no ownership to any of them. Also, before you decide to use any tips on our pages, please read our disclaimer, here. I do not encourage anyone to try these.  This post is for entertainment purposes only. Thank you!

Keep those cut flowers fresh longer:
Add about 1/4-cup of Coke in the vase and add the desired amount of water. The sugar in the cola will make the flowers last longer.

Relieve Jelly Fish Sting: 
Coke can be used to relieve the sting from Jelly Fish. All you have to do is pour the Coke over the sting.
Sounds better than using pee!

Hiccup Cure:
Take a good mouthful of Coke and gargle it.

Removing Blood:
In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident. It "eats" the blood off the concrete and looks like water therefore it is not so noticeable as kitty litter or sawdust.

The Trots:
The most effective treatment is to get a 2ltr bottle of coke, take the top off and let it go flat, and up to room temperature, then drink 1 glass every couple of hours. BINGO... all fixed up inside.

Rust or blood stains on your clothing:
Rub some Coke into the stain, leave it sit a few minutes, and wash it as usual.

Loosen a Rusty Bolt:
Applying a cloth soaked in Coca Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
(We've used this while trying to break the bolts off a 1993 fuel tank. It worked better than WD-40. - House-Wise)

Remove tarnish from pennies:
Submerge old pennies in a bowl of coke to remove tarnish

Prevent an asthma attack:
Apparently, the caffeine in two 12oz cans can prevent the onset of an attack.
But I wouldn't try this instead of taking your meds!

To eliminate snails and slugs that are feasting in your flower bed or garden:
Leave them a few bowls of Coke. The sweetness of the Coke will attract them, and the acid in it will kill them.

Clean Battery Corrosion:
Pour a can of Coke on your car battery's connections to remove the corrosion. A clean connection makes it easier to start your car.
(You can use this on connections in electronic equipment after a battery has leaked. This, I've done. - House-Wise)

De-Skunk:
For those of you who live in areas where skunk smells can be an issue from time to time, one can of coke added to a bucket of water with detergent really helps to break the odor down. If you have been sprayed, stand in the shower and cover yourself from head to toe with coke – wait for a few minutes, then rinse off.

Colic Remedy:
Leave out a glass of warm coke and give it a stir now and then during the day so most of the bubbles are out by the time colic normally hits. Put it in the babies bottle and let him drink and burp like you normally would and the colic and tears will be gone. Use flat, regular Coca Cola (not diet).

Add extra life to plants:
Plants in your garden that prefer acidic soil, such as rhododendrons, azalea, marigolds, evergreens, phlox, blueberries or strawberries. Just pour a little Coke on the soil around the plants.

Wasp & Bee Detourer:
Pour a little in a cup and set it out an hour before a picnic, away from your site; it will attract wasps and bees so they’re not bugging you and your grub.

Keep Your Tires Dirt Free:
First, wash and scrub your tires then dry off the rims. Then you just spray the Coca Cola (reg. not diet) onto your tires. Or, just use a rag dipped in the coke and rub onto your tires. Let dry and repeat. This will leave the tires black as can be and will not attract the dirt like all the other products out there.

Plump Raisins Tip for Cooking:
When baking, if you need to "plump" raisins before adding to cakes and cookies, soak them in Coca Cola instead of water. Water leaches out the flavor of the raisins, but Coke adds a spiciness and intensifies the flavor.

Add pizazz to many of your favorite recipes:
Substitute Coke for part of the liquid in cookies, cakes and brownies. To make an easy sweet glaze for a ham, pour a coke in the bottom of the pan and wrap the ham in aluminum foil. Remove the aluminum foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Combine Coke with ketchup for an impromptu barbecue sauce, or mix it with a packet of ranch or Italian salad dressing and brush it on a pot roast.

Clean your Pool:
Add two 2-liter bottles of Coke to clear up the water (it acts as rust remover).
Sounds sticky.

