Cleaning with vinegar - careful!!!

pollypenny

As an avid MSEr, I used vinegar and baking powder to keep sink and shower fresh-smelling.

My visitor had to point out that there was a leak in somewhere in the en-suite shower room.

The shiny metal trap was holed! When OH went to buy a new one, the plumber's merchant asked if I had been using vinegar and baking powder!

No more - I'll buy stuff!

Anyone else discover an old-style cleaning method which ends up costing money?

MrsE_2

My sister ruined her expensive black sink by having a vinegar solution in it, used to clean things.

[Deleted User]

vinegar = acid and will dissolve metal and marble etc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPEN73-XKxw

I used a toilet cleaner with acetic acid (vinegar) yesterday and the fumes were dreadful. I had to open the window else dh would have been gasping. Nothing else but water was in the bowl. I`ll finish the cleaner but I am going back to bleach

MaggieBaking

I'd love to know how you replace the metal thingy... Ours appears welded to the shower and has started to decay!!

Not sure about ruining with vinegar.,, but in our last rented property I RUINED the electric hobs by spraying them with some hideously strong cleaner and forgetting about them.

Everytime you cooked with them afterwards the place stank of pennies. Yuk.

lapis_lazuli

pollypenny wrote: »

the plumber's merchant asked if I had been using vinegar and baking powder!

Haha, busted!! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Kittie wrote:

I used a toilet cleaner with acetic acid (vinegar) yesterday and the fumes were dreadful. I had to open the window else dh would have been gasping. Nothing else but water was in the bowl.

Bleach is an equilibrium between hypochlorite and chorine, and chlorine and water. If you add acid, it pushes the balance in favour of chlorine and water and chlorine gas is liberated into the air. That's why you don't mix toilet cleaner (acid) and bleach (alkali), but I wonder if there was some bleach in your toilet cleaner which was reacting with the vinegar.

pollypenny

The flipping drain is smelling again.

Will baking powder on its own work?

[Deleted User]

lapis_lazuli wrote: »

Bleach is an equilibrium between hypochlorite and chorine, and chlorine and water. If you add acid, it pushes the balance in favour of chlorine and water and chlorine gas is liberated into the air. That's why you don't mix toilet cleaner (acid) and bleach (alkali), but I wonder if there was some bleach in your toilet cleaner which was reacting with the vinegar.

errr, I have a degree in science I used a toilet cleaner which contains acetic acid. No bleach anywhere near

[Deleted User]

pollypenny, get on your hands and knees and try to lift the little round grill. Then make a small hook with an old wire coat hanger and fish for what is there. You will bring up great smelly piles of slimy hair. When finished then use something like washing soda and boiling water to make the whole thing sweet again

I also do the shower base along the door rails about once a month with a polti steam cleaner (also used a very good aldi one in the past). There is always a good amount of yellowish gunk in there that you cannot get to with normal cleaning products. The steamer blows them it into the tray. All this sort of stuff can make it smell

MRSWISHYWASHY2

i find hair remover works brill..just ..but some down..bath and shower ..and sinks..put the plug in leave for about half an hour ..then put hot water down the plugs..and its done..no more smelly hair left ...hope it works for you to xx

Rainy-Days

I use half vinegar half water in a spray bottle for my window cleaning. I was doing the inside of them and a few drips had got onto the window cill - gloss painted and it started to take the first layer off! So watch with painted surfaces!

Pink.

This thread has lots of posts of Old Style tips that didn't work for some people:

What OS tip didn't work for you?

I'll add this thread to that one later.

Pink