Vinegar has many applications in cleaning; the question is can you use vinegar to clean your car? This is a question many car owners have since vinegar is used to clean many surfaces in the home. Can it then be extended to your car paint?
Vinegar is perfect for cleaning your car’s interior and is safe for all kinds of surfaces within your vehicle. However, vinegar on car paint is not advisable because it dulls the color and eventually affects its quality.
Continue reading this article to know if vinegar is good for car paint, surfaces to clean with it, removing dry water spots with vinegar, dealing with car pant etching caused by vinegar, and many more.
Table of Contents
Is Vinegar Good For your Car Paint?
Before using any cleaning agent, the right thing to do is check if its composition or ingredients is safe to use. For example, your car paint is susceptible, so it is the most affected when cleaning your car. Vinegar is acidic; the one used for cleaning household items has a PH level of 2.5 (White Vinegar).
When used on your car paint, it will burn or erode it. If you want your car to remain sparkling clean, you should avoid spraying it with vinegar. Vinegar can etch your car paint when sprayed directly on it, and if left in the sun for long, it hastens the etching process.
However, you should not avoid using vinegar on your car paint because it strips away stubborn oils and grease when adequately applied (without corroding your car paint). A sufficiently diluted vinegar (ratio 3:1) will clean your car without burning through the paint and coatings.
Can You Use Vinegar to Clean Your Car?
Yes, you can use vinegar to clean your car’s interior and exterior. However, the mode of application, especially to your car paint, differs. First, you should mix vinegar with water proportionally (known as a sour rinse) and use it to remove tree sap, stubborn dirt, grease, and other forms of dirt that ordinary soap cannot deal with.
Most car owners and detailers use the sour rinse to clean cars. However, sour rinse is a safe way of using vinegar. Yet, please do not use it all the time because diluting it is not 100% safe. Diluted vinegar may not etch your car’s paint but can still cut through the fine coating.
In summary, never use undiluted vinegar on your car paint; if you must use it, dilute it with water (ratio 3:1). Yet, please do not use it often on your car because it is still unsafe and has some acidic properties (though diluted).
What surfaces to clean with vinegar?
The following surfaces in your car can be cleaned with vinegar, although some like your leather seats need utmost care.
Windows
Vinegar helps clean your window and keep it from freezing during winter. In addition, using a DIY vinegar mixture saves you a lot of money; all you need do is spray the glass with the vinegar solution and leave it for some time (depending on the form of dirt) to soak, after which you wipe off using a microfiber towel.
Vinyl, Plastic and Wood
Vinegar does not react against vinyl, plastic, or wood surfaces. All you have to do is spray a bit of the solution in your microfiber towel and wipe the surface clean. One caution here is to avoid spraying the solution directly on the surface to be cleaned.
For vinyl surfaces, direct spraying is not recommended; avoid letting the solution spray dry off on the surface. The same recommendation goes for wooden and plastic surfaces, just that it’s not a big problem if the vinegar solution dries off on them.
Plastic and wooden surfaces (coated with plastic) cleaned with vinegar come with a deep fresh look. However, cleaning your interiors with vinegar leaves a residual smell. Another alternative will be an expensive car interior cleaner.
Leather
Using vinegar for your leather seats is not advisable because it decolorizes the leather and strips off oils from it. This leaves your seats dry and maybe uncomfortable. One way to deal with this is to condition your leather seat with a leather treatment product to minimize the vinegar effects.
Can You Use Vinegar on Car Paint?
Yes, as long you mix it with water at a ratio of 3:1 into a spray bottle. Next, spray the car’s exterior and wipe off using newspaper or microfiber materials. Then, your vehicle will come out shining without streaks or etched paint. Car paint etching only happens due to spraying the solution under direct sunlight or high heat.
How to Remove Dried Water Spots with Vinegar on a Car?
Using hard water to wash your car often leaves it with dried water spots, asides inability to form lather quickly. In addition, these dried water spots are hard to rub off. So, either you get soft water, and if that’s impossible, use vinegar.
Vinegar solution absorbs the magnesium and calcium deposits (left by hard water) on your car paint, making your car spotless and shining. However, you must be careful to use vinegar in the right way to avoid causing more harm than good.
How to Make a Vinegar Solution that is Gentle on Car Paint?
Making a gentle vinegar solution on car paint requires a full cup of water with a quarter cup of white vinegar. Mix the solution in a spray bottle, and shake to have the ingredients mixed up. Once the mixture is made, only apply to the spots on your car using a dry microfiber cloth. The application of this gentle solution should come after you have just finished washing your vehicle (away from heat or sunlight).
How Do I Deal with Car Paint Etching Caused by Vinegar?
Etch spots caused by vinegar application on your car can be fixed by paint polishing or correction. Investing in a machine polisher makes the work more accessible, and Chemical Guys and Meguiars are some of the most trusted brands in the market for the best car polish.
Polishing your car will get rid of etching caused by vinegar. You can only polish the car after washing and drying it in a place free from dust. If you are not cut for DIY stuff, then a professional detailer can do it for you.
What Other Alternatives Can you Use?
Besides vinegar, you can use quality car wax to get rid of spots on your car. Waxing your vehicle enhances the layer of protection and makes the car paint shine. Water spots are prevented from appearing on your car when fully waxed.1
FAQ’s
Can I Spray My Car With Vinegar?
It is not advisable to use vinegar on car paint because of its acidic nature. However, you can apply it using a gentle vinegar solution.
Is Vinegar Bad For Painted Surfaces?
No, vinegar is safe for walls; add vinegar into a bucket of water and clean carefully. Replace the solution when it becomes dirty.
Is White Vinegar Good For Cleaning Cars?
Vinegar is safe for cleaning all surfaces in a car’s interior. However, direct spraying should be avoided when using it, and it should not be allowed to dry off on those surfaces. Externally, vinegar can dull your car’s paint and cut through the coating.
Is Vinegar Good For Paint?
Vinegar can dissolve oil-based and water-based paints from any surface. Vinegar removes paint naturally.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, you can use vinegar-based solutions to clean your car’s interior. However, vinegar on car paint is not advised because it is corrosive even when diluted. Instead, read through how to make a gentle vinegar solution on car paint because it remains the cheapest way to clean your car from greasy spots and stubborn dirt.