Clean Burnt Pans Effortlessly:
On "How Clean Is Your House" (British show), the ladies cleaned a long-forgotten burnt saucepan simply by boiling some Coca Cola in it.

Get a Tan:
Use some Coke, not diet coke, cherry coke or generic, just plain Coke, and apply it over skin. The coke dries in your skin and then your skin is silky. This is the best tanning lotion, ever.
Ummmm... yuk!

Start A Compost Pile:
To start up your compost pile start with straw, lawn waste, old leaves, and in the middle add a can of coke. Put it near where you can turn it easily once a month and add water but remember, you don't want to make it too soggy. After a few months the coke will turn it into usable compost.

Hard Water Stains:
Use the cola and toilet brush to break the film and allow the soda pop to sit for awhile. Flush when finished and you have a toilet as good as new.

Beautiful Curls:
Pour a can of flat coke onto long hair and leave it in for a few minutes before washing thoroughly for perfectly separated curls.

Antique Your Photos:
This tip from the Women's World magazine. To make a new photo look antique, just take a photo (make sure you have a second print of the photo in case you mess up!!) and soak it in Coca Cola. I just used a small brownie pan and poured in about 1/2 inch of Coca Cola. Then I put in the photo until it was covered with the cola. Just soak for a few minutes until you get the color that you want. Gently lift out the photo (careful not to touch the front with your fingers). Then gently pat dry with a soft lintless material. Or, drip dry. Then finish drying with a hair dryer.

Clean your engine:

Coke distributors have been using this technique for decades.

Yummy Constipation Remedy:
Just take 1 to 3 Tablespoons of Caster or Mineral oil and mix in the blender with a cup or so of Coca Cola for a few moments. It tastes just like Cream Soda!
(If you are pregnant, do not use mineral oil, caster oil, or any other laxative without consulting your Doctor.)

Too Dark Dye Job:
Need to strip dye from hair, or at least fade it? Pour a bottle of diet coke (and diet coke only) over your hair, it helps fade dye and even remove it.

Mentos Explosion:
Get one of those chewy mints called Mentos. Original flavor please. Get a bottle of diet Coke and drop it in. Get back. It will fizz and explode out. MUST be "Diet Coke" - name brand.

Gum in your Hair:

Just take the gum coated hair and dip in a small bowl that has some Coca Cola in it. Let sit for just a few minutes and the gum will wipe right off.

For the Sink and Tub:
Coke breaks the film and leaves them sparkling. Pour directly on the area and wipe with a rag. It also helps to unclog hair and debris in your pipes as it goes down.

Clean Ancient Coins:
Use Coca Cola to clean ancient bronze coins. Badly corroded coins are first soaked in 100 percent lye for several weeks, then in the final stage, they are soaked in Coke and hand cleaned.

Something's Fishy:
In Kodiak, Alaska, at the local Laundromat, the staff charge an extra dollar per load of drop-off laundry to add Coke to your wash. It is the "only" thing I ever saw that got the stink of Halibut out of fishing clothes, and it even works on clothes that have been washed and dried - if you wash them again with Coke, the smell will come entirely out"

Silky Soft Skin:Mixed a spoonful of regular coca-cola (not diet) with unscented lotion. A remedy for dry skin, now smooth.

Clean Tile Grout:
Use some Coca Cola on the grout of your kitchen or bathroom floor. Pour it on and let is sit a few minutes. When wiped up, the grout is as white as can be!

Remove Oil Stains from the Driveway:

The best way to remove oil stains from concrete driveways or garages is to pour on coke, let it soak then hose off.

No Kidney Stones:
Supposedly, drinking an 8oz can of Coke every day can prevent kidney stones. Personally, I wouldn't, but to each his own!

Clean Your Kettle:Add a 2 liter coca cola (the real thing!) to you kettle and let it settle for a day. Then rinse your kettle out a few times and wipe clean and kapow its clean! Your kettle is now de-scaled and dirt free.

