Cast of Characters:



Karen
Enkidu (AKA Slim)
Beowolf (AKA Wolfie)
Blaze (AKA Blaze)

Friday, April 14, 2006

Is vinegar dangerous?

We have an electric water kettle at work. It often develops a mineral coating on the inside on the bottom. Sometimes, the coating starts breaking up and little crusties float around in the water. Well, the department secretary told me to boil some vinegar in it to get rid of the mineral deposit. I've done this for quite some time. Today or yesterday one of the women in my office came in and said "hold your breath if you go into the copyroom (where the electric water kettle is), because SOMEONE is boiling vinegar!" I responded, "why yes, I am." She then said that I should boil the water first and then add vinegar afterwards. She said that the vinegar fumes are toxic. I decided to do some online investigation to see if the vinegar fumes really are toxic, and I came across this website. Basically, a science teacher got cited for having a sealed bottle of food-grade vinegar not in a special dangerous-acids cabinet. Go figure...your salad will kill you...or something.

I still don't know if vinegar fumes are toxic (annoying, but not toxic), but if you know better, let me know!

71 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've never heard ANYTHING about vingegar fumes being dangerous. I mean...healthy crunchy-granola nature sites recommend it as a cleaning solution for all kinds of things.

I run it through my coffee maker all the time.

I'm nearly forty, have asthma and a LOT of upper-respiratory sensitivities. I have been running straight vinegar through my coffee maker for years.

I haven't died yet.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous,

Back at home in Chicago, we used to run vinegar through our coffee maker all the time only because we don't feel that comfortable using bleach through there but we do stick with bleach for regular cleaning around the place.

Karen,

all this time you thought bleach would kill me and all along it was vinegar. Who knew?

-Jamie

Anonymous said...

Well, it's not so much about it being poisonous - it's f@$king annoying, so don't do accost your co-workers with stuff like this. I work in an office with lots of people sitting near the break room and every week some secretary decides she's going to "clean the coffee pot." Every time someone gets sick, but she just won't take the hint. Please take this hint - think about other people for once in your life...

Karen said...

So, is it better to have stuff build up / grow in the coffee pot / tea kettle?

Anonymous said...

I sprayed hot vinegar on wallpaper before stripping it off. By the third day, the fumes really started bothering me. My chest hurts but that damn, ugly wallpaper is gone.

Anonymous said...

We once used vinegar to clean our coffee pot in our office...we thought it would be harmless considering we had all used it at home for the same purpose. I guess we used too much because the fumes were so bad that it made several people light headed and quite ill. I am not sure if it is toxic, however, it makes it hard to get your work done when you feel that way.

Anonymous said...

I was looking online to see if vinegar fumes are dangerous and decided to share my reason why. I just finished cleaning my bathtub with straight vinegar, because nothing else would get the build up off. I've used vinegar for cleaning before, usually diluted, and have never had problems, but now my chest is hurting.

Anonymous said...

I put straight 5% distilled vinegar (no water) in my indoor therapeutic fountain. It keeps my place smelling nice.

homeschoolmom said...

I am sensitive to the fumes in white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar doesn't seem to bother me as much.

My husband just used Tabasco sauce on his rice tonight and the fumes from the vinegar in the sauce caused my chest to pain.

I am very chemically sensitive and fume sensitive anyway but this took me by surprise. Next time I'll have to leave the room if he gets the vinegar or Tabasco sauce out.

Anonymous said...

They are harmful to those with respiratory issues like asthma. If you are cleaning with it, please be mindful of those in your home with these issue. ESPECIALLY if running it through the coffee pot w/o water diluting it.

Anonymous said...

I don't drink coffee and thus don't use a coffee machine, but I pour some in my tea kettle to get off the residue. I don't heat it or anything, just pour it in cold and let it sit for 30 min or so then rinse until the vinegar smell is gone. I use it to clean my bathroom and have to turn on the fan so I don't get chest pain. And recently I was cooking some BBQ chicken wings and when I opened the oven to turn them over, the vinegar fumes actually severely burned my throat.

