What Is White Vinegar?
- Written By: Tricia Ellis-Christensen
- Edited By: O. Wallace
- Last Modified Date: 05 February 2013
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Copyright Protected:
2003-2013 Conjecture Corporation
White vinegar, which is actually clear vinegar, is made from allowing a distilled alcohol to undergo acid fermentation. During this process, oxygen combines with chemicals in a substance in a way that reduces the atom content of the substance. When a distilled alcohol is oxidized, its chemical components change, and it becomes much more sour, and frequently, quite unpleasant to taste.
This substance is most commonly used to clean and disinfect rather than for cooking. In fact, much of white vinegar, especially when sold in gallon units, is not used in cooking. People tend to prefer red vinegars or apple cider vinegar for cooking purposes.
The one exception exists in rice vinegar, which is almost exclusively used for cooking. Some types of rice vinegar are white vinegar or clear, and are an important ingredient in many Asian recipes. Two type of rice white vinegar exist: that made from fermented white rice, or that produced from sake.
As a cleaning substance, white vinegar can provide an excellent and eco-friendly alternative to chemical substances. Many people swear by using white vinegar to clean windows. For this purpose, white vinegar and water are placed in a spray bottle, spritzed onto windows and then wiped clean with paper towels or newspaper.
White vinegar is also useful in eliminating strong odors. It can be helpful especially in getting rid of cat urine smells, and is safe to use both indoors and out. Unlike some of the products on the market for eliminating urine smells, white vinegar does not contain ammonia, which can in some cases actually encourage cats to continue to urinate in areas you would wish them to avoid.
Some people use white vinegar as a stain remover, or during the rinse cycle in dishwashers. Others swear by its grease cutting powers when handwashing dishes. Durable medical parts like inhalers or tubing can also be sterilized with boiling water and white vinegar, and people may also use it to clean baby bottles. If you do plan to use vinegar on fabrics, you should do a test on a part of the fabric that won’t be seen to be certain it won’t bleach it.
Another helpful cleaning use for white vinegar is running it through electric coffee makers that require a cleaning. You can either employ a straight white vinegar or water-vinegar blend to minimize staining, and mineral deposit build-up in the coffee’s water reservoir. Just don’t forget to follow up with a few plain water rinses afterward, or your first pot of coffee will taste terrible!
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Discuss this Article
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anon293026
Post 18 |
Why is white vinegar used in tomato ketchup? |
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anon160738
Post 17 |
I have been using distilled white vinegar 5 percent made from grains (check the ingredients on the label) for over almost year now. It can be purchased at your local Walmart for about $3.00 a gallon. It is not petroleum based and is not the same as white wine vinegar. Please do not drink this straight as it is very acidic and will burn your throat. It can be used for cooking, cleaning, laundry, once a week hair conditioner, and it has cured two eye infections, one sinus infection, and a sore throat from December 2010 to February 2011. (Honest!) It can also be used for pickling, but the taste will be different. Cleaning with it, using it as a meat tenderizer, and using it as a fabric softener should all be full strength. For all other uses please make sure you dilute. There are some great websites out there for specifics recipes and uses of distilled white vinegar. You just need to search a little. I have saved a lot of money using this product and for those who are eco friendly, this product is one of the best out there. P.S. The smell takes getting used to, but when it dries, the smell disappears. Missa from Worcester, MA |
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anon157356
Post 16 |
why and how does vinegar help in cleaning dishes? |
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anon157182
Post 15 |
Why and how does acid help clean not only the house, but stains off of your containers as well? |
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anon110629
Post 14 |
Is there a difference between cleaning vinegar and white cooking vinegar? While I assume I can use white cooking vinegar for cleaning, am I able to using cleaning vinegar for cooking? |
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anon109779
Post 13 |
in our country, vinegar is made from either sugar cane or coconut. is this white vinegar? |
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anon83661
Post 12 |
does the white vinegar help reduce cholesterol?
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anon35314
Post 9 |
Can I substitute white vinegar with wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar?? |
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anon34995
Post 8 |
Can white vinegar be used in place of cider vinegar for pickling beets? |
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anon32502
Post 6 |
Is white vinegar the same as white wine vinegar? Is white vinegar or white wine vinegar made from alcohol? Or what are they made from? |
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anon31690
Post 5 |
Can white vinegar be used to "melt away" (exaggeration) body fat? Basically, could someone drink straight white vinegar on top of exercise, healthy metabolism and good eating habits to help shave off desired body fat? |
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anon12178
Post 4 |
do you know any names that i should look for that are not petroleum made..... |
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anon5491
Post 3 |
I read that white vinegar may be made from petroleum-derived alcohols (though I am not sure what this means). What I understand, though, is that it is best to purchase white distilled vinegar with a label that says, "Made from Grains". That way, you aren't eating petroleum-product in your salad dressings and marinades!
RR, Tallahassee, FL |
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anon4505
Post 2 |
Why is White Vinegar stronger than other vinegars? |
