the wonder of vinegar

I know I haven't updated on family things for us in quite some time, but basically...we've all been sick in one way or another much of this month.  So, not too much new to report.  On that note, I thought I'd pass on a few tips I've learned about vinegar (who knew it can be used for more than just cooking?).  When I began cloth diapering awhile back, my friend Amber (who also sold me the cloth diapers) told me that I should do an extra rinse on my diapers as often as possible with a 1/4 cup of vinegar.  Apparently, it helps restore the pH of the cloth diapers and helps with diaper rash.  Also, I've heard that adding vinegar to the rinse cycle of any laundry is effective.  I really don't know the ins and outs of why it's good, but I've heard this from more than one source.

Another use I've found for vinegar?  Using it as a rinse aid in my dishwasher!  I've actually found that it works better than the rinse aids I buy at the store (and it's much cheaper!).  We don't have a water softener, so we really can tell the difference without the rinse aid.

And finally, although I haven't tried this because I'm still somewhat skeptical...apparently vinegar can replace pretty much any of the regular household cleaners you may have (and thereby saving a ton of money).  We still have a lot of cleaners around here, so maybe when they run out, I will try that.  Does anyone have any experience with cleaning with vinegar?  I guess I'm still learning more about it, but my curiosity has been piqued!  Also, in a quick google search, I found this book that seems like it would be a great resource for starting to clean with vinegar.  I can't really review it since I've never read it, but if you are interested, it was recommended on another site.  Happy cleaning!