Anonymous said...

I make white and cider vinegar. It's not toxic. If your in a fumy area like i am with thousands of gallons it can take your breath away but that's all unless your allergic to it. Some people get irritated by it more than others. It is a acid and even the store strength {5%}is left on your skin, like your sock soaked in it, it will take your skin of. Especially higher acids of vinegar like 20,30 or 35%. A;though that 30% is tangy when you put a drop on your tongue.

lauryn said...

I thought it's toxic only if you mix vinegar and bleach.

Anonymous said...

Wait...so if I leave it in my hair with olive oil, it will take my skin off? And will the fumes hurt my infant?

Anonymous said...

Vinegar isn't toxic, but it can affect those with copd and underlying asthma. It depends on the individual as whether or not it's a trigger. Long ecposure to heavy vinegar fumes has me reaching for the inhalant.

Anonymous said...

Beaware!! yes people do have respiratory effects to vingar, I start to cough and cough cant breath, eyes run, and just have to leave the house or building for 15 or 30mins, the room has to totally clean it frightening, I am really sick.

Anonymous said...

Gosh :( I have just used vinegar and water to clean mould off of the walls and ceiling of my sons bedroom. I used it because I thought it would be the safest option. It's all dry, but I can still smell the vinegar. I hope we'll be okay sleeping in here tonight. This blog hasn't really helped because some people are saying it's bad, and some people are saying it's okay. ??? Now I'm just confused and freaking out!

Anonymous said...

Hi! I know this is a very old post, but I wanted to let everyone know that part of the issue is that you're boiling the vinegar. When you do that, lots of the water evaporates and your left with a higher concentration of acetic acid which makes it a stronger irritant.

Anonymous said...

A retarded myth perpetrated by someone with zero knowledge of chemistry. It's an irritant -- not a toxin.

Chrys said...

I agree not toxic but can be dangerous for people. I have a personal coffee pot that has been giving me problems with clogged pipes and i was told to put vinegar in it. I have gotten a migraine from the fumes and someone else in the office just asked that i turn it off as well cause she is getting sick from it. not sure how i will get this unclogged but cant take the fumes anymore so yeas some people can become sick from it.

Anonymous said...

of course it's dangerous, like any other caustic & corrosive chemical; but at 1-12% it does no huge harm, & since it's typically 4-6% there is no issue--you will not find straight acetic acid outside of a restricted lab!!!

Anonymous said...

it is EXTREMELY dangerous, but never in any vinegar form you will be able to easily concentrate it to!!

Anonymous said...

Hi , I know this is an old comment,
but I have to tell you what happened to me an hour ago... was cleaning my kettle with apple vinegar ,i read online to put equal amount of vinegar and water for ten minutes the boil then leave for 10 minutes, then empty.
Well just had the most awful experience, I´ve had Asthma very rarely usually if I go near cats which is never, so have an inhaler that i use maybe once a year.. after boiling my kettle my whole chest tighten and had the fright of my life it was like the worst asthma attack possible so bad that went to the nearest er as i couldnt breathe , and that was making me panic. Would never want to experience that again. So even on somebody that gets very mild asthma boiling the vinegar can trigger off the worst asthma attack.

Anonymous said...

my 6th grader and I are conducting an experiment of the rates of different liquids boiling to evaporation, we just did apple cider vinegar and it is NASTY!!!

Anonymous said...

"I had chemistry in college. Vinegar is an irritant, burning substance, yes. In fact, for self-defense you can pour some in a small squirt dispenser like a syringe or a nasal spray for use as an irritant spray. It will cause nose and eyes to run and tear-up! It is not, though however toxic or poisonous or anything like that at all, and I have never heard of anyone being allergic to the stuff."

Anonymous said...

I had vinegar in a bathroom sink for cleaning. I then poured boiling water in sink to help unstop it. Now my facial skin is red, itchy and feel burned. I'm thinking the fumes did it.

