Vinegar and Baking Soda - Is This Cleaning Hack Fact or Fiction

Introduction

There are a lot of crazy cleaning hacks on YouTube and Pinterest that don't work, and we’re going to start calling them out!

“Rub vinegar and baking soda on your stovetop and watch what happens” – here’s a hint; not much. Cleaning a stove with baking soda and vinegar may not be as effective as you've been led to believe. The majority of these hacks are not founded on scientific knowledge and may do you more harm than good.

Vinegar and Baking Soda Hack Debunked

Baking soda and vinegar are essential ingredients for eco-friendly home cleaning. Both pantry staples work well for homemade cleaning products. The problem is that combining them does not work. When you mix vinegar with baking soda, carbon dioxide is released, resulting in the formation of carbonic acid. This then dissolves into plain water, effectively neutralising each other out. With no cleaning capabilities at all.

Combining Vinegar and Baking Soda Tried and Tested

We decided to personally try the popular cleaning hack, and here is what happened.

1. Combine Vinegar and Baking Soda: Put some baking soda in a small bowl. Slowly pour white vinegar into this bowl, this reaction fizzes and bubbles, and that is about it. Doing very little for cleaning the surface. When this reaction occurs, they lose their ability to clean.
2. Scrub the Stove Top: Pour the mix over the stove top and scrub in with half a lemon. The only thing that works is the abrasive effect of the baking soda.
3. Wipe It Down: Wipe clean with a microfibre cloth.
4. The result: Not as clean as we have been led to believe.

Final Thoughts on Using Baking Soda and Vinegar

Looking back at this, we can confirm that it did not work. We would have achieved the same result if we used hot water. The mix had no grease cutting capabilities. The glass was still covered in a film of grease, and did not remove any caked-on food residues. When used independently, each ingredient is terrific. Just be informed about the science behind these common pantry items.

Interested in more? Why not read our article Debunked: Use Coke to clean your bathroom or how to properly clean a stovetop naturally.