While harmless for most metal and PVC pipes, prolonged exposure to the acidic nature of vinegar might corrode certain metals, like copper. PVC pipes, on the other hand, can withstand these substances without damage.
Assuming your piping is PVC, vinegar is fine.
PVC pipe can be cleaned with paint thinner, turpentine, or any other serious solvent cleaner. Then clean any residue with soap and water. Some pipe lettering will clean up with Propanol, but not rubbing alcohol. If you want to paint it, use Krylon Fusion paint and let it cure for a week.
You can absolutely soak plastic water bottles with white vinegar. It won't damage the plastic at all.
It is safe to leave baking soda (and vinegar) to work overnight to unclog a drain. Always flush this mixture down with boiling water—no matter how long you leave it sitting in the drain. Can I use hydrogen peroxide to unclog a drain? Yes, hydrogen peroxide is safe to use for unclogging a drain.
A completely clogged drain will require the help of a professional plumber, but baking soda and vinegar might be a quick fix for a partially clogged drain. This solution will dissolve and push the sludge through the pipes to allow water to flow through easily. Let hot water run for a minute to warm up the pipes.
The only real side effect from leaving vinegar to its own devices is that its acidity will gradually decrease over time, making it less potent. This is why a "best by" date can be found on the bottle, but it's still perfectly fine long past that — it isn't an "expiration date," by any means. Vinegar does not expire.
"The white cleaning vinegar is a pH of 2.5, which is a very strong acid," she explains. "And while it may eat away the gunk that is on the showerhead or faucet, it can also dissolve the finish from the hardware leaving it dull or a different color altogether."
Vinegar and Warm, Soapy Water
Apply a nontoxic solution of warm water, white vinegar and mild dish soap. Soak a clean cloth or paper towel in the warm vinegar solution and rub it over the adhesive. Let it sit for five minutes. Then remove the towel and scrape away the residue.
Cleaning uPVC window frames and sills:
Step 1: Open up the windows as far as you can and go over every part of them with the hoover. This will remove any excess dirt. Step 2: Mix your eco-friendly window cleaning solution using 1 part distilled white vinegar and four-parts warm water.
The black sludge is a foul accumulation of organic matter, fats and soap that builds up along the sidewalls of the drainpipe. These build ups can occur especially if the water does not drain properly and too slowly. Then it worsens as the build accumulates.
Instead, try soaking your pipe in a combination of salt and vinegar. Baking soda and vinegar work well, too. Or try combining a teaspoon of salt and baking soda with water.
Drain Line Material
Chlorine bleach can quickly eat away at not only the line but the glue and cement joining the line to the fittings and the condensation pan. If your drain line is PVC, stick to white distilled vinegar for clearing clogs and debris, particularly during winter.
Liquid drain cleaners work by inducing chemical reactions meant to dissolve organic materials. However, these reactions can generate excessive heat that weakens the seals in PVC pipes, making them particularly bad for these types of pipes.
White vinegar, also known as distilled vinegar or spirit vinegar, is made by fermenting grain alcohol (ethanol) which then turns into acetic acid. Water is then added to the vinegar, so white vinegar is made of five to ten percent acetic acid and ninety to ninety-five percent water.
DIY Vinegar Cleaner Recipe
In a 16-ounce glass spray bottle combine 8 ounces of distilled white vinegar and 8 ounces of water. Optional: Add a few long strips of lemon zest and/or a handful of fresh rosemary sprigs, or 5 to 10 drops of lavender or lemongrass essential oil.
The answer is that vinegar will not harm your pipes if used in small doses as recommended in many of the recipes that you find online. No matter what your pipes are made of, pex, pvc, copper, etc. Vinegar will not harm your water pipes.
Just take a can of WD-40 (preferably one with a long flexible hose) and spray it inside of your faucet. The WD-40 will loosen up the hard water and make the diverter work as smoothly as day one. The same goes for a hard to turn shower knob, a sprits of WD-40 and it will work like brand new.
Cleaning a faucet with vinegar
The vinegar helps break up the calcium and mineral deposits on the faucet. Let the faucet sit submerged in the vinegar overnight. In the morning, remove the bag, take a toothbrush and dip it in baking soda to remove any excess filth. Finally, rinse the faucet.
Vinegar is a fermented product and has an “almost indefinite” shelf life according to the Vinegar Institute. “Because of its acid nature, vinegar is self-preserving and does not need refrigeration.
Sometimes there is sediment, cobweb like or large jelly like discs floating in my vinegar. What is it and is it harmful? This is known as “Mother of Vinegar” and due to the natural fermentation process used to make DYC vinegars; it may develop in the product over time.
It's not a really good idea to store vinegar in plastic containers. Vinegar is acidic, so it will eat away at your container until there is a hole. Do flavored vinegars have to be stored in the refrigerator after opening? Yes.