I'm hooked on acid. Carbonic acid.
It started innocently enough - a small bottle of Skipping Girl-branded vinegar and a bit of baking soda. Its a good cleaning product I was told. And so it was. Handy, cheap and environmentally friendly.
The stainless steel sparkled. The bathroom gleamed. The ancient bolognaise stains lifted from the old high chair tray. The drains smelt sweet. The red wine stains disappeared from the laminex.
But now I can't get enough. I think I have crossed a line.
I am addicted to the satisfying fizz and foam as the vinegar and sodium bicarbonate react. Ahhhh ..... CH3COOH + NaHCO3 ---> CH3COONa + H2O + CO2. I am sprinkling and spraying like there is no tomorrow; cruising the house looking for new cleaning opportunities.
But as I purchased another 4 litres of vinegar yesterday, I recognised that I might have reached excess. Casualties are starting to appear. I implore you: do not clean your aluminium baking trays with this concoction. Or your face. No. Especially, not your face.
It started as good clean fun ... but where will it all end?
it does work well :)
ReplyDeleteyour face? burns?
Hee hee, duly noted, do not scrub face with acid. Thanks for the tip Liesl.
ReplyDeleteYeah! I love this too! Go the fizz! A bit of lemon juice when cleaning the drain makes it smell nice and cistrusy too! Not sure what the chemical composition is though, so I couldn't add it into your chemical equation.
ReplyDeletelemon juice is just citric acid HOC(CH2COOH)3. Liesl what made you put the acid (vinegar) on your face? Acid + base = salt + water + HEAT!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOK - I do have to admit to a bit of poetic license about the face. But I do have a number of baking trays that are shadows of their former selves. I have learnt not to be so cavalier with the vinegar!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't used it on my face but I have recently started washing my hair with it. 1T Baking soda with 1 cup water and then 1T Apple Cider vinegar with 1 cup of water for a rinse. My hair has never been shinier! Google no-poo if you want to find out more.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to try it as a cleaning product - I hate using chemical cleaning products.
It could all end at my house if you like. Now that you know where to safely and effectively use it, I am more than happy for you to get your fix at my house...
ReplyDelete. . . and have you seen that you can buy the big jumbo boxes of bicarb now!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, it has struck here too. I laughed when I read your post as I had just been bi-carbing everything in sight and attacking it with my spray bottle full of vinegar. I have a jumbo box too! :)
ReplyDeleteOh I'm doing it wrong! I've been adding water to my baking soda, how boring. I will try the vinegar/baking soda combo this weekend!
ReplyDeleteYou could definitely come over to my place, there is a couple of things here that desperately need a vinegar/bicarb treatment! Bring your handy-dandy cleaning combo and I'll put the kettle on for you :)
ReplyDeleteOoh a 4-litre bottle! Don't talk to Mister Bell about the Vinegar Cupboard- every time I bring home a new variety of vinegar for cooking he heaves a great sigh :)
ReplyDeletethink i read the vinegar on the metal is a no no !
ReplyDeleteohh, can't wait to try it now, I'd only used water & bicarb.
ReplyDeleteAbout a month ago we ran out of dishwasher powder and clean dishes so I put bicarb in the drawer thingy, set it for a longer wash and the rest is history. I don't think I'll ever use anything else again.
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly a winner... and it is even sexier now that I know the scientific chemical notation for it - cheers :)
ReplyDelete