The bottom line: Think twice before mixing once.
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Cleaning is one chore many of us loathe. And when it comes to stubborn messes and tough stains, you may feel the urge to start mixing ingredients together in an effort to make the ultimate cleaning product. But before you turn your kitchen into a chemistry lab, beware of the dangers to your health and your home that can potentially arise when mixing cleaning products together.
“Don’t take chances when it comes to the safe use of cleaning products,” says Brian Sansoni from the American Cleaning Institute. “Mixing cleaning products can lead to irritated airways, respiratory problems, or burns to your skin, eyes, throat, nose, and lungs.”
While vinegar is a common pantry staple that many people clean their homes with, you should think twice before you mix the acidic solution with the three things below. Check out the 95 ways you can safely use vinegar around your house.
Hydrogen peroxide + vinegar
You may assume that combining these two ingredients in the same bottle will boost their cleaning power, but it’s more likely to increase your risk of going to the emergency room. In fact, together they’re quite potent. “Combining these two cleaning solutions creates peracetic acid,” says Sansoni. “It’s corrosive and an irritant that can harm your skin, eyes, nose, and throat in high concentrations.”
Bleach + vinegar
Bleach smells quite pungent by itself. But the smell grows even more acrid once you add vinegar because the combination releases chlorine and chloramine vapors, which can cause a chemical burn. “Many cleaning products use either bleach or ammonia, and mixing them [with vinegar] can cause this reaction, which is why you should never mix any kind of cleaning product,” says Sansoni.
Baking soda + vinegar
Each of these products can easily clean a mess on its own, but together, they lose their ability to effectively clean your home. If you mix acidic vinegar with basic baking soda and stow them away in a closed container, the mixture can be quite explosive—literally. That’s because vinegar causes baking soda to foam up and explode. But, despite the explosive nature of the two ingredients, you’re essentially left with nothing more than water and a bit of sodium acetate—virtually useless at cleaning surfaces.
If you decide to make a cleaning product from scratch, Sansoni recommends you double check the safety of the combinations, list all the ingredients on the container, and keep the bottle out of reach of children and pets. And always test the homemade product before using it. His lesson here is that “you save a lot of time and trouble by using formulated cleaning products that come with details on safe and proper use and storage.”
FAQs
So, while you can use baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and bleach on their own for cleaning purposes, we recommend that you avoid mixing them with vinegar. However, if you have accidentally mixed either of these, it is best to dispose of the mix outside immediately.
What is unsafe to mix with vinegar? ›
Combining hydrogen peroxide and vinegar can create a potentially dangerous chemical reaction. "The mixture can produce peracetic acid, a corrosive substance that can irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory system," says Alicia Sokolowski, the president and co-CEO of AspenClean.
What not to put vinegar on? ›
10 Things You Should Never Clean with Vinegar
- Anything That Contains Chlorine Bleach. ...
- Marble, Granite, and Other Natural Stone Surfaces. ...
- Grout. ...
- Stainless Steel. ...
- Waxed or Unfinished Wood. ...
- Cast Iron. ...
- Electronics. ...
- Rubber Gaskets and Hoses.
It's also important to mix vinegar with other ingredients carefully. “Never mix vinegar with other cleaning products like bleach or ammonia or those 'blue' window cleaning products [like Windex], because they can create dangerous chlorine gas,” Gayman says.
What can vinegar be mixed with? ›
While cleaning vinegar can be combined with some other cleaners, like dishwashing liquid, never mix cleaning vinegar and chemical cleaners, like chlorine bleach, which, when combined, produce toxic fumes. Choose one or the other—clean your oven with vinegar and baking soda or use a good commercial oven cleaner.
Will vinegar damage toilet bowl? ›
Vinegar and baking soda are fine to flush down your toilet.
If you turned off the water to your toilet tank, reach behind the toilet and twist the valve to turn it back on again. Then, flush the toilet once to get rid of all the vinegar and baking soda and reveal your shiny, clean toilet bowl.
What happens if you use vinegar and laundry detergent together? ›
Then, the contents of the fabric softener compartment, which in this case is the vinegar, will be released during the rinse cycle. Pro tip: Make sure to avoid mixing vinegar and laundry detergent as well since vinegar's pH level, when combined with laundry detergent, renders them neutral.
Who should avoid vinegar? ›
You should avoid apple cider vinegar if you're allergic to it, have gastroparesis, or are taking a medication that may interact with it, such as a diuretic.
Why do people avoid vinegar? ›
Because it's high in acid, it could irritate your esophagus (the tube that connects your throat and stomach) if you drink it straight or drink too much of it. Undiluted ACV can also break down tooth enamel.
Does vinegar affect high blood pressure? ›
They discovered this significantly reduced blood pressure levels. A 2022 systematic review states that research into the effect of vinegar on blood pressure has been controversial. The researchers of this review concluded that vinegar is helpful in reducing blood pressure and may be a beneficial treatment.
To make the solution is simple and easy on the wallet! Pour equal parts of vinegar and Dawn into a spray bottle. Gently shake, then spray liberally onto the surface to be cleaned. I have found the best results is when I use it to clean chrome shower and sink fixtures.
When not to use vinegar in laundry? ›
Avoid mixing vinegar with bleach or chlorine bleach products, as the combination is highly toxic and shouldn't be inhaled, says LaLonde. Combining these two cleaning materials also isn't necessary—they both contain acidic properties aimed towards whitening.
Should I mix vinegar with hot or cold water? ›
Cold water can also help loosen some stains that are sensitive to heat, such as those from protein-based substances like eggs, milk or grass. Furthermore, cold water can maintain the potency of some cleaning products that work better at lower temperatures, such as ammonia or vinegar.
What does vinegar and hydrogen peroxide make? ›
Don't mix hydrogen peroxide and vinegar together in the same mixture. This can create peracetic acid, which may be toxic and can irritate your throat and lungs, eyes and skin.
Can I mix vinegar and rubbing alcohol? ›
Mixing alcohol and white vinegar makes a quickly evaporating glass and mirror cleaner that can compete with the cleaning power of national brands. This same recipe can also be used to give a nice shine to ceramic, chrome, and other hard surfaces.
What happens when you mix vinegar and salt? ›
When an acid reacts with base it forms salt. Vinegar is acetic acid CH 3 COOH and simple salt is sodium chloride . The reaction between acid and the salt takes place as follows: Hence from the above reaction, we can say that when vinegar reacts with salt hydrochloric acid is produced.
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