26 Ways Apple Cider Vinegar Can Save You Time and Money
26 Apple Cider Vinegar Uses
A trip to Sephora or to your local grocery store can sometimes be overwhelming with the wide selection of products and brands to choose from. Not to mention that so many beauty and house cleaning items have harmful chemicals in them that will send your body into straight defense mode (but that's a discussion for another post)! Some of the best beauty and house cleaning items are right in your kitchen, saving you from a stressful trip to the store and keeping money in your pockets.
Apple Cider Vinegar is like 'Tussin. It can do all things (joking—I hated when my Grandma told me to, and I quote, “put some 'Tussin on it"). But seriously, Apple Cider Vinegar actually has a magnitude of benefits. From facial toner to deodorizer, it's that one staple product that you always want to keep on hand.
My favorite brand of Apple Cider Vinegar is Bragg's Organic, which contains “mother," or in other words strands of proteins, enzymes, and friendly bacteria. It's magical. And to prove it, here are 26 ways that you can use ACV as a part of your daily cleansing and beauty routines.
1. Clean and Disinfect
ACV can disinfect just as well as bleach—minus the harsh smell. Dilute the vinegar with water (one part water, one part ACV) and can be mixed with lemon juice, salt, or essential oils for added benefits.
Be careful when using this mixture on wood floors, you don't want to get them too wet.
2. Un-Wrinkle Your Clothing
This is my favorite (I hate to iron). Fill a spray bottle with three parts ACV and one part water, spray all over your wrinkled clothing and hang to dry.
3. Freshen Up a Room
In a spray bottle, combine one part ACV, one part water and one part Essential Oil. Mist in to the air as frequently as needed.
4. Clean Your Coffee Maker
Pour two parts ACV and one part water into your coffee maker and run it as you would normally. For fresher tasting coffee, repeat every three months.
5. Remove the Annoying Stickers
Soak stickers with vinegar and let stick for at least 20 minutes, scrap it off with a butter knife.
6. Brighten Up Your Electronics
Disinfect your phone, tablet, computer or TV screen using vinegar to wipe them down and give them fresh out the box shine.
7. Make a Toner
Neutralize your pH, making your skin soft and smooth using ACV as a toner. Dilute if the smell is too strong.
8. Condition Your Hair
Remove buildup on your scalp, making your hair shiny in the process.
9. Prevent Ingrown Hairs
Dilute with water, shake well, and apply after shaving to prevent ingrown hairs.
10. Aid Your Digestion
Apple Cider Vinegar has pectin, which calms intestinal spasms, and it can ward off the bacteria that causes diarrhea, bloating and gas. Add 1 tablespoon of ACV into a cup of water and drink before meals.
11. Treat Toe Fungus and Warts
Tape a cotton ball soaked in ACV and leave it on overnight. Repeat until the wart or fungus is gone.
12. Get Fresh Breath
Gargle with water and Apple Cider Vinegar for 10 minutes to get rid of bad breath.
13. Use as a Natural Deodorant
Applying ACV to your armpits neutralized odors, acting as a deodorant.
14. Boost Energy
Drinking a tablespoon of ACV with water, helps to prevent exhaustion, thanks to potassium and enzymes in the vinegar.
15. Soothe a Sore Throat
Kill off the germs causing discomfort by gargling ACV—they can't survive in an acidic environment.
16. Whiten Your Teeth
Brushing with ACV works as a natural whitener if you give it time (at least a month). It's important to be careful using this method, too much vinegar can remove enamel. After brushing with ACV, you will need to brush again with regular toothpaste, preferably a non fluoride paste, or rinse your mouth out really well.
17. Clean the Oven
Mix ACV with baking soda to clean your drains and oven.
18. Get Rid of Smoke Odor
Remove the lingering smoky odor by placing a small bowl of ACV where the smell is the strongest. The odor should disappear in a day.
19. Trap Fruit Flies
You can get rid of those pesky flies by filing up an old jar about halfway with ACV, punch a few holes in the lid, screw it back on.
20. Wipe Away Mildew
Remove mildew stains by wiping at the stain with a cloth, diluting for lighter stains.
21. Disinfect Toilet Bowls
Pour two cups of Apple Cider Vinegar and let soak overnight before flushing. Do this weekly to prevent water rings from appearing.
22. Clean Your Toothbrush Holder
Get that disgusting grime off your toothbrush holder by cleaning the openings with cotton swabs soaked in Apple Cider Vinegar.
23. Keep Flowers Fresh
Mix two tablespoons of ACV and two tablespoons of sugar with the water before adding the flowers.
24. Ward off Candida
Apple Cider Vinegar helps to fight off the intestinal yeast overgrowth by killing the yeast, creating a die off reaction.
25. Soothes Sunburns
There are several ways to soothe a sunburn with ACV. Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and water to spray on the sunburned skin. Dip a washcloth in vinegar, wringing the cloth out, and patting it gently on the affect areas. Take a cool bath with the diluted ACV.
