A reader asks Heloise about vinegar strengths. Heloise’s answer was published in Goerie.com and is noted below:
There are two percentages of vinegar, 5 percent and 9 percent, available in Texas and some Southern states, but not in all parts of the country.
The 5 percent typically is the one people use with food. The 9 percent does a great job of cleaning (and pickling), but it also can cost more.
However, the price is almost proportionate to the strength. Yes, you can dilute the 9 percent with 1/2 water to get about 4.5 percent, which is pretty close to 5 percent.
Vinegar is cheaper and more eco-friendly than chemical cleaning products. This is why I love vinegar. There are many more hints and uses in my vinegar pamphlet. To receive one, send $5, along with a long, self-addressed, stamped (65 cents) envelope, to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.
To help keep car windows frost- and ice-free when the vehicle sits outside, coat all the windows with a solution of 3 parts white or cider vinegar mixed with 1 part water. — Heloise