Distilled white vinegar is a popular natural household cleaner.
Can apple cider vinegar be used as a substitute?
The answer is complicated.
Credit:Getty Images / Peter Dazeley
Is Apple Cider Vinegar an Effective Household Cleaner?
All types of vinegar, including distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar, contain acetic acid.
Acetic acid, in addition to lending vinegars their sour scent and taste, is a powerful cleaner.
Apple cider vinegar can be used as a substitute for distilled white vinegar for cleaning.
Vinegars with higher acetic acid levels are more powerful cleaning agents than vinegars with less acetic acid.
To avoid this, rinse surfaces well with water after using apple cider vinegar to clean.
Leaving apple cider vinegar residue on surfaces canattract unwanted insects.
Additionally, apple cider vinegar typically costs more per ounce than distilled white vinegar.
The combination of bleach and vinegar results in a chemical reaction that creates toxic chlorine gas.
