The legend of white vinegar continues to grow. Home cleaning's secret weapon shone through in a video by a gardener dealing with rusty tools.
The scoop
Nikki Adams (@nikkis_garden_adventure), a content creator on TikTok, showed how secondhand gardening tools can benefit from vinegar's effectiveness.
@nikkis_garden_adventure Cut #rust with #vinegar definitely impressed with how good it worked #gardentools #tipsandtricks also used #aluminumfoil as a #scrubbrush #fyp #handytrick #rustytools #gardeningtips ♬ Lo-fi hip hop - NAO-K
Someone had given her super-rusty garden shears that weren't ready for use without a major clean. She'd seen elsewhere that vinegar could be effective in getting the rust off after an overnight vinegar bath.
Since Adams had been using scissors and knives to do the shears' job in the garden, she figured it was "worth a shot" to try something to unlock the shears. After a mishap with a too-shallow bowl, Adams was ready to put white vinegar to the test by submerging the shears in it.
The cleaning extraordinaire passed with flying colors. Just a couple of hours later, Adams showed how rust was already coming off. A few days later, the difference was night and day. To finish it off, she noted that the shears would ideally get a scrub with steel wool.
She didn't have any of that on hand, so she subbed in crumpled aluminum foil to scrub the metal clean. No problem, as Adams shows the results of her handiwork.
Stay warm all winter long with the Apple of intelligent space heaters Kelvin is the Apple of space heaters, designed for energy efficiency and maximum comfort. It's completely silent and intelligently controlled, with setup taking just 5 minutes. Built from premium materials like aluminum and glass, Kelvin works beautifully as a full-home heating system or as the perfect solution for that one room that never feels warm enough. |
"I was so impressed," she concludes. "Like, look how clean this thing got."
How it's helping
Natural cleaners, like white vinegar, are a cost-effective alternative to store-bought options. That can save gardeners and homeowners money by reducing the need to buy a new product for cleaning tasks.
In Adams' case, the vinegar was able to revitalize the rusty shears and thus save the tool from ending up in a landfill. It also meant she wasn't tempted to have to buy a whole new pair of shears for her gardening.
Another benefit of natural cleaners like vinegar is avoiding hazardous additives that some cleaning products contain. Finding ways to use products you already have around the house can also help the planet by reducing plastic packaging.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
|
Would you take a gardening class if it were free?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Heck yes! 💯 White vinegar continues to be an essential and versatile tool for those looking to maintain cleanliness and sustainability at home.
What everyone's saying
TikTokers were receptive to Adams' use of vinegar and also liked the aluminum-foil substitution. They even had some hacks of their own for using the foil to further enhance the shears.
"Ooo this is so helpful," one wrote.
"The foil hack is gonna save me because steel wool breaks my hands out so bad," another shared.
"Should be able to sharpen with the tin foil too," a viewer suggested. "Just cut through folded foil multiple times."
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
Cool Picks
