Vinegar – The Little Bottle That Could

A few weeks ago, I was in my local Jewel-Osco (“Jewels” for those in the Chicago area) looking for vinegar. Our kitchen sink was clogged, and I needed the combination of baking soda and vinegar to unclog it.

I wandered up and down the cleaning aisle, looking for the white vinegar. Nothing. I looked again. Nothing.

Finally, I saw a worker coming towards me, so I asked her where it was. She paused, confused. “Why are you looking for vinegar in the cleaning aisle?”

I explained that my mother used vinegar for just about everything. She said she’d never heard of using vinegar for anything but cooking — but to her credit, she was fascinated and vowed to try it on her windows that weekend.

There were five things my mother refused to run out of in our house: bleach, ammonia, baking soda, Comet or Ajax, and vinegar. The other ingredients, while crucial, had limited usage. You can’t cook with bleach or ammonia or Comet. But vinegar?

Once I grew up and had my own place to take care of, I didn’t use vinegar. I thought my mother used it to save money because it was so versatile. But me? I could afford the lavender-scented disinfectant wipes. I could afford Windex. I gladly added the Gain scent boosters to my laundry. Why would I need vinegar?

How wrong I was. As prices for everything continue to skyrocket, I started thinking of how my mother could make a way out of no way — and how she used vinegar for almost everything. Vinegar and newspapers would make the mirrors and windows sparkle without a streak. Vinegar in the laundry makes it smell fresher than any ten-dollar scent booster. And the grease that gathers above the stove when your husband forgets to turn on the fan? It helps that, too.

Our ancestors worked and sacrificed so we could have better lives. In large part, they’ve succeeded. But let’s not forget the things they did that worked. And worked well. When they had no choice, they got creative. The result? Traditions, culture. Our traditions. Our culture.

Let’s not lose them.