What happens when baking soda hits vinegar?

Author: Kassandra Dach  |  Last update: Friday, February 27, 2026

Mixing vinegar and baking soda causes an immediate chemical reaction. This reaction forms water, sodium acetate (a salt) and carbon dioxide – the fizzy part. The amount of carbon dioxide gas that is produced from baking soda is remarkable – one tablespoon (around 18 grams) can release over five litres of gas!

What happens if you mix baking soda and vinegar?

Eating baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid) together can lead to a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas, water, and sodium acetate. Here's what you should know: Chemical Reaction: When mixed, they react vigorously, leading to fizzing and bubbling due to the release of carbon dioxide.

What type of reaction occurs between baking soda and vinegar?

Answer and Explanation:

The type of reaction between baking soda and vinegar is an acid and base reaction. In this type of reaction, one substance donates hydrogen ions as the acid and the other substance accepts hydrogen ions as the base. Vinegar is acetic acid and baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a base.

What do plumbers say about baking soda and vinegar?

In summary, while baking soda and vinegar are generally safe for most plumbing systems when used occasionally and in moderate amounts, caution should be exercised, especially with older or less durable pipes. For persistent clogs or plumbing issues, it may be best to consult a professional plumber.

What causes baking soda and vinegar to erupt?

The baking soda is a base and the vinegar is an acid. When the acid and base combine, an endothermic reaction occurs and releases carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide gas rushes toward the bottle opening and also causes the dish soap to foam.

What happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar?

What makes an explosion with baking soda and vinegar?

When the baking soda and vinegar mix, they create a chemical reaction that produces gas (carbon dioxide in this case). Gas needs more room, which is why you see the bag start to expand and eventually pop! You can take this activity into experiment-mode by trying different variations and comparing what happens.

What is the science behind the vinegar and baking soda experiment?

The sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and weak acetic acid in vinegar react and trap the carbon dioxide to form bubbles. The mixture of the baking soda (solid) and vinegar (liquid) creates a gas and a liquid, which in turn results in a foam (a mixture of gas and liquid, or a colloid).

What happens when you put baking soda and vinegar in toilet?

That fizzing may help to break down the clog into smaller particles, making them easier to flush! You may also find that baking soda and vinegar is a helpful pipe-cleaning solution. The fizzing foam can sometimes help remove gunk from the insides of your pipes.

Can you leave baking soda and vinegar in the drain overnight?

Allowing the baking soda and vinegar mixture to sit in the drain for an extended period, such as overnight, can improve its effectiveness. The prolonged contact with the clog helps break down the build-up more thoroughly, making it easier to flush away with hot water the following morning.

What will dissolve hair in a drain?

Heat 2 or 4 liters of water on your stove or in a kettle to just short of boiling. Add about 1/2 cup of salt. Try pouring this down the drain, then wait 15 minutes before seeing if it will clear more easily. If you need a stronger cleaning, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then add 1/2 cup of vinegar.

What happens when you mix vinegar and dish soap and baking soda?

A chemical reaction between the vinegar and the baking soda produces bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. The dish detergent in the vinegar helps the bubbles last longer than they would with just vinegar and baking soda.

What happens when you mix baking soda and lemon juice?

Lemons and other citrus fruits are rich sources of naturally occurring citric acid. When a person mixes lemon juice and baking soda, the citric acid reacts with the sodium bicarbonate to produce a buffer called sodium citrate. A buffer refers to a weak acid or base that prevents drastic pH changes.

What happens when you mix vinegar and coke?

The acidic properties of Coca-Cola make it a surprisingly effective cleaner. It serves as a strong component in this homemade cleaner, helping to break down grime efficiently. Adding 100 mL of white vinegar further boosts the mixture's ability to cut through grease and sanitize, enhancing its overall cleaning power.

What type of reaction is the reaction of baking soda and vinegar?

The first reaction is the acid-base reaction. When vinegar and baking soda are first mixed together, hydrogen ions in the vinegar react with the sodium and bicarbonate ions in the baking soda. The result of this initial reaction is two new chemicals: carbonic acid and sodium acetate.

What not to mix with baking soda?

Baking soda is commonly combined with another solution, such as vinegar or water, to create a cleaning paste. (But be careful not to combine baking soda with certain solutions such as chlorine bleach, ammonia, or alcohol because these can cause dangerous chemical reactions.)

Can you mix vinegar and baking soda for laundry?

Don't mix vinegar and baking soda together

While vinegar and baking soda are both effective in their own right, it's best not to mix them together in the same wash cycle. The chemical reaction between the two can cancel out their cleaning properties.

Why pour salt down the drain?

Why pour salt down the drain? It makes sense when you think about it. Salt is a coarse substance, and pouring a rough substance down your drains should break up whatever is clogging your pipes.

Why should you never use baking soda and vinegar to unclog a drain?

Baking soda is abrasive, which, when used in large quantities, will cause the drain more damage. Additionally, the acidic nature of vinegar can eat away rubber and metal, damaging the plumbing. As these products break down the pipe and connectors in the plumbing in your home, it will cause more clogs over time.

Is cleaning vinegar the same as white vinegar?

Cleaning vinegar and white distilled vinegar are very similar in their composition (namely, acetic acid and water), but the key difference lies in the acidity levels between the two. "Cleaning vinegar generally contains a higher acetic acid concentration than regular white vinegar," says Sokolowski.

Why pour vinegar in toilet overnight?

You can use straight or a diluted vinegar cleaning solution for the bathroom to clean bacteria, especially around the toilet. Cleaning with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in the bathroom can work really well. To clean your toilet with vinegar, pour a cup of vinegar in the toilet bowl and let sit overnight.

Can coke unclog a toilet?

By pouring a caustic soda (coke, for example) into the toilet bowl, you can speed the dissolving process along considerably. Simply dump a can of cola in the water and let it eat away at the debris. Just be sure never to flush the toilet when the water level is already high.

Is it safe to mix baking soda and vinegar?

But common pantry essentials that are often used for cleaning — like baking soda and vinegar — shouldn't be mixed either. Unlike the bleach-ammonia mixture, combining soda and vinegar won't hurt anyone — but don't expect the mixture to do a good job cleaning, either.

How long do vinegar and baking soda react?

Adding vinegar to baking soda gives you an immediate reaction. Adding baking soda to vinegar, the reaction is delayed, but then fizzes the same amount. More vinegar is better. A 12 to 1 ratio of vinegar to baking soda caused a fizzing explosion!

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