---
title: "Can you mix hydrogen peroxide and vinegar?"
description: "Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar: no — it damages something or fails. What actually happens, and what to do instead."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/hydrogen-peroxide-and-vinegar/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Can you mix hydrogen peroxide and vinegar?

**Hydrogen peroxide and Vinegar: No — it damages something or fails**

No — mixed in a bottle it forms peracetic acid, which is corrosive.

## What actually happens

Hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid combine to form peracetic acid, an effective disinfectant that is also corrosive to skin, eyes and lungs at the concentrations a home mixture can reach. Industrial peracetic acid is used under controlled ventilation for good reason. Notably, spraying one after the other on a surface — peroxide, then vinegar, each allowed to work and wiped off — has been shown effective and is not the same thing as premixing them in a container.

## What to do instead

Use them sequentially on a surface rather than combining them in a bottle. Never store a mixture.

## Cleaning products

| Combination | Verdict | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bleach and ammonia | Toxic gas | No. This is the classic household poisoning and it produces chloramine gas. |
| Bleach and vinegar | Toxic gas | No. Any acid plus bleach releases chlorine gas. |
| Baking soda and vinegar | Pointless | Safe, dramatic, and it leaves you with salt water. |
| Bleach and toilet cleaner | Toxic gas | No. Most toilet cleaners are acidic, so this is the bleach-and-acid reaction. |
| Bleach and rubbing alcohol | Toxic gas | No. It produces chloroform and other chlorinated compounds. |
| One drain cleaner and a different drain cleaner | Toxic gas | No. Drain cleaners come in strongly acidic and strongly caustic types, and combining them is violent. |
| Bleach and hydrogen peroxide | Do not | No — it is exothermic and destroys both, and can spray hot liquid. |
| Vinegar and castile soap | Pointless | Safe, and it curdles into a white mess that is worse than either. |
| Vinegar and ammonia | Pointless | Not dangerous, and they cancel each other out. |

## Common questions

### Can you mix hydrogen peroxide and vinegar?

No — it damages something or fails. No — mixed in a bottle it forms peracetic acid, which is corrosive.

### What happens if you do?

Hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid combine to form peracetic acid, an effective disinfectant that is also corrosive to skin, eyes and lungs at the concentrations a home mixture can reach. Industrial peracetic acid is used under controlled ventilation for good reason. Notably, spraying one after the other on a surface — peroxide, then vinegar, each allowed to work and wiped off — has been shown effective and is not the same thing as premixing them in a container.

### What should I do instead?

Use them sequentially on a surface rather than combining them in a bottle. Never store a mixture.

## Related pages

- [Bleach and ammonia](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-ammonia/)
- [Bleach and vinegar](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-vinegar/)
- [Baking soda and vinegar](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/baking-soda-and-vinegar/)
- [Bleach and toilet cleaner](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-toilet-cleaner/)
- [Bleach and rubbing alcohol](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-rubbing-alcohol/)
- [One drain cleaner and a different drain cleaner](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/two-drain-cleaners/)
- [Bleach and ammonia](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-ammonia/)
- [Bleach and vinegar](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-vinegar/)
- [Bleach and toilet cleaner](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-toilet-cleaner/)
- [Bleach and rubbing alcohol](https://atoneplace.net/can-you-mix/bleach-and-rubbing-alcohol/)
- [Hazard symbols](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/)

## Sources

- US Environmental Protection Agency — EPA (https://www.epa.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]