Today I would like to discuss with you the truth about cleaning with baking soda & vinegar! The question is, is it a hoax?
If you read any website about homemade cleaners, odds are they talk about baking soda and vinegar. Many recipes even combine the two to make different cleaners!
After publishing this DIY cleaning guide, I received many emails from readers about baking soda and vinegar.
If you head to this guide, you may notice I say do NOT mix baking soda and vinegar for a drain cleaner. In fact, I say it can clog it!
This is what sparked some conversation because thousands of website list this as a homemade drain cleaner.
So, let me tell you the truth about cleaning with baking soda & vinegar!
Here is the deal. There is chemistry going on when you make your own cleaners or homemade solutions. If you have our eBook, I even have a chemical reference guide with some chemistry background to all the items we use.
This is also the truth about baking soda and vinegar. They don’t just combine, they chemically react.
Baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, has a chemical formula of NaHC03. It is a base meaning it is the opposite of an acid. This is why it does such a good job for baking and cleaning.
Vinegar, acetic acid, has a chemical formula of CH3COOH. It is very acidic, so it has a low pH. It’s acidic properties make it a great cleaner for removing debris.
When you combine the two, a chemical reaction occurs!
NaHC03+ CH3COOH →NAC2H302 (sodium acetate)+ H20 (water) + CO2 (carbon dioxide)
You have probably seen how reacting the two together in a bottle makes it bubble and blow up! This was one of the first things I learned in science as a kid!
Combing vinegar and baking soda definitely creates a reaction. Part of it does become water and part becomes carbon dioxide (these are the gas bubbles). The other part is a salt, sodium acetate which is also basic on the pH scale. So, they don’t completely neutralize, although they are close to neutralization on the pH scale.
The thing is, once they react, they are done. When you combine them, it reacts, bubbles, fizzes, and then the reaction is complete!
It does not react again, and this is the key when it comes to cleaning!
I have one recipe that uses baking soda and vinegar, but I don’t combine them in a bottle. They are applied separate. This recipe is our homemade carpet cleaner. The reaction between the two is what breaks up the stains! This is why it works so well. Once this reaction occurs, they will no longer react.
No, they will react in the bottle, but then it is done. If you combine the two in a bottle for cleaning, you are really just getting a salt. It doesn’t do anything for you!
Like I mentioned above, I say that baking soda is not good for drains when combined with vinegar. Why? It doesn’t do much for you when it comes to grease. The two will initially combine to break up the particles found on the surface of the drain, but once they make it down, the reaction is already done.
This doesn’t truly clear out a drain. It will help, but not for most grease like stains. This is more suited for bathroom like drains. It can help with water and soap buildup which is mainly just vinegar working! Acid Is great for soap scum and water deposits.
For heavy clogs in kitchen drains, you are better off using a surfactant of some kind (like dishwashing liquid and boiling water).
The truth about cleaning with baking soda and vinegar is they do have benefits, but it is the reaction that makes them good for certain things. Once that reaction takes place, they no longer have a cleaning quality. This is why they don’t need to be combined in a bottle or anything like that!
I highly recommend trying them out with our homemade carpet cleaner! It is one of the best ways to get rid of stains, old and new!
If you want to make homemade cleaners, I recommend checking out our science based DIY cleaning guide. This is the perfect way to get started and make sure you are using everything in the correct way. Even though homemade cleaners are easy and safe, it is easy to use them wrong!
For instance, I see people ALL over the internet taking about vinegar being the best all-purpose cleaner. The fact is, it isn’t! Vinegar, as we have shown in this post, is acidic! Very acidic. It can eat away on anything made of natural stone which many homes have today. If you use it regularly, it will damage surfaces. This is why I like to use rubbing alcohol for things. Read more about that in this post.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or leave a comment! I love hearing from readers 🙂
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