Browsing through some old recipe books that my mother had given me, which, incidentally, were almost like parchment as she had inherited them from her mother, I came across several pages devoted to some simple truths that I was unaware of. A couple of these painstakingly handwritten pages were devoted to the many uses of vinegar that must have been gleaned from ancient issues of Woman & Home or Women's Weekly which my grandmother used to treasure and hoard.

• Application of ice-cold vinegar on burns will help prevent blisters and give fast relief.
• Sagging cane chairs? Make a solution of ½ vinegar and ½ hot water and sponge them. Dry the chairs in the sun for best results
• Adding a spoonful of vinegar to water while cooking cauliflower keeps it looking fresh and white
• Did you know that by wrapping it in a vinegar-soaked cloth and storing it in a sealed container, cheese could be kept fresh longer?
• A vinegar-dampened cloth will remove stains from stainless steel and chrome
• Want to have spotless glasses and dishes? Just rinse them in water to which a little vinegar has been added and see the spots and film vanish
• Ovens can be kept clean and greaseless by frequently wiping them with vinegar
• Wiping jars of pickles and other canned food with vinegar will prevent mould-producing bacteria from invading them
• Mildew, dust and odours can be eliminated from walls by wiping them with vinegar-soaked cloth
• For sparkling windows, clean with vinegar and water
• Simmering hardened paint brushes in boiling vinegar and washing them with in hot, soapy water will make them soft and reusable
• To keep bread boxes and other storage containers clean and fresh-smelling, wipe them with cloth dipped in vinegar
• Clogged drains? Pour boiling vinegar down them to unclog and clean them
• You can make an excellent all-purpose cleaner right in your house by mixing vinegar with salt. This mixture will clean copper, bronze, brass, all your dishes, pots and pans, glassware etc to a sparkle. Remember to rinse well
• When making ketchup at home, use vinegar to make it last longer
• Did you know that respiratory congestion can clear up if you inhale the vapour from a steaming pot of water mixed with several spoons of vinegar?
• Boiling eggs? Adding a spoonful of vinegar to the water will prevent leakage of the egg-white from a cracked egg. A tsp of vinegar added while poaching eggs will prevent separation
• Did you know that vinegar prevents fat from accumulating in the body? Adding vinegar will aid in weight loss
• A spoonful of vinegar added while cooking fruit will improve the flavour
• Desserts can be improved by adding a dash of vinegar
• Do you believe in adding herbs to your dishes? Remember that steeping the herb in vinegar will give it a pleasing taste and aroma
• Applying vinegar to chapped, cracked skin will help heal it faster. It also promotes skin health. Just rub it on tired, swollen areas and see the difference
• If your tea kettle has a lime coating, remove it by adding vinegar to water and allowing it to stand overnight
• Cooking cabbage? Avoid the odour by adding vinegar to the water in which you are cooking it
• Adding a spot of vinegar to your pet's drinking water will give it a shiny coat
• To prevent discolouration of peeled potatoes, simply add a few drops of vinegar to the water. It will keep fresh for several days in the fridge
• 1 tsp of vinegar added to the water in which the rice is cooked will make the rice fluffier and whiter
• Adding vinegar to water in which clothes are rinsed will remove all traces of soap and prevent yellowing
• Boiling vinegar in pots and casseroles will remove stubborn stains

I hope you find these many uses of vinegar as useful as I did. Grandma's secrets unfolded, reveal many such uses of common household stuff that may have been forgotten over a period of time. Should you, dear reader, come across such tips, please do share them with us and save them from extinction.

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