You can indeed boil vinegar. I know people do it for numerous reasons, including cooking, cleaning, and even to clear and purify the air.
So it is indeed safe to boil vinegar in your own home.
Why Boil Vinegar?
Some recipes call for the use of vinegar in water or another form of stock, such as when cooking a traditional crab boil.
In other instances, boiling vinegar might be beneficial for cleaning and steaming purposes.
Others choose to use boiled vinegar as a natural air purifier, as the vinegar contains acidic properties.
What Are the Benefits of Boiling Vinegar?
Boiling vinegar might sound odd! But it comes with some benefits:
- Air Purification: Those who are interested in organic and homeopathic methods of purifying the air in their homes can try boiling vinegar. It’s the natural solution that doesn’t require chemicals.
- Air Detoxification: In some instances, boiled vinegar has the properties necessary to assist in killing harmful pathogens and chemicals. It can also assist in reducing the number of influenza germs you have throughout your home or in one particular room, depending on how it is used and applied.
- Cooking Enhancer: Many choose to boil vinegar in types of seafood and meat boils as a method of breaking down the meat’s proteins. The use of both white and apple cider vinegar has also been used in crab boils and other dishes to add a level of flavor and complexity.
What Types of Vinegar Can I Boil?
You can do it with just about any kind. However, one of the most popular types of vinegar used while boiling includes apple cider vinegar. Along with its medicinal properties, it is also the least toxic when releasing fumes.
You can also boil commonly used vinegar like white and balsamic.
What Happens When I Boil White Vinegar?
If you choose to boil white vinegar, keep the following in mind:
The boiling point of acetic acid is 118 Celsius or 244 Fahrenheit. Because classic white vinegar is approximately 95% water and just 5% acetic acid, evaporation is likely to take place when boiling the vinegar on its own.
Because of the high concentration of water, white vinegar is less likely to be effective in killing potentially airborne toxins.
Related Questions
What Are the Steps Involved in Boiling Vinegar?
- Add the vinegar to the pot you intend to use to bring it to a boil. When working with vinegar or another acidic substance, it is advisable to use stainless steel whenever possible.
- Add one cup of water to every cup of vinegar you want to boil directly into the pot. As the vinegar begins to boil, stir the pot until most of the liquid has evaporated, removing odors and acting as a natural air purifier.
- You can also add two tablespoons of baking soda and one cup of hot water to a pot with a cup of vinegar to act as a natural air purifier as well. This combination will not only act as an air purifier, but it will eliminate odors and remove potentially harmful chemicals from the air.
How Does Boiling Vinegar Room Odors From the Home?
Many individuals choose to boil vinegar with the hopes of eliminating and/or neutralizing odors in the home.
Choosing to use boiled vinegar to eliminate an odor in the home is easy and only requires a few minutes.
Once the vinegar begins to boil, this is what happens next:
- The vinegar (which includes acetic acid) will bond with volatile molecules, aka odors that are found in the air or near the boiled vinegar.
- Once the vinegar locates the molecules causing the odor, it will then bind to the molecules themselves, nearly instantly eliminating foul smells.