What Happens If You Use Vinegar On Concrete?

Acidic vinegar is a fantastic cleaning product to use around the home, but there's one place it should be used with caution, whether it's a floor or a countertop: concrete. Vinegar has the ability to cause some serious damage to your surface. The pH level of vinegar is what makes it ideal for tough stains or mold, but that same level can eat away at sealed or stained surfaces on concrete if left on for too long.

Vinegar on concrete can cause streaks, discoloration, and even etch the surface. This can be avoided by first knowing the material of the surface you're cleaning. Concrete and cement are two different substances, and the terms are often used interchangeably. Concrete is a combination of cement, water, sand, and gravel. Cement is limestone fired at a high temperature that's then ground into a mixable powder. Interior concrete is also often sealed to protect it from nicks, and that sealant can be impaired with undiluted vinegar.

One Reddit user noted that using vinegar on their concrete patio created a rough, streaky patch. Treating a spot immediately with vinegar without first researching is a common mistake. For every miraculous clean, there's plenty of things to avoid cleaning with vinegar that you may have never thought of before. If vinegar has spilled on your concrete, you can act quickly before any damage is done.

Baking soda neutralizes the acid in vinegar (and creates the cool volcano effect of science projects everywhere). Wipe up the excess vinegar with a cloth or paper towel with a dabbing motion so as not to spread further or rub the vinegar deeper into the surface. Then, sprinkle baking soda over the space where it spilled, which should react with fizzing bubbles. Wait a few minutes after the bubbles have stopped to ensure all the acid is neutralized, then clean and rinse off the concrete. If needed, repeat the process to make sure the concrete is not damaged. Use vinegar with caution on and around your concrete, and always keep baking soda nearby, just in case.