Ammonia is a colorless and poisonous gas. That is why it has a terrible choking smell and can burn your skin. You can produce ammonia in the laboratory. In addition, it can also be produced from the decay of organic matter. Ammonia is made of nitrogen and hydrogen, and it is alkaline.
What about vinegar? You get vinegar when you dilute the solution of ethanoic acid in water. Vinegar is also a colorless gas with a terrible smell. It’s acidic but not toxic. That means it won’t harm your skin.
Now, the question is, with their different properties, can you mix ammonia and vinegar? Let’s go further.
Can I mix ammonia and vinegar?
The answer is yes. There is no harm in mixing ammonia and vinegar. However, it is not recommended. If you mix ammonia and vinegar, it will react to form a salt.
Generally, ammonia and vinegar are widely used for washing and disinfecting water repellent surfaces because they are potent, and they can clean a wide range of non-porous surfaces. However, a mixture of ammonia and vinegar neutralizes their cleaning properties.
What Makes Ammonia And Vinegar The Best Cleaning Agent?
Let us highlight some of them.
- Vinegar is degradable and has no adverse effects on the environment. This property makes it more appealing as a cleaning product.
On the other hand, it poses a few additional potential issues because of its high concentration. However, when ammonia is mixed with other liquids, it might result in a hazardous reaction.
Nevertheless, the addition of vinegar, on the other hand, is risk-free, making it a safer option.
- On any cleaning surface, ammonia and vinegar will leave no blemish, traces, or marks. Also, ammonia and vinegar evaporate fast. Because their hydrogen bonds are weaker than water, this makes cleaning more quickly with this characteristic.
- Ammonia and vinegar can quickly break down oil, bacteria, and mold. Because of their chemical properties
- Ammonia and vinegar are effective cleaners and can be purchased at an affordable price.
How Do You Mix Ammonia And Vinegar For Cleaning Windows?
How do you prepare and use ammonia and vinegar home cleaning? Here are the simple steps.
- For ammonia, mix two tablespoons of ammonia with 2 quarts of warm water to remove tough stains.
- For vinegar, mix 1 cup white vinegar with 1 gallon of warm water for watermark and traces
- Fill a spray bottle with the solution separately
- Apply a little spray of ammonia or vinegar cleaning on the window.
- Use a towel or a rubber squeegee. Wipe the window clean in one direction.
- You should do the cleaning on both sides of the glass
As a precautionary measure, do not mix ammonia and vinegar. However, for a short-term reaction, you can combine ammonia and vinegar solutions on the surface where you want to clean, but not both at the same time.
Furthermore, it is also recommended that you pick one, not both ammonia and vinegar.
What Are Healthy Ammonia And Vinegar?
The consequences of exposure to a high concentration of ammonia are severe. Ammonia in the air can damage your organs. It can result in loss of sight, damage of the lungs, or even loss of life. Meanwhile, a lower concentration might induce coughing and discomfort of the nose and throat when inhaled.
Ammonia enters the body through any part of the body. In addition, it will combine with water in the body to form ammonium hydroxide.
However, ammonia has a well-known health benefit of preventing or treating fainting
On the contrary, vinegar has lots of derivable health benefits. Also, there is ongoing research, some of which has been tested on animals. The findings show positive results. Some of the benefits are
- Vinegar consumption may lower blood sugar and insulin level.
- It is of potential benefit to people with heart challenges. It can improve their heart health and perhaps fight cancer.
- Vinegar consumption can lower calorie intake and help in weight loss.
- Vinegar can also be used as a reagent for infections and burns on the skin.
- Because of its acidity, it’s also used for medicinal purposes and as an antibacterial agent.
- It can be used as a preserving agent and as a spice in foods. It adds acidic elements to meals in terms of aroma and flavor.
What Is The Ph Value Of Ammonia And Vinegar?
Let me explain what a ph value is. The term, pH, represents potential hydrogen. The pH measures the quantity of free hydrogen and hydroxide ions that are present in water. Thus, the pH indicates the amount of acidity or alkalinity content in a substance.
