Mixing baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid) causes a chemical reaction that produces a salt (sodium acetate) and water, as well as carbon dioxide gas. In this demonstration, baking soda is placed in a balloon that is attached to a flask holding vinegar.
A chemical reaction between the vinegar and the baking soda produces bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. The dish detergent in the vinegar helps the bubbles last longer than they would with just vinegar and baking soda.
Baking Soda + Vinegar
"Baking soda is basic and vinegar is acidic," says Bock. "When you put them together you get mostly water and sodium acetate. But really, just mostly water." Plus, vinegar causes baking soda to foam up. If stored in a closed container, the mixture can explode.
Mixing baking soda with apple cider vinegar may lead to a chemical reaction that produces gas, which might cause bloating in people who ingest the mixture. These two kitchen ingredients may also interact with certain medications and cause side effects of varying severity.
Both baking soda and vinegar are highly caustic. They are, in fact, able to dissolve certain materials that one would not normally think of as being dissolvable. However, the extreme amounts of acid in vinegar, along with its acidic nature, are what cause the drain to become blocked.
Adding vinegar to baking soda gives you an immediate reaction. Adding baking soda to vinegar, the reaction is delayed, but then fizzes the same amount. More vinegar is better. A 12 to 1 ratio of vinegar to baking soda caused a fizzing explosion!
The baking soda reacted faster with vinegar than baking powder did and also produced more bubbles. The baking powder also bubbled when vinegar was added, but the overall reaction was slower and the bubbles did not rise as high in the cup as they did with baking soda.
Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is an acid. When they're combined, acids “donate” protons to bases; in this case, it's acetic acid lending a hydrogen proton to the bicarbonate. When bicarbonate gains a hydrogen proton, it forms carbonic acid (or H2CO3) which is unstable and eventually decomposes.
If your drain is clogged, clean it by pouring a pan of boiling water down the drain. Follow the water with 1 cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar. You'll probably see some bubbles as the chemical reaction works its magic and opens your drain.
Cleaning with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in the bathroom can work really well. To clean your toilet with vinegar, pour a cup of vinegar in the toilet bowl and let sit overnight. The next morning, sprinkle a little baking soda into the bowl, scrub, and then flush clean.
Put white vinegar into a spray bottle. Sprinkle baking soda into the bath and then spray the vinegar on top of it. After that scrub hard with a brush. Then rinse.
Although mixing vinegar and baking soda is not considered dangerous, you should still avoid mixing these in a container. Vinegar is acidic and basic soda is basic, so the by-products are sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water that are not toxic.
When vinegar is mixed with bicarbonate of soda, the release of carbon dioxide gas is seen in the form of bubbles. We cannot get back our original substances since it is an irreversible change.
Deep-cleaning scrub — Great for soap scum and mildew. Mix 1 to 2/3 cups baking soda, ½ cup castile soap or other quality liquid dish detergent, ½ cup water, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar.
The Science: Baking soda is a bicarbonate (made of carbon) and vinegar is an acid. When the two combine, they react and create carbon dioxide, which causes the bubbles. With the addition of dish soap, even more bubbles are created as the reaction occurs.
You can clean toilet stains with a toilet brush, baking soda, and white vinegar. Household cleaning ingredients like Borax or a wet pumice stone can also scrub away tough mineral stains.
Citric acid
More importantly, it's probably even more effective than vinegar for getting rid of that brown stain in the toilet. Simply pour a kettle of almost boiling water into the bowl, follow up with 250ml of citric acid, and leave it for some hours – preferably overnight. The next day, scrub and flush.
Odor Toilet Tank FAQ
White vinegar and baking soda in equal parts is a cost-efficient and effective means of getting rid odors in a toilet. Add them to the tank, mix them in and then use the toilet brush to gently scrub the tank. Let it sit for a few hours, scrub the tank again and flush.
Vinegar is a great toilet cleaning solution. Not only is it free of chemicals and naturally antibacterial, it's also an acid, so it will remove minor lime and calcium deposits. All you need to do is pour a couple cups of vinegar in your tank and let it sit for an hour or so, then scrub and flush to rinse.
Cleaning Grout with Baking Soda
Mix baking soda, a few drops of dish soap, and enough water to make a cleaning paste. Apply the paste liberally, let it sit for 20 minutes, then scrub the grout with a toothbrush and rinse.
Cleaning: Baking Soda acts a cleaning agent because it is a mild alkali and can cause dirt and grease to dissolve easily in water for effective removal.