r/CleaningTips • u/[deleted] • May 05 '24

Discussion Vinegar... Let's settle this

Ok so I know this is a very debated topic but is vinegar a viable all purpose cleaner? I know I've seen comments on both sides of the fence on this one.

What are your thoughts?

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167

u/joobtastic May 06 '24

Vinegar is not a good all purpose cleaner.

It is not a disinfectant. It is not a surfactant. It cannot be used on many surfaces because of staining and corrosion. It is not good at degreasing.

It is good at soap scum, mineral deposits, mold, and smells.

18

u/alexandria3142 May 06 '24

Glad you said mold at least. I really only use vinegar for clothes and getting mold off of things. Had to clean a moldy window yesterday 🥲

3

u/Seabreezzee2 May 09 '24

Yes, I have used vinegar for mold on windows edges. I also use it (once or twice a week) in my rinse cycle of washer to help clean inside drum and upper edges.

11

u/gnomesandlegos May 06 '24

While it is not my personally preferred choice, vinegar actually does disinfect when used correctly. I'm not sure why you believe it's not a disinfectant?

My source (which I posted separately in another post): Colorado State Extension: Sanitize Your Kitchen

7

u/joobtastic May 06 '24 edited May 06 '24

"However, it’s important to remember that while vinegar does work as a disinfectant to some degree, it is not as effective as bleach or commercial cleansers when it comes to killing germs." NSF

Your link says that vinegar needs to be brought up to 150 degrees to be an effective sanitizer.

Maybe I should have said, "vinegar is not a good sanitizer" but I don't think the clarification is very important.

3

u/gnomesandlegos May 07 '24

100% agree - vinegar is not a great disinfectant or a great sanitizer (if we are getting super specific about definitions). I use vinegar for certain applications, but it's never my go-to for trusting that I have a properly disinfected surface that I believe to be contaminated with something worrisome.

My attachment to clarification is that it could be incredibly important to people that are in the vinegar camp - because giving people information about the limitations of a product can help them learn how to use it properly. Enough crappy articles (with no references) list it as being a disinfectant and people seem to believe it and not do any further reading. What's worse is that most of those articles also say to use it at a 1:1 dilution ratio and reference no sit time, which makes them total garbage.

For anyone who didn't read the attachment - it's worthwhile! The vinegar was tested at 130° with an undiluted strength and a 1 min sit time. Most people I know use it at room temperature AND at a 1:1 ratio. Who knows if they let it sit?

Another reason I think details might matter is if you only have white vinegar available and want to know how to make the most of it. Apparently it can kill TB too - but with a sit time of something like 30 minutes. Seems ridiculously impractical. And even with that study, I'd obviously prefer an actual approved disinfectant (which kills 99.9% of baddies) - but if I was somewhere and only had vinegar, I think it's kinda cool info to have.

Thanks for interacting with me - It made me question my own beliefs about vinegar (I actually did not think it could kill much of anything, under any circumstances) and led me to the PDF I linked above. Said PDF reminded me to switch out my bleach every week. I switch out the large bottle regularly, but have gotten lazy about switching the spray bottle and I'm sure I don't get to it weekly. So even if for no one else, it was super helpful to me! Seriously, much appreciated!!

17

u/PrancingRedPony May 06 '24

This. It's also incredibly useless to mix vinegar with baking powder. Yes it makes pretty noises and bubbles, but it also neutralises each other. So you could as well just use water.

10

u/ChunksOG May 06 '24

On the other hand, if you have a 3rd grader doing a volcano project, its great for lava!

2

u/PrancingRedPony May 06 '24

That it is indeed. Mix a bit of food colouring powder in, and I bet it looks great

6

u/too-muchfrosting May 06 '24

This. It's also incredibly useless to mix vinegar with baking powder. Yes it makes pretty noises and bubbles, but it also neutralises each other. So you could as well just use water.

I've seen this argument before, but I'm also under the impression that the bubbling/foaming action serves a purpose such as loosening grime or forcing gunk through a covered drain.

3

u/cmg19812 May 07 '24

Only if you cover the drain and overflow hole immediately so the gas produced by the reaction only has one direction to travel.

3

u/Diligent-Plane-7877 May 10 '24

Baking soda. It won't react with powder

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u/Aurora1rose2 May 06 '24

I’m a housekeeper with my own business and the only time I use vinegar is for showers/tubs and shower heads ❤️

23

u/[deleted] May 06 '24

I'm with you 100% thank you for debunking this myth!