Carpet Stains:
Pour some coke over the stain. (Please try this in a inconspicuous place first!) After letting the coke set, gently using a scrub brush, the  stain should lift. Use a little soapy water which consists of tide and water to gently wipe over area.

Ice Removal:
In the winter when your windshield ices up, just pour coke over it and it will go away instantly.
I wouldn't want to get coke on the paint though.


Greener Grass:
Spray an inexpensive cola on your grass once a month for super green grass which remains greener than other lawns throughout the fall and winter months. Also, for green grass and no bugs, combine: 1 can of coke, 1 cup of ammonia and 1/4 cup of dish soap. Spray on grass once a month.

Common Cold: 
Take some fresh ginger and put it in a pot with a can of Coca Cola. Let it come to a boil and then cook on a low heat for a few minutes. Drink while warm. It will ease your cold symptoms!

Congestion:
When a person feels congested and has a lot of phlem, a glass of hot coca cola before going to bed for several days will help a lot.

Drain Clog Preventative:
Pour Coke down your drain once a month to keep it from clogging.

Nausea:
If you are nauseated open a can of Coke and let it stand until the carbonation goes away, then take a teaspoonful every hour.

Here is a quick tip for taking the carbonation out of Coke fast, add a teaspoon of sugar to the Cola.

Remove Grease, Creosote & Asphalt from Clothes:

If you get grease, creosote or asphalt on clothing, just pour a can of regular coke in the wash water, along with the normal amount of detergent. The Coke will remove the stain.

Strip paint off metal furniture:
Soak a towel in Coke, sit it on the surface for days. Make sure you keep adding Coke to keep the towel wet.

Bug & Road Film: 
Got bug guts and road haze on you car windshield? Use Coke to clean off accumulated crud from the windscreen of your car. The citric and phosphoric acids lift everything off, including crusted on bugs. Best not to do it in full sun, and wash it off immediately.

Make an anti-slick Floor: 
Mop the floor with soda. It’s a movie industry trick to stop actors slipping.

To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers:
Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

To clean a toilet:
Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl. Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china

... Of course, you could always add it to vodka, rum or bourbon.

Myths:
Coke and aspirin will not get you high.
Coke is not an effective spermicide.  Why is this even a myth?
Coke poured onto raw pork will not cause worms to come crawling out of it.
The acids in Coke do not make it dangerous to drink (your own stomach acids are much stronger).
Drinking too much Coke will not make you die from CO2 poisoning.
Coke does not contain cocaine (although it used to).
Coke did not become carbonated by accident.

House-Wise

"Make yourself at home"

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REMOVING CRAYON MARKS FROM WALLS

Coke is for more than drinking.....

Who knew?

OK, so you prolly did that experiment in school where you put a nail in a bottle of Coca-Cola, only to come back the next day & see the rust removed. Then to come back in a week and see the entire nail dissolved. Pretty freaky huh. And we guzzle this stuff by the gallon!

Vinegar.....Economical & Natural (Cont. Pt.4 )

Part four?! A four-part series on vinegar? Seriously? Yup!  But, alas, this is the end. I have posted hundreds of tips in these four posts, and it doesn't even come close to what vinegar can do. It cleans, it scrubs, it even tastes yummy. There are so many uses, I cannot post them all.  If these four posts have you interested in uses of vinegar, and want to learn more, there are many books published on the subject. Check out your local library, bookstore, or here, online at Amazon. There is also a plethora of websites out there with loads of information on vinegar. Just do a Google search. :-)

So I'm wrapping up this party with tips on using vinegar for your health, body, your garden, and laundry. Oooooh.


Vinegar for health & body... (House-Wise Tips)

Vinegar.....Economical & Natural (Cont. Pt.3 )

Vinegar. Can we really have a third part to this series involving vinegar? We sure can! Vinegar has lots of uses....even more than I've listed on these three posts. So far I've covered cooking, your car & your pets.  What's left you ask? Cleaning!  Health! Laundry! And garden!  Wow. You can use it for almost everything.  OK, that's exaggerating, but there are literally thousands of uses for this stuff. Books have been written. Websites have been dedicated. All to vinegar.

