31 Surprisingly Creative Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar
It seems the benefits of apple cider vinegar are limitless – and so are the myriad ways to use apple cider vinegar. And good thing, too since most of us have a bottle or two of it hanging out in the kitchen at all times.
As you already know, this 100% natural product is one of the oldest, most powerful and simple home remedies imaginable. It’s been hailed by both historical experts and modern holistic health experts as a natural way to lose weight or enjoy a completely natural hair and skincare regime – and as it turns out, everything in between.
Studies suggest that drinking one to three tablespoons a day diluted in water can increase energy, reduce snacking, and cleanse the digestive tract. Topically applied, this vinegar can reduce skin inflammation as well as hinder and kill problem-causing bacteria.
And the uses for apple cider vinegar extend beyond beauty and body – this liquid gold is also handy around the house in oh, so many ways.
How does it do all this?
Well, this ‘liquid gold’ is made from apples but it’s fermented twice ’til it becomes apple cider vinegar. The difference between the apple juice it starts from and the end product is that once it’s done, ACV becomes a very nutrient-dense elixir with over 93 different compounds.
And these enzymes and compounds are super useful for a huge variety of health, beauty and household benefits. Like what, you ask? Let us count the ways…
31 Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar isn’t only a Swiss Army knife for health benefits – it has a range of useful uses as well, such as…
Naturally Whiten Your Teeth with ACV
ACV is great for your teeth and can help remove stains – it won’t work overnight, but used consistently, it’ll eventually remove stubborn stains from your teeth. Even pesky coffee and nicotine stains.
You definitely don’t want to overdo it, since as with all acids, ACV can wear away the enamel on your teeth. To get teeth whitening benefits and protect your teeth enamel, combine two parts water to one part ACV and swish the mixture around for about a minute.
Balance Your Body’s Internal pH
One huge benefit of ACV is that despite it acidic taste, it actually helps your body maintain proper pH levels for a healthy alkaline state. This is crucial since a healthy body is slightly alkaline, with the ideal pH level ranging between 7.35 and 7.45.
Acidic pH levels are linked to everything from acid reflux, anxiety, infections, allergies, migraines, fatigue, skin trouble, and even chronic inflammatory conditions. As Charlotte Gerson says, “cancer cannot live in an alkaline body” – neither can a whole host of other pesky diseases, so alkalize!
Apple Cider Vinegar for Hair Care
Apple cider vinegar is a wonderful alternative to chemically-laden shampoos and conditioners. Thanks to its acetic acid content, ACV naturally helps to remove the scaly buildup that accumulates on the hair due to pollution and styling products while simultaneously strengthening the hair shaft and balancing your hair’s pH level.
This particular vinegar also dries out the hair less while being a potent antimicrobial (kills bacteria!) and a natural remedy for dandruff.
To treat your tresses, mix ½ cup of apple cider vinegar with two cups of water. Rinse after shampooing; let the mixture sit a few minutes.
Got ‘waxy crown?’ If you’ve ever had a waxy, oily build-up in your hair even after you shampoo – you’ve got waxy crown. Well, ACV is great for that. You don’t even have to use too much – just a tablespoon will do – add it to a cup of cold water and work it gently through your hair.
I’ve used this several times when I got the whole waxy crown thing and ACV zaps it away completely and leaves your hair soft and really shiny.
Oh, and if you’re going no-‘poo, ACV makes an awesome rinse to use after baking soda shampoo.
Go On a Apple Cider Vinegar Diet
Boost your weight loss efforts simply by adding a tablespoon or two of ACV to your daily routine. Thanks to ACV’s acetic acid content, just a few tablespoons of ACV helps break down fats so your body can use them rather than storing them on your body as fat.
This is why ACV has been shown to decrease body weight, slim down abdominal fat and waist circumference as well as reduce bad cholesterol.
Not to mention you can use ACV for a variety of salad dressings and delicious tonics!
Use ACV as an All-Natural General Household Cleaner
The natural cleansing properties of this vinegar are wonderful for cleaning household surfaces—especially in the kitchen where harmful pathogens should be avoided.
It’s one of the best natural cleaning agents there is, thanks to its antimicrobial properties which have been shown to kill bacteria, including E. coli.
Here’s what you can do…
- Mix ACV with baking soda to remove stains on pots and pans as well as to get rid of excess oil
- Pour half a cup of ACV into the toilet and leave it overnight for an effective toilet bowl cleanser
- Substitute your dishwasher detergent with ACV for a clean, toxin-free dish cleaner
- Mix half a cup of ACV with one cup of water and use it to wipe down counters, inside the fridge, swipe inside the sink, wash the walls, and clean windows, glasses, mirrors, microwaves, etc
For general cleaning, one cup vinegar to two parts water is a good start. To disinfect surfaces such as cutting boards, wipe down with pure vinegar and let air dry.
