Can I store vinegar cleaning solution?

Rony

Hi,

I apologise if this is the wrong subsection to post this, but couldn't find a better one.

Anyways, I have read and seen videos of people using vinegar and baking soda and water as a natural cleaning solution for simply everything, kitchen, furniture etc.

My question is, can I store this solution in the cupboard after it has been mixed to be used for next time? I.e. does it have an expiry?

I ask because then it will save me time having to whip out the 5L Vinegar tank, and mix the solution every time I need it (which is quite often for cleaning the kitchen)

I tried searching on google, but could not find the answer. They all seem to tell you how wonderful it is, and how to do it, but not whether you can store it?

Thank,

grumbler

I know, vinegar and soda can be used separately for cleaning, but mixing them makes no sense to me as they react.

Are you sure that the mixture works better than each of them alone? I mean did you really check this yourself instead of relying on some advice?

Alter_ego

That's mixing acid & alkali

FreeBear

Rony said: I have read and seen videos of people using vinegar and baking soda and water as a natural cleaning solution for simply everything, kitchen, furniture etc.

Do not believe everything you see on the internet.. Vinegar & baking soda does not make a very effective cleaning solution - I have tried it and found it a waste of time. Cilit Bang (the stuff in an orange spray bottle) is pretty good for most surfaces around the home. Vim plus elbow grease is good for stubborn deposits on hard surfaces.

Rony

One article is this:

https://www.plumbs.co.uk/find-inspiration/blog/how-to/how-to-clean-a-fabric-sofa-naturally/#:~:text=Take a teaspoon of washing,out for around 10 minutes.

1. Take a teaspoon of washing-up liquid, white vinegar, baking soda and warm water and mix together into a lather (the mixture should froth up as the baking soda and vinegar react with one another).

Well even if I don't use baking soda, how about a vinegar and water solution. Can I store that?

@FreeBear In regards to Cilit bang and stuff like that, I already have those, I am just trying to do this multi-purpose chemical free cleaner that I can just keep around and access quickly.

Thanks

comeandgo

Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda do work well together.  I use it to clean the inside of my glass cooker door.  

goldfinches

This article from Good Housekeeping seems to imply that you can make up a bottle of vinegar and water solution and keep it ready to use Stain buster tools: our top green alternatives (goodhousekeeping.com) around the house so I would think the answer is yes you can store that solution.
The article also covers bicarb, lemon juice and soda crystals and all the tips they give are tested at the Institute so you do at least know that they would work and interestingly they don't suggest you combine vinegar and bicarb.
On the other hand this article contains a recommendation for Cillit Bang spray at the end as being a product their experts would buy 30 Tried & Tested cleaning hacks from the experts (goodhousekeeping.com) so there you go.

twopenny

I'm really really curious why you need 5L of vinegar for cleaning........I have a small bottle that lasts for months.

I wouldn't use it on furniture as it will be abraisive and acid and damage it irrevocably

Ihave used cooking grade white vinegar which is lower acid content to wipe antique and vintage polished furniture and get off old polish and residue before polishing again.

The above vinegar is cheap, put it in an old or new spray bottle. Leave the bircarb in something. when you need to clean a sink or washbasin sprinkle the bicarb and spray it with vinegar. They react together on contact. Mixing them defeats the object. Works very well but a bit of a nightmare to get all the bicarb off.

It's excellent for waste pipes though, bathroom and kitchen, even toilets. Tip some bicarb down pipe, spray or pour white vinegar on top and get a volcano (it's what you do to entertain children) Wait for the fizzing to subside and using a spout brush (bigger for loo) scrub the pipe being careful not to drop the brush. The pipe is clean as a whistle, right round the bend, and looks and smells delightful.

Mixing the two will not make a good cleaning solution. It's the instant reaction between the two that does the work for you.

"When vinegar and baking soda are first mixed together, hydrogen ions in the vinegar react with the sodium and bicarbonate ions in the baking soda. The result of this initial reaction is two new chemicals: carbonic acid and sodium acetate. ... This creates the bubbles and foam you see when you mix baking soda and vinegar." from the Wonderopolis

For those that like chemical reactions and equasions  try Thought.co

https://www.thoughtco.com/equation-for-the-reaction-of-baking-soda-and-vinegar-604043

PS. Do not use it on anything other than vitreous enamel or stainless steel sinks. It's very abraisive.

Rony

Thanks guys for the info.

In regards to why I have a 5L bottle, it's because it is cheap on Amazon and I can also use it in cooking and for cleaning. So why not, I don't think it goes off too?

That's great, thanks!

Apodemus

Rony said:

Thanks guys for the info.

In regards to why I have a 5L bottle, it's because it is cheap on Amazon and I can also use it in cooking and for cleaning. So why not, I don't think it goes off too?

That's great, thanks!

You're lucky if you can get it cheap - any time I've tried to get a 5L bottle on Amazon (or directly from suppliers),  the price delivered to my door has always been several times the cost of buying the equivalent in 568ml bottles in Tesco.

getmore4less

Vinegar is a water based solution, all adding more water does is dilute it.

Tesco runs at around 70p ltr sometimes on offer  think it is 5%