30 Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar – I have been using Apple Cider Vinegar for years. It is truly one of the most amazing liquids I know. Let me share with you the top 30 uses for Apple Cider Vinegar on your backyard homestead.
Let’s be clear before we get started. Not all Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is created equal. If you’re not making your own you want to buy a brand that is unfiltered and includes “the mother” (those stringy things in the liquid). This contains the original healthy properties of the vinegar; avoid the filtered stuff.
30 Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar
People
- Eat it! Yes ACV is great for the body. It can lower glucose levels, aid in weight loss and promote good bacteria in your gut.
- ACV can also relieve heartburn and acid reflux.
- There are studies show that ACV can lower blood pressure.
- It is great for salad dressings!
- Treat dandruff by mixing equal parts of water and ACV and apply to hair. Leave on for about an hour and then rinse. Doing this a couple times a week should rid you of the itchy scalp and flakes.
- Boost your energy by adding a tablespoon of ACV to your water!
- Treat liver spots by dabbing a bit of ACV on them and leave on overnight. Rinse off in the shower in the morning.
- Whiten your teeth by adding a bit of ACV to a clean towel and rubbing your teeth.
- Chill a sunburn by soaking a cloth in ACV and apply to the skin.
- Sore throat relief – mix a tablespoon of ACV with warm water and gargle hourly until it is gone.
Pets & Livestock
- Add a teaspoon to your dog’s water a few times each week to help prevent tooth decay, tear stains and skin rashes.
- ACV can help arthritis issues in dogs too.
- It is great for rabbit health too. Add 2 tablespoons to a gallon of water and use this to water your rabbits daily. Not only is it good for the overall condition of the rabbit, it can increase fertility as well.
- Create a flea spray for your cat. Fill a spray bottle with 1/2 ACV & 1/2 water – spray on to cat and comb with flea comb.
- Keep your chickens healthier by adding ACV to their water. 2-3 tablespoons per gallon to keep bacteria down and dehydration at bay in the heat.
- Clean your nest boxes with ACV (white vinegar works too) to rid them of nasty boogers like mites & lice.
- Clean your eggs – brings out the color and shine in your freshly gathered eggs.
- It is said that if you use ACV with your goats during breeding time you’ll get more does in your kidding. I have no proof of this but had to share.
- Use in your goat’s water (1 cup ACV to 5 gallons of water) to keep GI tract healthy and prevent parasites.
- ACV can be used to clean and clear up hot spots on animals.
Home & Garden
- Weed killer – 1 part ACV to 8 parts water sprayed directly onto weeds. Just be careful not to get your garden!
- Replace expensive “produce wash” with ACV. Fill your clean kitchen sink up with cool water and add 3-5 Tablespoons of ACV. Use it to rinse your produce.
- Use it to disinfect your cutting boards.
- Improve your soil’s acidity by mixing 1 cup of ACV to a gallon of water to release iron from the soil.
- Rid your house of ants mixing 1 to 1 ratio of ACV and water and spray on baseboards and areas where you think ants are entering your house.
- Clean garden tools with 1 to 1 ratio of ACV and water to act as a fungicide and prevent any cross-contamination in the next use.
- Mix 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of ACV and use to clean kitchen surfaces, bathroom tiles, glasses, mirrors and windows.
- Make a fly trap with ACV and sugar. Use this mixture in the DIY water bottle traps you see online – they can’t resist it.
- Keep cats from having accidents – they avoid the smell of vinegar.
- Clean your tile and grout with a mixture of 1 cup ACV to 1 gallon of warm water. Use to mop the floors for shine and deodorization as well as using to scrub dirty grout.
If you really want to up the DIY – try making your own Apple Cider Vinegar! Check out Grit’s instructions here.