As tart an unripe apple, vinegar combats bacteria and fungi, takes the itch out of mosquito bites and soothes sunburn. It can also settle an upset stomach, prevent swimmer’s ear, make hair shiner and skin softer. Some people say that vinegar mixed with honey and warm water can ease the pain of leg cramp. Others use vinegar to dry up cold sores. And if someone faints, vinegar is a useful alternative to smelling salts.
What’s it good for?
- acne
- bites and stings
- body odour
- bruises
- dandruff
- dry mouth
- ear problems
- foot odour
- greasy hair
- headache
- head lice
- hiccups
- hives
- indigestion
- nappy rash
- psoriasis
- sunburn
- warts
Put a drop of vinegar on your tongue and you will instantly taste its sourness. Vinegar’s sharp flavour comes from its high concentration of acetic acid, which is formed when bacteria digest fermented liquids. Acetic acid may be kind to your body, but it is also an industrial-strength product: millions of tonnes of it go into the making of photographic films and artificial fibers such as rayon.
The power of acid
Vinegar is an effective weapon against bacteria. Infectious bugs have been wiped out again and again with vinegar cures. In World War 1, the wounds of soldiers were cleaned with vinegar and even today, if you can stand the string, it is a perfectly adequate disinfectant if you have a scratch or a sore. It’s equally malevolent towards fungal infections. Most will retreat when tackled with a dose of vinegar.
Vinegar is also good for the hair and skin. As an acid, vinegar reacts with chemical bases to produce neutral H2O (water), along with some salts. When spread on skin or used as a final hair rinse, it can spirit off soap, shampoo or conditioner residue. Rinsing the hair with vinegar may also help to reduce dandruff and calm an itchy scalp.