The scale of a pH runs from 0 to 14, where 7 is a neutral value. Acidity is indicated by a pH value that is less than 7. And alkalinity represents a pH value that is greater than 7. So, the farther the number moves away from 7, the stronger the acidity or alkalinity becomes.
Vinegar is an acidic substance. It’s pH varies depending on the type of vinegar. Vinegar has a pH of roughly 2.5 to 2.7, making it acidic.
Ammonia is very toxic and requires caution and ventilation during use. The pH varies between 11 and 13.
What Type Of Ammonia And Vinegar Is Used For Cleaning?
The type of ammonia used for cleaning is ammonium hydroxide. There are three kinds of ammonia, total ammonia, free ammonia, and ammonium. Ammonium hydroxide is another name for free ammonia.
White distilled vinegar is suitable for your cleaning because it does not contain any coloring additive to discolor your surfaces.
What Are The Safety Measures For Using Ammonia And Vinegar?
- Undiluted ammonia should not be for routine cleaning. Dilute it with water as directed and in a well-ventilated location.
- If ammonia is exposed to your skin, wash it off immediately.
- For preparation and usage of ammonia or vinegar, always put on rubber gloves.
- If ammonia or vinegar gets to your eyes, apply running water on the affected eye for about 20 minutes.
- If you swallow ammonia or vinegar, drink milk but don’t force yourself to puke.
- Never mix ammonia with vinegar with anything hazardous such as bleach.
- Always consult a medical doctor if the situation requires urgent attention.
How Do You Dispose Of Ammonia And Vinegar After Use?
For ammonia, here are a few simple steps.
- The first step is to neutralize your ammonia with water. When diluting concentrated ammonia, it is always better to use flowing water.
- Pour diluted ammonia into your sink while the water faucet is turned on. Make sure there’s more water than ammonia in the tank so that it will not ruin your plumbing.
- As you drain the diluted ammonia, wear a mask to protect your face. Inhaling ammonia can harm your lungs and cause allergies. Also, ensure that the windows are open or that the area is sufficiently aired.
- Clean your sink properly once the ammonia has been dumped down the drain. There’s a good chance there’s still some ammonia residue in the sink. To get rid of any remaining ammonia leftovers, run a lot of water through your sink.
- You should check to see if the bottle is recyclable before tossing it in the trash. Most ammonia bottles made of plastic are recyclable.
For vinegar, you can dump old vinegar down the drain and into the septic tank. Vinegar is acidic. So, it aids in the cleaning of your plumbing. Cleaning the sink and its plumbing with a mixture of old vinegar and baking soda is a good home practice to avoid obstruction.
Surfaces You Should Not Apply Ammonia And Vinegar
Ammonia and vinegar can be excellent cleaning agents, yet it is not on all surfaces they can be applied. It is so because of their high concentration of acidity and alkalinity of vinegar and ammonia, respectively. Let us highlight some of them.
For vinegar, the surfaces to avoid the use of ammonia and vinegar are
1. Mirrors:
Mirror has a thin coating that causes reflection. If you apply either ammonia or vinegar, it will ruin the mirror.
2. Dishwasher:
Ammonia and vinegar will tarnish the stainless steel interiors of your dishwasher. More so, it will corrode rubber seals over time, such as the door seal, pump, and drainage pipes. These damages can eventually lead to leakages.
3. LCD screens:
Ammonia and vinegar can degrade the protective covering on your electronic screens and smartphone devices.
4. Wooden and plastic surfaces:
Ammonia and vinegar are powerful enough to ruin your wooden and plastic surfaces, even a dilute solution of ammonia or vinegar.
Several other surfaces that ammonia and vinegar can consume exist. Therefore, you should read the manufacturer’s manual to see the recommended cleaning agents for use.
Conclusion
There’s no harm in mixing ammonia and vinegar. A mixture of ammonia and vinegar reacts to produce salt. In addition, mixing ammonia and vinegar robs off the cleaning properties.
There are cleaning surfaces where ammonia and vinegar are prohibited; it would corrode these surfaces and render them useless.
If you encounter messy and tough stains, you may feel the need to mix substances to increase their potency. However, it is advisable not to mix ammonia and vinegar or any other toxic substance.
