The origin of the word vinegar can be traced back to the Latin words for wine, 'vinum,' and sharp, 'acer' and the French words for wine, 'vin' and sour, 'aigre.' The word 'vinaigre' literally means sour wine. Vinegar was discovered quite by accident when a cask of wine, past its time, fermented and turned sour. That was the humble beginnings of a product that has been working wonders ever since.

Vinegar is a natural bi-product of a food organism. Throughout the centuries the natural sugar found in fruits, such as apples, grapes, berries, melons and coconuts have been turned into vinegar. Natural starches found in vegetables and grains, such as potatoes, corn, barley, wheat, rye and rice have also been used. The sugar or starch is turned into alcohol first and then completely ferments into vinegar. Today, pure White Vinegar, the most common and widely used vinegar, is primarily made from the alcohol derived from corn. There is no alcohol in the finished vinegar.

5% acetic acid, household vinegar is in the pantry of virtually every home in Canada - 97%, according to a 2002 Usage Study, and probably has more uses than anything else in your house. Vinegar is used as a food condiment, an ingredient in baking and cooking and in salad dressings, mayonnaise, mustards, ketchup, salsa, for pickling and preserving, BBQ and hot sauces, marinades and as an all-purpose household cleaner.

Vinegar's acetic properties make it 'The Perfect Household Cleaner'™. Pure White Vinegar has been prized for generations for its usefulness as a stain remover, mildew eliminator, soap scum dissolver, chrome polisher, lime descaler, fabric softener, room deodorizer and as an unclogging agent.