25 Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar

While apple cider vinegar is super useful for pickling and canning, there are many other uses for this amazing liquid. Check out some fantastic uses below:

You can buy the ready-to-use version at any grocery store, or pick it up from your local farmer to ensure that you know exactly where it was made and what went into it.

Made from juiced apples that have been crushed in a press, the mixture is first left to sit before bacteria and yeast are introduced. The yeast starts the alcoholic fermentation process, where the sugars in the juice are turned into alcohol.

Then, in a second process that happens later, the alcohol in the liquid is turned into vinegar. Many enterprising DIYers make their own apple cider vinegar at home, using cores and scraps from various apple recipes. You can keep these scraps in the freezer as you add to the pile, which ensures that they all stay fresh until you’re ready to use them. Once you get enough scraps, mix it with water and let it sit for at least six months, until the alcohol has turned to vinegar. You should be able to smell it!

Marsan / Shutterstock.com
Marsan / Shutterstock.com

Studies have found that ingesting apple cider vinegar has tons of health benefits, including soothing digestive issues, curing hiccups, and even assisting in weight loss. All of these uses involve either drinking apple cider vinegar, or putting it on your skin.

When ingesting apple cider vinegar, you need to make sure that you dilute it well first- either in apple juice, or in water. If you don’t, you risk burning your esophagus or injuring the enamel on your teeth, since the vinegar is so acidic. While many doctors tout drinking apple cider vinegar as the next best thing to improve your health, drinking too much has been found to put a strain on your kidneys and bones due to the increased acid levels in your bloodstream. If you want to try ingesting it, let your doctor know so they can keep an eye on your blood sugar levels.

When you buy apple cider vinegar, make sure to buy the type labelled “all-natural” and/or “unfiltered”. You can usually tell this apart from the regular kind because the all-natural version is cloudy, and often has some floating particulate matter in the bottle. This floating substance is known as the mother, and it’s a remnant of the bacteria and yeast that were added to the vinegar to turn the alcohol into vinegar. The mother is an all-natural probiotic culture, and it’s perfectly safe to drink.

sasimoto / Shutterstock.com
sasimoto / Shutterstock.com

Here are a few uses for apple cider vinegar (ACV) that will come in handy in daily life.

1. Treat dandruff

Apple cider vinegar changes the pH balance of your scalp, making it harder for yeast to grow there.

2. Stir up a tasty vinaigrette

Apple cider vinegar is a key ingredient in many vinaigrettes, since it has a lighter and fruitier taste than most other vinegars.

3. Clean your countertops

ACVhas anti-bacterial properties, so mix some up with water in a spray bottle before tackling the dirtiest or smelliest areas of your home.

4. Clear your nose out

Doctors have found that apple cider vinegar contains tons of potassium, which thins out the mucus that causes stuffy noses.

5. Ward off a sore throat

Next time you’re feeling a tickle, gargle with some ACV and warm water- the germs lurking in your throat won’t survive in the acidic conditions, which will leave you feeling better in no time.

vilax / Shutterstock.com
vilax / Shutterstock.com

6. Soothe sunburned skin

Treat your red and itchy sunburned skin topically with a mixture of equal parts water and apple cider vinegar.

7. Mix up an amazing chocolate cake

Did you know that apple cider vinegar is a key ingredient in red velvet cake? It gives the cake a light and airy crumb.

8. Stop hiccups

One folk remedy insists that the sour flavor of ACV stops hiccups instantly!

9. Make pickles

This one is obvious, but apple cider vinegar is a key ingredient in many delicious homemade pickle recipes.

10. Get rid of fleas

A diluted mixture of ACV and water can help your furry best friend if they’re plagued by fleas.

Punyaphat Larpsomboon / Shutterstock.com
Punyaphat Larpsomboon / Shutterstock.com

11. Get rid of acne

Using apple cider vinegar on your skin helps to tone it- use it in the morning to ensure that you always go out with a fresh face.

12. Relieve nighttime leg cramps

Painful nighttime leg cramps are thought to be caused by a lack of potassium, and drinking ACV mixed with warm water can help add potassium to your diet.

13. Freshen your breath

Apple cider vinegar’s anti-microbial properties help kill the germs that cause bad breath.

14. Deodorize your feet

If your feet are particularly stinky, soak them in a mix of ACV and water to help kill odor-causing bacteria.

15. Deal with that unsightly bruise

Anti-inflammatory apple cider vinegar will bring down the swelling on that nasty bruise in no time.

Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com
Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com

16. Fertilize your garden

There are some plants that thrive in more acidic environments! Fertilize your soil with apple cider vinegar for a pesticide-free green thumb.

17. Soothe an itch

Applied directly to an itch, it can help stop the irritating burning sensation in its tracks.

18. Boost your energy

Apple cider vinegar contains potassium and tons of natural beneficial enzymes that store-bought energy drinks can only try to replicate.

19. Stop your cat from biting power cords

Rub it on your plastic cables to stop your cat from chewing them when you aren’t around.

20. Make a foolproof trap for fruit flies

Pour a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar into a small dish, then top with some liquid dish soap for a cheap and effective fruit fly trap.

ThamKC / Shutterstock.com
ThamKC / Shutterstock.com

21. Get rid of foul-smelling odors in your laundry

Mix in a cup of ACV with your laundry if you find that the stinky odors just won’t go away.

22. Use it to make buttermilk at home

If you want buttermilk pancakes but don’t have buttermilk, make your own by souring regular milk- a teaspoon of vinegar per cup works perfectly!

23. Clean your hair

Apple cider vinegar mixed with chamomile tea can rinse imperfections right out of your hair, leaving it shining and gorgeous.

24. Prolong the shelf life of your fruit and vegetables

Adding a tiny amount of apple cider vinegar to the water when washing fruits and vegetables will help prolong their shelf life exponentially.

25. Treat yeast infections

Soak in a bathtub filled with water and 1.5 cups of ACV for 20 minutes if you feel a yeast infection coming on.

Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com
Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com