But enough with the chatter.  Lets delve into cleaning for this part of our series.....


Vinegar for cleaning.... (House-Wise Tips)

To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.

Make your own scouring cleanser by combining 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent. Add just enough white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy texture.

Clean counter tops and make them smell sweet again with a cloth soaked in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so, then run hot water down the drain.

Deodorize the garbage disposal by pouring in 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes then run hot water down the disposal.

Deodorize and clean the garbage disposal with white distilled vinegar ice cubes. Make them by freezing full-strength white distilled vinegar in an ice cube tray. Run several cubes down the disposal while flushing with cold water.

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.

Clean the shelves and walls of the refrigerator with a half-and-half solution of water and white distilled vinegar.

Cut the grime on the top of the refrigerator with a paper towel or cloth and full-strength white distilled vinegar.

Avoid the bad smell when you heat up a newly cleaned oven by using a sponge soaked in diluted white distilled vinegar for the final rinse.

To clean a grease splattered oven door window, saturate it with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Keep the door open for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping with a sponge.

Remove soap buildup and odors from the dishwasher by pouring a cup of white distilled vinegar inside the empty machine and running it through a whole cycle. Do monthly.

To prevent good glassware from getting etched by minerals, wash then spray with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Give the glasses a hot water rinse before letting them dry or drying them with a towel.

For cloudy glassware, soak paper towels or a cloth in full-strength white distilled vinegar and wrap around the inside and outside of the glass. Let sit awhile before rinsing clean.

Get rid of lime deposits in a tea kettle by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the water and letting it sit overnight. If more drastic action is needed, boil full-strength white distilled vinegar in the kettle a few minutes, let cool and rinse with plain water.

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.)

Remove stains from coffee and teacups by scrubbing them gently with equal parts of salt (or baking soda) and white distilled vinegar. Rinse clean.

For stained and smelly plastic food containers, wipe them with a cloth dampened with white distilled vinegar.

Remove odors from a lunch box by placing inside a slice of bread that has been soaked in white distilled vinegar. Leave overnight.

Remove ugly film in narrow-necked glass jars, flower vases, and bottles by letting undiluted white distilled vinegar sit in them for a few hours. Add a little rice or sand and shake vigorously to loosen stubborn stains. Repeat if necessary.

To clean tarnished brass, copper, and pewter, use a paste with equal amounts of white distilled vinegar and table salt.

Make a metal cleanser by adding enough white distilled vinegar to 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar to make a paste. Rub it on and let it dry on the surface. Wash it off and dry with a soft cloth.

Polish brass and copper with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of ketchup and 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar. Rub it on with a clean cloth until dry and shiny.

Remove dark stains on an aluminum pot by boiling a mixture of 1 cup white distilled vinegar and 1 cup hot water.

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

Get rid of fruit flies by setting out a small dish of undiluted white distilled vinegar.

Clean the wheel of a can opener using white distilled vinegar and an old toothbrush.

Remove the smell of spoiled food from a refrigerator by first rinsing the area with soap and water. Spray surfaces with full-strength white distilled vinegar and wipe them down with a damp cloth or sponge. Fill some containers with baking soda and place inside. Close the door and leave for a few days.

Wipe grease off exhaust fan grids, the inside of your oven, or anywhere grease gathers with a sponge soaked in white distilled vinegar.

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

To remove a label, decal, or price tag, cover with a cloth soaked in white distilled vinegar. Leave the cloth on overnight and the label should slide off.

Renew sponges and dishrags by placing them in just enough water to cover them. Then add 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. Let them soak overnight.

Get rid of calcium deposits on faucets by soaking a cloth or paper towel in white distilled vinegar and wrapping the area tightly. Let this sit for a couple of hours or overnight.

