It is interesting to know that even if we are all living in the digital age, there is still one product that is still widely used. Vinegar has been discovered, quite by accident, more than 10,000 years ago. French pronounce it vin aigre, which literally means sour wine. Basically, that is how vinegar was discovered, when a cask of wine gone past time had turned into something unique and useful. Since then, vinegar has been produced from other sources such as molasses, dates, sorghum, berries, coconut, grains, and others. Whatever raw material is used, the principle is the same, which is the fermentation of natural sugar into alcohol. Then the secondary fermentation to create vinegar.
Historically, vinegar has been widely used in many ways. Ancient civilizations were able to discover the various uses of vinegar. In 5000BC, Babylonians used vinegar as a preservative and as a condiment. Later on, they started flavoring vinegar by adding herbs and spices. The Roman Legionnaires treated vinegar as a beverage, while Hippocrates was able to discover its various medicinal properties. Vinegar has been considered as one of the earliest remedies for different ailments. Meanwhile, the Greeks made pickled vegetables and meats with the use of vinegar. There were also references in the Bible that vinegar was used for its palliative and healing properties. Hannibal likewise used vinegar to crack obstructive boulders when he and an army riding elephants crossed the Alps. The boulders were heated and doused with vinegar to crack and crumble the said barriers. Vinegar was also used to treat scurvy and wounds during the American Civil War and World War 1, respectively.
Nowadays, vinegar is still used in various ways, and very similar to the ways of our ancestors. Vinegar is used in many traditional remedies and treatment, diabetes control, and as an antimicrobial. It is likewise applied to common jellyfish stings, treatment of warts, and as a herbicide.
Vinegar as a cleaning agent
Vinegar has been widely considered as a cleaning agent, effective in removing inorganic soils and mineral deposits. The properties of vinegar make the substance a good choice as a cleaning agent:
• Vinegar is a mild organic acid and can biodegrade easily.
• Safe for use on stainless steel
• No harmful residues known
• Pleasant odor
• An alternative for use in green cleaning
• Easy to control and dispense
• Considered non toxic and safe
Vinegar to remove wallpaper
There are many wallpaper removal agents available in the market nowadays. However many homeowners prefer to refrain from using such solutions and rather use natural ones such as vinegar. A spray bottle filled with hot water and vinegar will do well in removing wallpaper and its stubborn remnants.
In removing wallpaper, the room and walls should be prepared first. With the use of a putty knife, wallpaper should be ripped off from the wall. While the rest of the wallpaper’s surface should be scored with a scoring tool. Once these have been done, mix equal parts of boiling water and vinegar into the spray bottle. Hot water is responsible in loosening the wallpaper glue while the vinegar helps in dissolving it. The solution is sprayed on the wallpaper surface and soaked fo r about 5 to 10 minutes. Soaking can be repeated for challenging areas. After the given time, remove the wallpaper with the use of putty knife. After all have been removed, you may then wash the walls to remove traces of vinegar. You will be surprised that the scent of the vinegar is easily removed after the process.