Anonymous said...

I used vinegar yesterday to clean the bathroom. I had to microwave 1/2 cup and then mix with dishwashing liquid equal part. I felt sick, hard to breathe, watery eyes, sore throat. I am chemical sensetive. I think this has the same effect on me as chemical cleaners! So much for natural!
Julie

Unknown said...

this is straight from Heinz cleaning vinegar site:
Cleaning Vinegar
Cleaning vinegar is a concentrated form of the most common vinegar in the American home, White Distilled vinegar. It has a higher acidity of 6% (grain strength) while White Distilled is 5%. This product can be used for cooking and pickling, though recipes may need to be adjusted to account for the increased acidity. Cleaning Vinegar is considered a non-toxic, eco-friendly, and cost effective alternative to chemical cleaners. It can be used on a wide variety of surfaces and generally comes in 1 gallon jugs. This product became commercially available in 2013.
- See more at: http://vinegartips.com/vinegar_made/cleaning-vinegar/#sthash.daoyGQFh.dpuf

Anonymous said...

I work in a food factory around vinegar and am on my 2nd sick day from breathing some in last Sunday. Not first time either. But we're talking fumes from thousands of gallons. So yes it is an irritant that can cause a possible infection in extreme cases. Originally burned my throat but has since turned into an upper respiratory infection.

Anonymous said...

While it is not toxic in the sense of poisonous, it is an irritant and the fumes can pose a particular issue for those with respiratory problems and chemical sensitivities. Remember, you are not merely cleaning an item with it (or putting it on your food) and washing the vinegar away, but boiling it, which magnifies the impact on others by introducing it into the air for an extended period of time. People are not being unreasonable. I used it to remove some unpleasant bacteria from my shower and because of the enclosed space I had to hold a cloth over my nose and even then keep leaving periodically due to the fumes burning the inside of my nose. I should hate to think what my apartment would be like if I boiled a kettle full, probably uninhabitable. Oh, and I have no breathing issues and am perfectly capable of tolerating it in reasonable amounts - it is quite good on chips. You should be more considerate of your co-workers and either just let the vinegar sit in the kettle or find another place to boil it where it will not bother others.

Anonymous said...

YES vinegar can be toxic(takes a lot) in higher acidic acid concentrations, ESPECIALLY bad idea to mix it with other chemicals like Bleach is a NO NO. Mixing it with some water reduces the concentration and makes it safer to use.
Acetic acid works well for the body and cleaning some microbes at exactly correct concentrations. Short term exposure to vinegar might be beneficial for various parts of the body despite the short term irritation. People use vinegar for a host of ailments but this is not without risks. Long term exposure at only modestly higher concentrations presents real, definite risks and can be fatal...

Unknown said...

I clean the grills at the restaurant every day with it and I inhale some of it all the time....is it bad???

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I boiled vinegar to kill fungus plant flies that drive me crazy. I read online to boil vinegar and let it sit in a cup and the flies would become attracted to it... any who I inhaled it directly, been a couple days and my chest and throat feel in men's pressure and it worsens when I eat I don't know if it was the vinegar or wtf this is the only thing out of routine I did different, and I just want to breathe normal with out chest throath preasure :/

Unknown said...

I sure hope someone can answer this shortly. I was using a handheld steam cleaner. I put undiluted white vinegar in it to strip away tar/nicotine buildup on my range vent lid. I had a t-shirt over my nose, but it didn't filter all of it out. Now, when I breathe through my nose I smell vinegar. It's going through my sinuses because I can taste it in the back of my throat. Should I be concerned?

Anonymous said...

I had a person heat milk in my hotshot and didnt realize it had burnt his milk instead of heating it. So as a solution we put in white vinegar to loosen up the scum on the bottom. After we boiled the vinegar i smelt it to see if it smelt burnt and whenvi did that immedietly after i fwlt like i had just roasted my nose. So now i am here the day after sick with a runny nose sore throat and i can consentrate anyone have a clue as to how to make this go away

Unknown said...