Drink ACV to Lower Blood Sugar Levels
Apple cider vinegar has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels – which is great news for type-2 diabetics.
And it’s just as notable for non-diabetics as well, since elevated blood sugar levels are a major cause of aging as well as various diseases. Not to mention, stable blood sugar levels = less energy crashes throughout the day!
Apple Cider Vinegar for Skin
Apple cider vinegar has long been used as a skin tonic, treating conditions ranging from acne to warts. Rich in antiseptic and antibacterial properties, this vinegar helps to both clean and protect the skin, as well as balance its pH factor.
Use it for…
- An Apple Cider Vinegar Toner. Natural ACV makes an excellent toner and can be applied directly on your skin (diluted, of course!) to regulate the pH of your skin. Simply dilute the ACV with water (1:3, ACV:water) and apply to your skin before your moisturizer.
- Apple Cider Vinegar Warts Solution. A more concentrated ACV – no water added – is an effective treatment for warts. Soak a small piece of cotton in ACV and then fasten it on top of the wart with a Band-Aid and leave overnight. The wart may swell in the beginning but give it a few days and it’ll fall off. This is also great for fading sunspots. It’ll sting a bit, but it’s worth it.
- Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic. Of course, one of the best ways to get all the apple cider vinegar skin benefits is to drink it – that way you get all the internal health benefits of ACV and clearer, more radiant skin that comes from improvement from the inside out. Get some delicious apple cider vinegar drink recipes!
When using ACV on skin, always apply at night; the vinegar can increase the skin’s sensitivity to UV rays.
ACV for Heart Health and Lowered Cholesterol
Thanks to polyphenols like the chlorogenic acid found in apple cider vinegar, it’s been shown to decrease triglyceride and VLDL (the bad cholesterol) levels by impeding LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized, thus preventing the major cause of cardiovascular diseases.
Soak in a Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Bath
Back in the day, ACV was used to purify the blood. And as it turns out, it does have some potent detox benefits. The rich acidic content binds to toxins and helps your body get rid of them more effectively.
It also aids overall body detox by breaking up mucus in the body and clearing the lymph nodes, which in turn results in a healthier lymphatic system.
You can, of course, drink apple cider vinegar for its detox benefits but why not soak in it as well? Simply add a cup of ACV as well as a cup of Epsom salts to your bath to help draw toxins and impurities out of your skin while you relax.
Replace Artificial Energy Drinks with ACV
A little dose of apple cider vinegar per day goes a long way toward keeping your energy levels steady throughout the day, thanks to ACV’s acetic acid content which slows the digestion of starch and prevents your blood sugar levels from spiking after meals.
The potassium, amino acids and antioxidants in apple cider vinegar help, too!
Apple Cider Vinegar to Relieve Sunburn
When you think sunburn relief, aloe vera might be the first thing that comes to mind, but ACV works too!
Prepare a bath of cool water and pour in a cup of ACV for instant sunburn relief. This ACV bath is also good for relieving itchy skin, which many of us are prone to especially in hot and humid weather. Of course, it’s lovely to follow up the ACV bath with a great-smelling sugar scrub…
Use ACV as a Natural Deodorant
You know how apple cider vinegar is great as a household cleaner? Yea, that’s ’cause it’s a potent antibacterial and great at absorbing (and neutralizing) stinky, funky scents. For a natural deo, just swipe a bit of ACV on your pits to combat odor-causing bacteria.
Wary of having vinegar-y pits? Don’t worry – the vinegar smell goes away once it dries.
Keep Your Pets Healthy with ACV
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, right? Yes, ACV is good for pets, too! Many holistic vets advocate the use of apple cider vinegar to treat a variety of pooch ailments ranging from digestion issues to skin irritation.
Before treating any condition with this vinegar, consult a knowledgeable veterinarian to decide upon the proper dose and application.
Editor’s Note: It’s supposed to be great for fleas, although I wouldn’t know since both my dog and cat live indoors. Let us know if you’ve tried this and had success with it!
Apple Cider Vinegar is a Natural Produce Wash
Look no further than apple cider vinegar to naturally remove all those icky things from produce such as wax and bacteria (ACV’s been shown to kill E. coli bacteria!).
Simply fill a sink or large bowl with warm water and add a cup of vinegar. Let the produce sit for about 5 to 10 minutes, swirling your produce around occasionally. Rinse and enjoy. (Just don’t look at what the vinegar leaves behind).
Drink ACV to Boost Digestive Health and Fight Candida
Need a bit of digestive relief? The enzymes in ACV help promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, improving digestion and reducing gas, bloating and indigestion. The increased gut flora also helps regulate candida issues.
Sometimes, You Catch More Flies with Vinegar
Trying to get rid of fruit flies? Those little buggers love apple cider vinegar—they cannot resist it! All you have to do is pour half a cup of ACV in a glass jar, cup or bowl and cover it with saran wrap.
