Baking Soda and Vinegar Together?

Dear Annie,
I have been cleaning with vinegar for years. Now people are adding baking soda? Don’t they just neutralize each other?
—Shamana

Dear Shamana,
Yes, children are taught about acids and bases using baking soda and vinegar because they are opposites. They make a fun “volcano” with a heap of baking soda (mountain) and vinegar, which is added in a drizzle down the top, resulting in “lava.” When combined, baking soda and vinegar neutralize each other in a safe bubbly, hissing kind of way.

Baking soda is alkaline, a base, with a pH of around 8.1. Vinegar is acidic, and most commercial distilled white vinegars contain 5 percent acetic acid and has a pH of about 2.4. Neutral is 7.0.

There is one instance when I recommend combining baking soda and vinegar, and that is in the drain. Sometimes the bubbling and hissing in the drain when you combine these two is enough to dislodge hair and gummy buildup. (I recommend a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a cup of vinegar.)

Otherwise, readers take note that when you combine baking soda with vinegar you end up with a neutral liquid that isn’t much use for cleaning.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Dale O.

9:26PM PDT on May 15, 2012

Baking soda and vinegar are often a winning combination especially to prevent the sink drain from getting clogged up. Sometimes it just amuses me to combine these and watch the bubbles in the sink. Like the idea in the comments about cleaning gunk from car batteries/connections to remove the corrosion.
If I have an upset stomach I mix baking soda with water with a few drops of lemon. Some health people say that without the lemon juice technically the other two can potentially rupture the stomach but have used it for decades and have not imploded yet. Since I always have lemons on hand so just add a few drops for the taste.

send a green star

Ralph H.

9:18AM PDT on May 11, 2012

Okay, that was thick as a brick.

Replace baking soda with Hydrogen Peroxide and read my previous post again. That's what I use for cleaning.
Vinegar alone is enough for veggie wash (I use a vegetable brush as well on fruit etc.).
Now I'm going back to bed.

9:09AM PDT on May 11, 2012

Don't mix them together...use one and then the other for killing of bacteria and cleaning. I have 2 separate spray bottles, each clearly marked and filled. One with vinegar and one with baking soda.

Joseph F.

7:17AM PDT on May 11, 2012

If you use baking soda and vinegar in your drains somewhat regularly (once every two weeks or so), it should prevent clogs from ever forming in the first place.

Despina V.

12:08AM PDT on Apr 16, 2012

thank you

Teresa W.

10:51AM PDT on Apr 14, 2012

I thought it was a recipe for homemade soda water. ;-)

leslie c.

3:30AM PDT on Apr 13, 2012

Thanks. Baking soda & vinegar are our friends.

Colleen P.

10:36AM PDT on Apr 9, 2012

My daughter is 17 with long hair and it was feeling greasy to her. A friend told me about using Baking Soda. I didn't to it right away. Did it last night and she is so Happy. She said her hair feels Normal again, to a teenager who is on Drill team hair is everything. Just for fun I did it this morning. I agree it feel more normal.Then I did the Vinegar and Baking Soda down my drains. I'm having fun with Baking Soda. Thank You Colleen

Rebecca N.

6:38PM PST on Jan 29, 2012

I have tried using these two together to unclog drains, but it didn't work for mine. Had to call a plumber who ended up using one of those snakes. I love to use both of these separately for cleaning though.

Angelica P.

10:39AM PST on Jan 22, 2012

Thanks!