I use vinegar to clean my sleep apnea machine every week and I have no problem. I don't think white vinegar is toxic at all. In fact I put 1 tablespoon of vinegar in the water and use the sleep apnea machine. I have no problem using white vinegar it does not irritate my lungs

Anonymous said...

I have no idea if it is toxic, but I smell vinegar in my nose off and on for about 2 months. Trying to figure out why. Anyone have any ideas or experienced it. I have not uses vinegar in my house for a very long time.

Unknown said...

I have no breathing problems but any kind of vinegar takes my breath away. I love vinegar on fresh vegetables but have to hold my breath when I am eating it.

buggycas said...

I just pickled, For those of you who don't pickle, the pickling process involves standing over a boiling pot of vinegar for however long it takes to carefully ladle the boiling vinegar into your many jars of various vegetables. and unless you have certain rooms closed off (We have most of ours, we don't have central air) the entire house gets filled with this intense vinegar smog. My eyes burn, my lungs hurt, and my face feels weird, I found this thread while looking to see if Vinegar is toxic, according to the medical information, no not really, but breathing too much is bad for you (Because toxic or not it IS acidic) and I'm sure some people have worse reactions than others. You should stick to using Vinegar to boil to times when most of the people around it are safe from it.

Anonymous said...

I think the people that had symptoms from vinegar after reading this blog, it seems to be the power of suggestion that is probably effecting you. you were using it and not being bothered by it ,... but isn't it funny that after reading this blog you usie it and all of a sudden your having some kind of probelm , that seems to me more about fear that is causing the problem.

Stormy Knight. said...

Actually. As a native American,vinegar has long been known to open airways. I have serious asthma and vinegar is only med I use to open airways.

Unknown said...

If you are not willing to learn, No one can help you. If you are determined to learn, No one can stop you.
imarksweb.net

Unknown said...

I have a problem with Ketchup bbq sauce, Asian foods with sauces, basically any food with vinegar in it, that I get anywhere near my nose... I cannot breath it in or my lungs close up and I go into a coughing fit. I cannot inhale any fumes of the vinegar or I will be sorry. The problem started about 4 years ago. Along with this problem, since I am exposed to burn gel at work...I've discovered that if I breath in fumes of eucalyptus... my body absorbs it like a sponge. I feel as if I have burn gel in my eyes ears feet toes... basically all thru my body. Anyone else have an idea why I would be so sensitive?

Anonymous said...

I grabed the wrong container and put straight white vinegar in my neti pot instead of distilled water and put in one of my nostrils. Burned like heck so realized immediately what I had done but too late to stop. Rinsed out some with plain distilled water but don't know if any damage has been done. Anyone know what this might do to me?

Anonymous said...

My head chef recently made a 4 litre batch of balsamic vinegar reduction...the pot of boiling vinegar was approx 3 feet away and boiling for an hour. I constantly had to walk away and a few times dry reached, my eyes watered and breathing hurt. I was already at the tail end of a cold, thanks to antibiotics.
Cut a long story short...within 48 hours I was unable to breathe without distress, and I have severe respiratory complications. Vinegar was the cause and this time there is no quick fix recovery like a course of antibiotics. People need to take due care in the workplace !!!

Anonymous said...

My house gets so dry in the winter so I simmer water on the stove at a low temp to keep the house humidified. Boiling water leaves a white build up in the pan which I frequently clean with straight vinegar and a soft brush without heating. But I don't want to inhale whatever that is that's creating a white build up. So I've started adding a capful of vinegar with 2 gallons of water. There is no more build up I can barely smell it and I also add a little peppermint oil to keep my bronchial system relaxed. It seems to be working fine.

Anonymous said...