Remove soap buildup from faucets by scrubbing them with a solution of 1 part salt to 4 parts white distilled vinegar.

Rid a faucet of lime deposits by tying a plastic bag containing 1/2 to 1/3 cup of white distilled vinegar around it and leaving it there for two or three hours. If mineral deposits don’t wipe off, scrubbing with an old toothbrush should complete the job.

Shine colored porcelain sinks by scouring them with undiluted white distilled vinegar.

Rinse away soapy film on countertops with a solution of white distilled vinegar and water.

Clean grout by letting full-strength white distilled vinegar sit on it for a few minutes and scrubbing it with an old toothbrush.

Kill germs all around the bathroom with a spray of full-strength white distilled vinegar. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.

To remove grime, mildew, and scum from the tub, tile, shower curtain or door, wipe with undiluted white distilled vinegar. Rinse with water.

Spray shower doors with full-strength white distilled vinegar after you’ve squeegeed the glass, or before you step in and turn on the water. It will help release the hard water deposits so they don’t remain on the glass.

Mix up an inexpensive tile cleaner by adding 1/2 cup baking soda, 1 cup white distilled vinegar, and 1 cup ammonia to a gallon of warm water.

Get rid of stubborn bathtub film by wiping it with white distilled vinegar and then scouring with baking soda.

Soak a sponge or loofah overnight in a strong white distilled vinegar and water solution to remove dirt and slime. Rinse several times with cold water and let air dry (in the sun if possible).

Clean shower door tracks by filling them with white distilled vinegar and letting it sit for a few hours. Pour hot water into the tracks and wash and scrub away the scum with a toothbrush.

To clean a scummy showerhead, pour 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup white distilled vinegar into a sandwich bag and tie it around the showerhead. Let this set for an hour after the bubbling has stopped. Remove the bag and then turn on the water.

Deodorize the toilet bowl by allowing 3 cups white distilled vinegar to sit in it for about a half hour before flushing.

To make the toilet bowl sparkle, pour in a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar and let it sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with the toilet brush and flush.

Freshen air in the bathroom by spraying into the air a solution of 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar, and 1 cup water.

Get a shining finish on a no-wax vinyl or linoleum floor by cleaning it with a solution of one cup white distilled vinegar for every gallon of water.

Apply full-strength white distilled vinegar directly to tough linoleum stains. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping it up. If that doesn’t work, apply white distilled vinegar again and then sprinkle some baking soda over the white distilled vinegar. Scrub the area with a brush or sponge. Rinse clean with water.

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.

Some carpet stains can be removed with a paste of 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 1/4 cup salt or baking soda. Rub into the carpet stain and let dry. Vacuum up the residue the next day. (Always test on an out-of-sight part of the carpet first).

Bring out the color in carpet by brushing it with a solution of 1 cup white distilled vinegar for every gallon of water. (Always test on an out-of-sight part of the carpet beforehand).

To reduce soap bubbles in a steam cleaner add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. Use the same amount in the rinse water to remove detergent residue and make carpets stay fresh longer.

Wash indoor/outdoor carpet with a solution of 1 cup white distilled vinegar in 1 bucket of warm water. Scrub using a brush or a broom and then hose off.

Clean up pet accidents by first blotting up the area and then adding a white distilled vinegar-and-water solution. Blot until it is almost dry. Then sprinkle baking soda over the area and let it dry. Vacuum up the residue the next day.

Create your own window cleaning solution by combining 1/2 cup non-sudsy ammonia, 1 cup white distilled vinegar, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a gallon of water.

Remove the wax residue left by commercial window cleaners with a solution of 2 cups water, 1 cup white distilled vinegar and 1 teaspoon of liquid soap or detergent.

To remove paint from windows try using undiluted, hot white distilled vinegar. Give the solution time to soften the paint before removing with a razor edge tool.

To remove paint splatters from windows apply full-strength white distilled vinegar with a clean paintbrush.

