Difference between white vinegar and cleaning vinegar

Both their appearance and their name are very similar, but are white vinegar and cleaning vinegar the same thing? Yes in its origin, but not in its applications and characteristics. White vinegar is obtained through a double fermentation (alcoholic and acetic) of glucose from sugar cane, corn or malt.

At first, white vinegar was used in culinary tasks, serving as an acidic dressing for salads and other dishes. Later, due to its many properties in the world of cleaning, white cleaning vinegar was created. Therefore, cleaning vinegar is a variation of white vinegar and is intended to disinfect and clean.

The main difference between white vinegar and cleaning vinegar is that one can be consumed and the other cannot. This is due, above all, to its degree of acidity. White vinegar has an acidity percentage of between 3% and 5%, while cleaning vinegar reaches levels of 8% acidity, making it more effective for cleaning tasks but not suitable for consumption.

White vinegar is a product that, for years, has been used for disinfection and elimination of bad odors. Our grandmothers used it as a home remedy to deal with all types of cleanliness and hygiene problems, including certain infectious and parasitic diseases of the human body, such as nits or mouth sores.

For this reason, it is not surprising that, with globalization and networks, these homemade and traditional uses have expanded and shared, making us all participants in the great disinfectant power of white vinegar. These are some of the uses of white vinegar in home cleaning:

• Oven cleaning: After cleaning the inside of the oven with water and baking soda, letting it take effect overnight, wipe with a clean cloth with white vinegar. This way you will be able to remove all the dirt and burn stains from the interior.
• Cleaning the microwave: Heat a container of water with a tablespoon of vinegar in the microwave to clean the inside and eliminate bad odors.
• Window cleaning: Vinegar is the perfect natural remedy for cleaning and removing embedded dirt from window tracks. You just have to dilute it in water, scrub with a toothbrush and rinse with water.
• Screen cleaning: White vinegar can also be used as a glass cleaner, both on windows and on television, mobile or tablet screens. If you want to know more, discover How to clean glass with vinegar at this link.
• Cleaning pots and pans: If you have pots or pans with burns or embedded remains, heat them with water, vinegar and a tablespoon of baking soda. After a few minutes, you will be able to remove the dirt easily.
• Tile cleaning: Just like it cleans screens and glass, white vinegar is used to polish and disinfect tiles in a homemade and economical way.

If you want to know more uses of white vinegar in home cleaning, don’t miss this other article on How to Clean with White Vinegar.

As we have already indicated, the main difference between white vinegar and cleaning vinegar is that the latter is a product derived from white vinegar but modified so that its acidity level is higher, increasing its disinfectant capacity. Therefore, if you are wondering what is the best vinegar for cleaning, the answer is that cleaning vinegar is more effective and its uses are more specific.

These are the uses of cleaning vinegar in the home:

• Lime cleaning: The high level of acidity of cleaning vinegar means that, if you let it sit for a while on surfaces with lime, it ends up removing it, whether in showers, pipes or taps.
• Kitchen and bathroom disinfection: Like many of the chemicals found in the supermarket, cleaning vinegar can be used as a product to disinfect bathroom and kitchen surfaces, removing dirt and bacteria.
• Gum removal: Removing chewing gum stuck to a fabric may seem like an impossible task, but if you try putting a little water with boiling cleaning vinegar on the fabric and letting it act for a while, rubbing with a toothbrush can remove the gum. annoying gum.
• steel cleaning: If you have any jewelry or piece of steel that has ended up looking rusty, you can try to restore its shine using cleaning vinegar. Don’t worry, as it is “soft” enough not to mar the surface.
• Washing machine cleaning: If you want to forget about bad odors from your washing machine and clean it in the process, you just have to run an empty cycle and add water with cleaning vinegar to the washing machine, leaving it clean inside.
• Clothes cleaning: You can also add vinegar to the detergent compartment of the washing machine when you are going to wash fabrics. In this way, you can replace the detergent with vinegar for cleaning clothes. However, to reduce its acidity it is advisable to mix it with water and baking soda, as we indicated in the article on How to clean with baking soda and vinegar.

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