I hate vinegar. Every time I eat something that has vinegar later my body aches. It took me long time to figure out is was vinegar. Other acidic foods make me also feel uneasy but vinegar is the worst. Just think, this acid can dislodge a crusty buildup from your pot, what it can do to our body? I don't believe acids are good for us or as some people say act alkaline. Anyway, even if I don't know there is vinegar in food, few days later when my body, joints, muscles, kidneys hurt I immediately know what caused it. Unfortunately it takes me sometimes days to feel the pain. Avoid vinegar.

Anonymous said...

As a Lupus sufferer I can tell you a single slice of a dill hamburger pickle can send me into a shock. I cannot breathe or stand up. Vinegar fumes are almost as bad. Vinegar is fermented and when boiled all this is put into the air. Any one with strong reaction should check into it. Soaking the teakettle overnight works great.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Love that saying..

How true it is..nobody ever learned by talking...
Listening

liza said...

nice post

Unknown said...

Unless you or your son have respiratory issues, or are sensitive to chemicals, everything will be fine. The smell will disappear pretty quickly.

Unknown said...

I was in 16% vinegar fumes for about two hours today on the vinegar factory. I could feel irritation in lungs and throat but nothing severe, a bit later I felt a tiny bit short of breath but nothing serious. I could feel a headache coming after two hours. Now, 6 hours later in bed I feel a tiny headache and my lungs feel irritated. I don't even think that is too serious. However one guy from work did react quite extreme to the fumes, he was dripping snot and all red in the face and he's not afraid of pain. I'd be cautious if I was him.

Anonymous said...

Today I used a spray bottle filled with white vinegar and sprayed it in my car to kill molds that had developed on certain areas. Though i kept the windows open, after some time the fumes started to build up in the car. It Was now tough to breath in the car and eyes started having burning sensation. I got out of the car immediately. Though I have no problem now whatsoever, except for small duration thereafter when I had a bit runny nose and vinegar smell filled deep in my chest somewhere, lets see if the molds die ;). I feel it is advisable if vinegar is not sprayed/ boiled. Direct application/ scrubbing may have no effects on our body and would also achieve the desired results, it seems.

Unknown said...

Maybe she thought people were getting sick because the coffee pot was not cleaned enough.

Sounds like no one else is cleaning it and the rest of you like to inhale germs/bacteria.

Stop being passive and just straight up tell her or your boss your problem. Quit being a Cuck.

Unknown said...

Jesus Fucking Christ. How much Vinegar are all of you using? LMAO.

Any time you use vinegar, you just pour a small amount and dilate it with tons of water for cleaning purposes. I knew this 10-15 years ago before social media/google etc.

It is common sense.

And it sounds like some of you are pouring litres of vinegar into a boiler to clean things LMAO

You only need a tiny bit!

Chad Estes said...

According to the CDC safe levels of acetic acid (that found in vinegar) is 25mg/cubic meter of air.
Assuming vinegar has a density of 1g/L, it is easy to work out how much space would be required to stay within the safe limits of exposure assuming a uniform dispersement of the aerosolized vinegar.

1L of Vinegar ( a whole bottle ) * 1000 mL/L * 1g/mL * 5% (standard concentration of acetic acid in vinegar, check your bottle your mileage may vary) * 1000 mg/g * 1 cubic meter/mg = 2000 cubic meters.

You can convert cubic meters to cubic feet and get roughly 70629.333 cubic feet. Assuming a typical 9 foot ceiling in an office building you'd need 7847.70 square feet of space to dissipate vinegar fumes from an entire bottle of vinegar safely.
I highly doubt anyone would be using an entire bottle to clean a coffee pot or tea kettle.

Unknown said...

That was posted 11 years ago.....passive enough for you? Just being straight up cuck

Sunny said...

The reason why i found this post because, I had a very acute asthma attack after inhaling vinegar in the afternoon. the ironic things is i never knew i had an issue with it since i actually quite enjoy the taste. I usually have it on noodles and salad. The problem is the cook put a tad too much vinegar, not wanting to waste the food, i continue eating it, and the smell of vinegar was very very strong, i think after 2 to 3 mouth of noodle my airway was suddenly so tied that i could not breath. I had to use my inhaler half way through my meal. luckily it went away, i then soak the noodle into the soup and wash off the vinegar and continue my meal.. lol

Anonymous said...

