Home Remedies: Uses for Vinegar

Vinegar has had a long history of helping a number of ailments -- scurvy, cholera, diphtheria, high fever, dysentery, urinary infections, scarlatina, tonsillitis, hoarseness, external inflammations, contusions, joint injuries, apathy, obesity, hay fever, asthma, rashes, food poisoning, heartburn, bad eyesight, brittle nails, and bad breath...to name a few.

Modern science doesn't endorse all of the traditional uses of vinegar, but if offers endless healing qualities.

We'll start with those stubborn aches and pains:

Backaches: Soaking in a bathtub of hot water and 2 cups vinegar for 30 minutes will help relieve a minor backache and soothe sore muscles.

Headache: To ease a headache, lie down and apply a compress dipped in a mixture of half warm water and half vinegar to the temples. Also try an herbal vinegar such as lavender to provide aromatic relief.

Leg Cramps: Ease the pain of a leg cramp or other cramp in the body by using a soft cloth soaked in full-strength vinegar as a compress.

Muscle Sprain: Apply a paste of white wine, vinegar, and bran to a recent sprain.

Use a towel soaked in hot vinegar as a compress to ease the pain of a recent muscle strain or sprain. Apply for 20 minutes at a time. If the pain persists, consult a physician.

Ready for flu season!

When flu hits, there's no time to lose. You need to be ready to fight the battle, and vinegar can help.

Cough: Sprinkle your pillowcase with apple cider vinegar to control nighttime coughing.

Respiratory Congestion: To treat head or chest congestion, add 1/4 cup vinegar to a vaporizer, and run it for an hour or more.

Sinus Congestion: Breathing in steam from a vaporizer can be beneficial in treating the facial pain of a sinus infection. Add 1/4 cup vinegar to a vaporizer and breathe in deeply.

Sore Throat: Vinegar can be used for a sore throat. Use 1 teaspoon per 8 ounces of water, and gargle.

When Summer's Not Fun

Summer offers a lot of fun possibilities, but it does have its dangers. Vinegar can help with summer hazards.

Bee Stings and Bug Bites: Use vinegar mixed with cornstarch to make a paste. Apply the paste to a bee sting or bug bite, and let it dry.

Poison Ivy and Poison Oak: Soothe the rash from poison oak or poison ivy by using a vinegar compress. Mix 1/2 cup vinegar in a 1-pint container, then add enough water to fill the container. Chill the container in the refrigerator. When it is cool, dampen a cloth or gauze with the solution, and apply to the rash.

Sunburn: Vinegar has a cooling effect on sunburn. Splash it over the sunburned area, then lightly rub into the skin. Or simply cool sunburn with diluted vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray on the affected area.