| Think vinegar is merely an ingredient to enhance meals? Think again. From removing laundry stains to repelling insects, a new online survey reveals consumers utilize vinegar for a variety of household chores.
Survey says? Vinegar is Multi-Use Household Product Think vinegar is merely an ingredient to enhance meals? Think again. From removing laundry stains to repelling insects, a new online survey reveals consumers utilize vinegar for a variety of household chores. Conducted by The Vinegar Institute, the web-based survey garnered responses from more than 330 people, primarily women between the ages of 41 and 60. Survey-takers answered questions ranging from how often and why they use vinegar to which types are preferred.
Members of The Vinegar Institute say the results reflect vinegar's versatility as an all-around household product.
"Consumers seem to recognize that vinegar truly is an effective and inexpensive household item," said Pam Chumley, President of The Vinegar Institute. "It acts as a disinfectant, deodorizer and cleaner. Because it is a natural by-product of fruits, vegetables and grains, vinegar is also environmentally-friendly and lacks any harmful toxic chemicals."
Over the centuries, vinegar has been used to treat bee and jellyfish stings and soften dry skin. It is also handy around the house - capable of removing laundry stains, cleaning the oven and even polishing metal. And, of course, it can be used as an ingredient or condiment for many food dishes.
According to the survey - which ran on www.versatilevinegar.org between March and July - most consumers use vinegar for cooking and cleaning. About one-third of the respondents also turn to vinegar for health and wellness purposes, while another 30 percent put it in their laundry to eliminate stains or set colors. Other popular vinegar uses include weed killing, air freshening and repelling insects and other pests.
The results also show that vinegar is predominantly purchased in supermarkets, with white distilled being the most popular type. Other in-demand varieties include apple cider, balsamic, red wine, rice, white wine and malt vinegars.
The findings support statistics previously compiled by the Institute, dividing vinegar users into one of three categories. The majority are "visitors," meaning they purchase white distilled vinegar about twice each year, use it a couple times each month and are open to checking out the various uses. The rest are split almost equally between "virgins" - those unaware of the resilience of white distilled vinegar - and the "visionaries" well-versed with the product's multiple uses.
Additional facts gathered from the online survey show that the majority of the Institute's Web site visitors are there to learn more about vinegar's cleaning uses and environmentally-sound attributes, as well as the varieties of the product. Many consumers also claim to have heard about vinegar's multiple uses through a family member.
"We are pleased so many of the survey respondents are familiar with vinegar's various applications and we hope people continue to share this knowledge with others," said Jeannie Milewski, the Institute's Executive Director. "Vinegar often serves as a solution to many household problems."
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