I used white cleaning vinegar with equal amount of water to clean my electric kettle. Trield to boil it. It quickly boiled over making a mess. The fumes were horrible. One thing i noticed is that it destroyed my sense of smell. I couldn't smell anything for about a month. Everything, and i do mean everything smelled like the boiled over vinegar. My sense of taste was off as well. Here i am in my second month and just now starting to regain my sense of smell. It didn't make me sick or burned my eyes. It just took my ability to smell things away. Thought it might have been toxic but nothing else happened from that.

Anonymous said...

I use a 50% water,50% vinegar in my coffee maker then run plain water through 2-3 times. Very sensitive to fumes and it is irritating but not extreme. For cleaning metal I use kosher or rock salt, enough water to dampen and a magic eraser. Have very good luck with it.

Anonymous said...

Tonight, my well meaning husband sprayed our basement and heat pump with Berry scented Febreeze. The odor came up thru the ducts and into my room and I could not breathe. Most deadly stuff on the market. I took two tablespoons of white vinegar and a cup of cold water and set two of those cups out in my basement hoping to combat the smothering smell of Frebreeze. I have pets inside and worried about them smelling that Febreeze too. My chest tightened up as soon as the Febreeze hit the room. Slowly, the odor is subsiding thanks to plain old kitchen vinegar. I would rather smell musty odors after losing power from hurricane Michael than being killed by Febreeze. Thank goodness for vinegar..

Unknown said...

I have used vinegar in the washing machine many times distilled white. I accidentally had cleaning vinegar 6% it also had a scsnt added to it. I piurep it in the washer then dropped in the all free and clear PAC. As I start to put sheets in the smell I felt my throat burning and mouth. A week later it still is.Any suggestions? I need to see a Dr. I called poison control but it's not helped.

Unknown said...

*scent.. * poured.

Home Plix said...

Your post is so helpful and informative. You have done a great job. Thanks for sharing your helpful post.

Unknown said...

You will. Eventually

Anonymous said...

Day 1...Climbed up into my attic and sprayed for mold using two spray bottles of white vinegar. Days 2-3 I have noticed a slight wheezing from my lungs when I lay down, especially on one side. This morning (day 3) my son said I had been making bird sounds as I slept. I was asthmatic when I was young, but no problem as an adult. No problem breathing otherwise. Now to add to the issue, I did go to the fair on day 2 after the attic spraying and I am very allergic to animals. As usual (every year) during the hours in the barns and such I did develop a significant breathing issue from my allergy. That appeared to mostly go away a hour couple hours after the fair. But I am told I sounded weird as I slept last night.
So did the vinegar start something the first day and the animal allergies add to it the second day? Separate incidents, additive or not.....Who knows?

Unknown said...

I sprayed my yard for weeds with vinegar Epsom salt and Dawn dishwasher soap. I never thought twice about breathing the fumes. The next day I felt like crap, hard to breathe didn't sleep that night well at all, sore aching muscles. Headaches and was totally lethargic and ate very little I had no appetite. My throat felt burnt and was very sensitive. Killed the yard Full Of Weeds within 12 hours I thought it was a much better solution then Roundup. Wear a respirator. It really kicked my ass.

Unknown said...

Everything (including “non toxic” labeled stuff) is made up of chemicals. The oxygen we breathe is a chemical. Water molecules are made up of oxygen and hydrogen chemicals.
“Natural” does not mean something is chemical-free. Snake venom is natural. The acid in vinegar is what makes it an effective cleaner. That said, vinegar can cause irritation but it does not create toxic fumes like bleach. However, mixing vinegar with other chemicals can change the chemistry and create more irritating or harmful fumes. Diluting vinegar lessens acidity but some individuals may be sensitive to it regardless. Key words: irritant vs. toxin