12 Awesome Uses For Apple Cider Vinegar

Made from the juice of whole apples that have undergone a fermentation process until their sugars turn to vinegar, apple cider vinegar has been used since 5000BC as a tonic and beverage.

Fermented foods have been helping people stay healthy since the dawn of time. Many of our favourite foods and drinks are fermented such as cheese, wine, chocolate, coffee and tea to name a few.

Here are our 12 top uses for Apple Cider Vinegar:

1.  Improve your sleep

Mix one or two teaspoons with a little honey and some water, and sip prior to bed, traditionally this mixture was used to help bring about sleep.

2.  Improve digestion and help lose weight

Sipping apple cider vinegar mixed with water during a meal helps to keep blood sugar and insulin levels lower, helping to reduce cravings and increase your fullness after eating.

3.  Neutralise stomach acid

After consuming a fatty meal, take two teaspoons of cider vinegar in a glass of water to relieve the nauseous feeling and get your digestion working better. Indigestion and acid reflux sufferers can also use apple cider vinegar to help relieve symptoms. For best results, dilute one to three teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in warm water and consume before every meal.

4.  Boost your hair’s radiance and shine

Add half a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a cup of cold water to a clean plastic bottle. Pour the solution through your hair after shampooing. Careful you don’t get it in your eyes though – it stings!

5.  Fresh, Healthy Complexion

Dilute one part apple cider vinegar to two parts water (dilute further for sensitive skin) and use a cotton ball to dab on your face after cleansing and before applying moisturiser. Apple cider vinegar helps to balance the pH level of the skin and the antibacterial and anti-fungal properties of the cider vinegar help prevent acne problems.

6.  Keep pet fur shiny and eliminate odours

Add cider vinegar to your pet’s drinking water and smell the difference.

7.  Remove lint from clothes

Don’t you hate it when the washing come out of the machine covered in lint? Add half a cup of cider vinegar to your rinse cycle and watch it disappear.

8.  Deodorise the fridge

Place a cup of apple cider vinegar inside the refrigerator for two days for a fresh clean smell.

9.  Clean and disinfect wooden cutting boards

With a wipe of full strength apple cider vinegar.

10.  Remove spots and film from glasses

Milk can leave a film on glass and water spots are the worst! Rinse glasses in water and apple cider vinegar.

11.  Clean windows and floor tiles

For a sparkly clean, add apple cider vinegar to the wash water.

12.  Extend the life of fresh cut flowers

Make those blooms last longer by adding two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and one teaspoon of sugar to each litre of water in the vase.

If you notice a slimy layer inside your apple cider vinegar bottle, don’t worry and definitely don’t throw it out! That slime is called the ‘mother’ and is actually cellulose; a natural fibre produced by the vinegar bacteria and is the most nutritious part of the vinegar.

Storage tip: Apple cider vinegar is an acid and should always be stored in glass, not plastic, bottles.

Which apple cider vinegar tip are you going to use first?