Does it really work or is it a myth? Why you shouldn't mix baking soda with vinegar for cleaning

The combination of baking soda and vinegar is considered a miracle cleaner. To use it, you first need to cover the surface with soda and then pour vinegar over it. This causes a chemical reaction that can cope with even the most stubborn stains. However, is there any scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of this combination, informs Ukr.Media.

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a base with a pH of 9, making it excellent for neutralizing and removing grease stains. In contrast, vinegar, which is a solution of dilute acetic acid, functions as an acid with a pH of 2 and is excellent at breaking down mineral deposits such as calcium and magnesium found in hard water.

However, when mixing these two ingredients, the results are not always outstanding, especially when considering their effects in the long term. During the reaction, baking soda and vinegar form carbonic acid, which is unstable and quickly decomposes into water and carbon dioxide.

The result is the release of carbon dioxide—the same gas you see when the two substances interact. If you want a more powerful effect, you can simply breathe on the surface you're cleaning before you start cleaning, the scientists say.

In particular, at the stage when the mixture is still fizzing, it has a slightly alkaline reaction and can indeed help remove grease, but not as effectively as baking soda alone. Vinegar, in turn, reduces the ability of baking soda to fight grease stains, and baking soda reduces the beneficial properties of vinegar in fighting mineral deposits.

The best effect is achieved when baking soda and vinegar are used separately. They should only be mixed in cases where you need to create a mechanical bubbling action to remove stains or clean pipes.

Джерело: Source