The Three Things You Should Never Mix with Vinegar (2024)

FAQs

The Three Things You Should Never Mix with Vinegar? ›

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.

Bleach + vinegar

“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.

Can you clean with vinegar and bleach? You should never clean with these two ingredients combined. Mixing chlorine bleach, which contains sodium hypochlorite, with any type of acid like vinegar creates chlorine gas, a dangerous chemical that's deadly in high volumes.

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. You can, however, alternate spraying hydrogen peroxide and vinegar on a surface. Just make sure to wipe the surface between sprays.

Another potentially risky combo is ammonia and vinegar, which creates a high-pH solution that can cause skin irritation or burns. “Additionally, the combination can produce an unpleasant odor,” Vuong says.

'Avoid using vinegar on natural stones like granite and marble as the acid in the vinegar could not only dull the stone, but also cause spills to penetrate the surface of the stone leaving permanent stains and etching, since vinegar can easily damage any sealers applied to the stone surface,' explains Janice Stewart.

This match made in heaven has been a household staple for a long time and I make sure to keep it handy. 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.

Acetic acid which is present in vinegar is also known as Ethanoic acid. Hence now we know that vinegar reacts with sodium chloride to form hydrochloric acid.

Unlike the bleach-ammonia mixture, combining soda and vinegar won't hurt anyone — but don't expect the mixture to do a good job cleaning, either.

However, this doesn't mean that combining the two will create a super-cleaner — in fact, it actually puts your health at serious risk. Mixing vinegar and bleach together releases a poisonous chlorine gas, which can be fatal if inhaled at high enough concentrations.

Is it better to clean with vinegar or hydrogen peroxide? ›

Vinegar works well on dirt, mold and mineral deposits as well as on other acid stains including coffee. Therefore, you may have found vinegar did a good job removing your coffee or tea stain. Hydrogen peroxide works differently than vinegar and is better at removing different types of stains.

Lemon juice is an acid. When you mix an acid and an acid no reaction happens. You are simply combining two very effective cleaning ingredients into one product. The lemon also helps mask the smell of vinegar, if you are averse to the smell of vinegar.

However, note that vinegar is acidic and ammonia is basic. When mixed together, they cancel each other out and removes their cleaning properties. You'll basically be creating a saltwater solution that's not cleaning your windows at all. It's best to avoid combining cleaning chemicals.

Don't use hydrogen peroxide on wounds

“Hydrogen peroxide has fallen out of favor as a wound cleanser,” Dr. Beers says. “Studies have found that it irritates the skin. It may prevent the wound from healing, doing more harm than good.”

Yes, you can mix Lysol and vinegar. Things that have bleach or ammonia in them will explicitly state it on the label to avoid that kind of mixing. Unless the Lysol says otherwise, it's only active ingredient is quaternary ammonium salts, which are safe to mix.

This is because vinegar is a great cleaning agent for crockery and utensils because of its acidic nature. However, you should never mix it with bleach for cleaning purposes or in any other situation. It can be extremely dangerous as it produces chlorine gas when mixed even at low levels.

The vinegar can also interact with some drugs, such as diuretics, laxatives, and insulin. Always ask your doctor if it's safe to use ACV with your current medications. If you have low potassium levels (hypokalemia), too much apple cider vinegar could make the condition worse.

Is there any harm in trying vinegar, though? Vinegar is fine to use on food and when mixed with water, juice, or another liquid is safe to drink. However, with a pH between 2.4 and 3.3, vinegar is acidic enough to erode tooth enamel, inflame the esophagus and stomach, and trigger nausea and acid reflux.