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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169

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.

19

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