What is in vinegar that makes it clean well, and what is in soap/bleach that makes it clean well despite both being in opposite ends of the scale? And is it advisable to use one before the other for maximum effectiveness?
In: Chemistry
They don’t work in identical ways, but they have some similarities.
One of the big things that most household cleaning liquids have is that they are anti-microbial. Vinegar, Ammonia, Bleach, Soap, Hydrogen Peroxide. They are all highly toxic in different ways.
Besides killing germs, cleaners have the tough job of getting out encrusted messes and stains that can’t easily be removed by simple rehydration. In regards to vinegar and bleach, the farther you go from a PH of 7 in either direction, the more corrosive and reactive the liquid becomes. They both react and break down organic molecules responsible for stains and grimes, letting them then be easily washed away by a rinse. Each cleaner works better for certain jobs, which is why there are so many options. Vinegar for example works great for mineral stains and buildup, while bleach and soaps handles tough organic and acidic stains. And hydrogen peroxide is mess-free disinfectant and weak oxidizer since once its finished oxidizing germs and organic molecules, it breaks down fast into normal water.
However, **DO NOT EVER** mix any household cleaners together unless their packaging specifically mentions you can. Bleach in particular will react with ammonia and vinegar to instantly create deadly poison gas, similar to what they used on soldiers during the world wars. Its very rare that you would find a stain or mess that would require multiple types of cleaners to be effective, and in the event you do, the site or object should be thoroughly rinsed of one cleaner before trying another to avoid melting your lungs with poison gas.
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