Wrap a rubber band around it to secure the wrap in place and then take a toothpick and poke some holes in the saran wrap – result: fruit fly booby trap.
Sit back and congratulate yourself on a home free of flies!
Editor’s Note: Especially in the summertime, I cannot live without ACV. It is by far the most effective solution I’ve found for the fruit flies that love to congregate around my fruit. Just keep in mind, ‘though – it gets REALLY disgusting-looking.
ACV Works as an Effective Weed Killer, Too
Want to know what else ACV is really good at killing? Weeds. Which may be pesky, but you may be reluctant to spray with toxic herbicides, especially if you have pets and children who regularly play on your lawn.
An all-natural alternative is…you guess it, ACV. This vinegar-based herbicide recipe comes from The Dirt Doctor:
- 1 gallon of 10 percent (100 grain) vinegar
- Add 1 ounce orange oil or d-limonene
- Add 1 tablespoon molasses (optional – some say it doesn’t help)
- 1 teaspoon liquid soap or other surfactant (such as Bio Wash)
- Do not add water
It’s a potent formula so only spray it on plants you don’t want around.
ACV is Equally Lethal for Odors
There’s good reason why one of the most popular ways to use apple cider vinegar is in cleaning and deodorizing: Apple cider vinegar has an uncanny way of absorbing and neutralizing even the stinkiest of odors. Give it a try in the bathroom or after you’ve accidentally burned a meal.
Simply place some ACV in a shallow bowl and place it near the source of the odor. Leave it ’til the smell it gone.
Get Rid of Acid Reflux and Combat GERD
Got acid reflux and heartburn after a meal? Mix yourself up a tablespoon of ACV diluted in water or tea to instantly relieve the symptoms. And next time, take the concoction before meals to prevent experiencing the symptoms in the first place.
Keep in mind that acid reflux and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) are caused by too little stomach acid, not too much – regularly consuming ACV is a natural, effortless way to improve the acid content of your stomach.
Give Yourself an Immunity Boost
ACV’s got potent antimicrobial and antiseptic properties as well as a unique blend of enzymes and beneficial compounds that boost your immunity to keep you clear from pesky colds and flus!
ACV Makes Deliciously Healthy Salad Dressings
One of the best things about ACV is how simple it is to add into your daily diet, making it just too easy to get all its health benefits for hardly any effort.
It mixes deliciously into a host of yummy recipes – check out these apple cider vinegar recipes for easy-to-make concoctions you can use to flavor your salads, vegetables and meats!
Make Your Homemade Bone Brother Even Healthier
Here’s one of the most helpful, yet underrated ways to use apple cider vinegar. Vinegar is an essential step when making homemade bone broth since it helps extract all the valuable minerals from the bones before the cooking process begins.
Be sure to let the bones soak in water mixed with 1 to 2 tablespoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar for around 20 to 30 minutes before cooking to make the minerals more available!
Clear Sinus Congestion with ACV
Apple cider vinegar is great for breaking up and clearing out mucus in your body. It’s also got potent antibacterial properties to fight infections, so next time your sinuses are cleared, try adding some ACV to your water.
Stamp Out Foot Odor with Apple Cider Vinegar
You know how ACV helps balance your internal pH? Yea, it does the same for your external pH (you skin, we mean). Combine that with its antimicrobial, antibacterial properties and it’s one of the most potent foot-odor-banishing natural remedies you’ll try.
Simply give you feet a wipe down with a splash of ACV!
ACV is a Cheap, Natural Alternative to Wood Polisher
Who’d have thunk, huh? But ACV really is a multi-tasking wonder and yet another thing that it’s great for is the conditioning of wood. Simply mix half a cup of any vegetable oil with half a cup of ACV to create an all-natural wood polisher that’ll clean and treat wooden surfaces and furniture as well as help to remove water stains.
Give Unsightly Bruises the Fade
ACV’s anti-inflammatory properties are great for more than your insides – they also help minimize the appearance of bruises. Simply dab some on the evidence of your last accident to give it the fade.
ACV is a Natural Bad Breath Remedy
What’s worse than funky foot odor? Oh right, bad breath. That’s no fun for anybody.
Good news is that diaper breath can easily be remedies with ACV, thanks once again to its antibacterial properties (which will slay the bacteria causing the funk in your mouth). Gargle or sip.
Get Rid of that Itch – Fast
Whether your skin is inflamed and itchy from a bug bite, poison ivy or a jellyfish sting – ACV provides all-natural itch relief. Dilute it with a bit of water and apply directly to the pesky itch.
Sip ACV to Soothe a Sore Throat
When you start feeling the first signs of a sore, irritated throat – reach for your bottle of ACV. Its antimicrobial, antibacterial properties help keep infections at bay and the high acetic acid concentration creates an acidic environment hostile to germs.
Gargling with ACV is great, but we prefer a lovely throat-soothing concoction made from apple cider vinegar and honey (add hot water, cinnamon, and lemon as well).