26. Detox
Apple Cider Vinegar alkalizes the body, playing a major role in the way it heals itself. It helps the body to remove toxic waste before it can do damage without sacrificing minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. It aids digestion, improves bowel movements, detoxifies your liver, purifies your blood or clogging your arteries.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Between the rise of the creator economy and the gig economy, the window of opportunity to leverage your creativity for long-term gain has never been more potent.
For the last four years, I’ve worked as a full-time freelance writer and content creator. A year into this journey, I knew that if I wanted to create a sense of structure around my life outside of a traditional 9-5, I would have to create it.
To my surprise, that came in the form of social media.
Now, you might be wondering how someone might be able to juggle their work in a creatively-dominant career like writing while still having the mental capacity to produce ideas for their own personal brand, and well, that answer didn’t come easily.
In 2021, I hit a wall with writing and content creation.
With the stress and uncertainty that came as a result of the pandemic, to being burned out from having to live off my creativity, I reached a breaking point. For me, writing was always a space to explore my thoughts, process heavy topics, and express concepts that only words could bring reason to. However, when I didn’t have the brainpower to write or create content, I knew it was time to set parameters around my hobby of content creation and my passion for storytelling.
In this case, the biggest challenge was finding the balance between the two by releasing the guilt and shame of taking a break from both in order to reconnect with them.
Through years of trial and error, the fog finally cleared, and I was able to hit my stride in 2023. From garnering over 10K followers on TikTok, building an Instagram community around lifestyle and creative encouragement, along with my wellness collective, Black Girl Playground, and writing for xoNecole as a lifestyle contributor, the creative juices have been flowing steadily.
And it all happened by creating a strategy that allowed space for planning, resting, and creating. Today, I’ll be sharing my top tips to help you find your balance between your side hustle and passions.
On staying inspired and motivated when working on various content creation and freelancing projects:
Early this year, I came to the bright conclusion that I needed to shorten the gap between ideation and execution — and it completely changed how I create.
Oftentimes, when we have an idea come to us, we let it sit for too long, and then before we know it, we’ve either lost the enthusiasm to put it into action, or someone else grabs it. If you want to stay in a flow of creativity, whether side projects or full-time work, it’s important to not get slowed down by self-doubt, procrastination, or perfectionism.
Give yourself permission to act on your ideas as they come to you. Even if they’re a little muddy or not “perfect,” you can always fine-tune them later.
@yagirlaley shrinking the gap between [ideation] + [execution] 🧠💡#fyp #creativeadvice
On the importance of choosing a niche:
If there’s one thing that has helped me balance my work as a writer and content creator, it’s putting each in its own niche (or category). By definition, a niche is a specialized segment of the market or a specific area of expertise.
When you are creating in the same niche that you’re also making a living in, that’s an easy way to get your wires crossed. And at times, this could lead to feeling as if you don’t have any ideas for yourself because you’ve given them to the other area you're juggling.
When balancing two, you want to have enough fresh ideas to give to your personal projects and your full-time work to avoid any overlap. This ensures that your personal creative vision isn’t compromised when working on client projects while still having some for yourself.
On the strategies that have helped to maintain a consistent workflow in both areas:
I can’t stress enough how important it is to create a workflow and structure for yourself as a freelancer — this applies to those with a 9-5 in the day and a 5-9 at night, too.
As someone who admittedly has ADHD tendencies, object permanence can sometimes create a block in time and project management. That’s why I encourage creatives and professionals to create systems that allow you to see the work that’s ahead of you.
Personally, I can’t live without having multiple calendars going at once. My Google calendar keeps track of interviews for articles and events, while my physical calendar helps me keep track of important dates. I also work out of an Excel sheet where I can log in ongoing stories and track their status from drafting to submission. I’ve also heard great things about the Notion app for planning and tracking.
When it comes to creating content, spending time doing bulk content days has been an asset to my creative workflow. When I complete the videos, I save them to my drafts and upload them as needed.
Credit: Amberita
Courtesy of the writer
On the best advice for someone who is considering pursuing both content creation and freelancing simultaneously:
Don’t be ashamed of taking a break and resting — because both are essential to the life of a creative. Last month, I returned to Instagram after taking 6 months off from posting. During that time, I worked on growing my TikTok page, using the platform to practice vulnerability and allowing myself to put the fun back into creating content. Without the time, I can’t say I’d be able to approach Instagram with the same ease and playfulness; but thanks to that time away, it was possible.
Resting, letting our minds wander, or simply doing nothing are all just as productive as creating. No one can produce at all times, we have to allow ourselves the space for new concepts and ideas to flow to us. In addition to that, when we take breaks from social media, it allows us to stop the wheel of comparison and consume more than we create. So if you feel like you’re in a creative rut with all you want to balance, it may be time to take a step back, unapologetically.
Your creativity will thank you for it.
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Featured image by Sir Taylor