Get rid of mildew, dust, and stale odors by wiping down walls with undiluted white distilled vinegar on a cloth or a sponge mop.

Clean woodwork and walls with a mixture of 1 cup white distilled vinegar, 1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup ammonia and 1 gallon warm water. Wipe on with a sponge or damp—not wet—towel.

Clean wood paneling with a solution of 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar, and 2 cups warm water. Wipe on with a soft cloth.

Remove wallpaper easily by using a paint roller to wet the surface very thoroughly with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and hot water. Or spray on until saturated.

Get decals off walls or doors by letting undiluted white distilled vinegar soak into them for several minutes before trying to peel them off. Repeat if necessary.

Remove white water rings from wood with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and vegetable oil. Rub with the grain.

Remove fireplace soot and grime with undiluted white distilled vinegar. Use a brush to scrub and a towel to blot up the wetness and dirt.

Clean fireplace glass doors with a solution of 1 part white distilled vinegar to 2 parts water. Spray or wipe on, then wipe clean with a dry cloth.

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

Remove the smell of a dead mouse or other rodent (after removing all animal remnants) by wiping down the area with either white distilled vinegar or bleach. Then place a fabric softener sheet in the area to remove any lingering odors.

Never use white distilled vinegar on marble. The acid can damage the surface.

Before painting old concrete, clean with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Let it air dry.

Clean hardened paint brushes by simmering them in a pot with white distilled vinegar. Soak them first for an hour before bringing the white distilled vinegar to a simmer. Drain and rinse clean.

Remove mud and stains from plastic, fiberglass, or aluminum sports equipment by applying a paste of 1 part white distilled vinegar to 3 parts baking soda. Wipe off with soapy water and rinse with clear water.

Clean your grill by spritzing white distilled vinegar over wadded up aluminum foil and scrubbing the grill vigorously with it.

To remove film in glass baby bottles, fill with equal parts hot water and white distilled vinegar. Let sit for at least an hour. Scrub with a bottle brush.

To clean and disinfect baby toys add a good-sized splash of white distilled vinegar to soapy water.

Clean vinyl baby books or board books by wiping with white distilled vinegar. Wipe clean with a damp sponge or cloth.

Clean scissors that have become sticky (after cutting tape, for instance) with a cloth dipped in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

Clean and deodorize urine on a mattress with a white distilled vinegar and water solution. Then sprinkle the area with baking soda and let dry. Brush or vacuum the residue after it is dry to the touch.

Shine pennies by soaking them for a couple of hours or overnight in a glass or bowl of undiluted white distilled vinegar.

.....To be continued Pt.4

House-Wise

"Make yourself at home"

Vinegar.....Economical & Natural (Cont. Pt.2 )

We continue our 'series' here today, on vinegar. Didn't think vinegar deserved a series? Oh, you are so wrong! Vinegar is the coolest invention ever. You can cook with it, you can clean with it, you can use it in your garden, and on your pets. Oh, and it's even good for your health. Vinegar has been used for thousands of years. According to Shennong's Herb Classic, vinegar was invented in China during the Xia Dynasty, around 2000 BC. Though, traces of it have been found in Egyptian urns dating from around 3000 BC

What is vinegar?
Vinegar is made by a chemical change called fermentation. During fermentation, the sugar in wine or juice is changed into alcohol and gas. As the gas evaporates, it leaves only the alcohol and fruit flavors.
The next step in the fermentation process is called oxidation, when the oxygen in the air mixes with the vinegar bacteria in the alcohol to change the alcohol into vinegar.
Fermentation takes place when the liquid is in large wooden barrels. These barrels have holes to permit air to circulate. Since the alcohol in the juice or wine is lighter than the rest of the liquid, it rises to the top of the barrel.
At the top, the alcohol comes in contact with the air and forms an acid called acetic acid. This acid increases the alcohol’s weight, carrying it to the bottom of the barrel in the form we know as vinegar.
It can take from one to two years for a barrel of juice or wine to ferment naturally into vinegar!