Cleaning Property of Baking Soda+ Vinegar

[Bacle2]

Hi, All: I'm a chemistry ignorant. Please bear a bit.

Just curious as to the chemical explanation for why the mixture of bakind soda and
(kitchen/cooking) vinegar is an effective disinfectant.

Is this a neutralization reaction, with vinegar as the acid and bakind soda as the base?

If so, why/how does is reaction conducive to killing bacteria; is it just the change in PH that kills bacteria? If not, what is going on?

Thanks.

 

[qalomel]

Hi. Yeah, vinegar and baking soda neutralize to produce water, carbon dioxide and sodium acetate. None of these products seem to have any antimicrobial properties, so just baking soda or vinegar by themselves act as the disinfectant. Most common microbes can only survive in a narrow pH range.

 

[Bacle2]

Thanks, qalomel. Maybe this is too broad of an issue, maybe better for some other forum, but, isn't it , in an evolutionary sense, a bad idea for organisms (including homo sapiens) to be able to function in just such a limited PH (and temperature) range?

 

[Borek]

It depends on the stability of the environment. And judging from the fact life thrives on Earth, no, it is not a bad idea. Note that existence of every additional mechanism built into the cell is costly, so if the conditions are stable it becomes a hindrance.

 

[LudusRex]

I can provide some insights into the cleaning properties of baking soda and vinegar. The mixture of these two substances is indeed a neutralization reaction, with vinegar being the acid (acetic acid) and baking soda being the base (sodium bicarbonate). This reaction produces carbonic acid, which then decomposes into water and carbon dioxide gas.

The change in pH that occurs during this reaction is the key to its disinfectant properties. Bacteria thrive in a specific pH range, and by altering the pH with the mixture of baking soda and vinegar, we create an inhospitable environment for them. This change in pH can disrupt the cell membranes of bacteria, leading to their death.

Additionally, the bubbling action that occurs during the reaction can physically remove bacteria from surfaces. The carbon dioxide gas produced can create a foaming action that helps to loosen and lift dirt and bacteria from surfaces.

Furthermore, both baking soda and vinegar have their own individual cleaning properties. Baking soda is a mild abrasive, making it effective for scrubbing away tough stains and grime. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and can effectively kill many types of bacteria and viruses.

In summary, the mixture of baking soda and vinegar is an effective disinfectant due to the neutralization reaction, change in pH, bubbling action, and individual cleaning properties of these substances. I hope this helps to answer your questions and satisfy your curiosity about the chemistry behind this household cleaning method.