Yes, vinegar can discolor furniture because its acidity can strip protective finishes (like wax, polyurethane, or shellac), dull the surface, and even chemically alter the wood itself, causing irreversible dark spots, especially on oak or high-tannin woods when mixed with steel wool for staining, so it's generally best to avoid it on finished or waxed wood and use gentle, wood-specific cleaners instead.
Vinegar stains wood by acidifying the surface and reacting with tannins and metals to produce color changes ranging from subtle darkening to dramatic graying or blackening.
But eight places you should never use vinegar include:
Vinegar's acidic nature can cause irreversible damage, discoloration, or wear and tear on certain surfaces.
Vinegar can damage the finish on wood furniture--whether it's stained, painted, or waxed--leaving the surface dull, cloudy, or uneven over time.
Wood
They can also tarnish, attack, or oxidize your floor. Mixtures of water and vinegar are not recommended for washing varnished or oiled floors. The acidic content present in vinegar acts as an aggressive agent when it comes into contact with your wood floor.
There are a few tricks to help keep laundry looking good, but our go-to is a good old-fashioned cup of vinegar. Vinegar will lock in color so that your clothes don't fade quite as fast—but don't worry, it won't seal in that pungent vinegary smell.
Distilled vinegar, which contains only small quantities of these volatile compounds, won't change much. However, unpasteurized raw vinegars (such as Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar) can evolve in color and flavor over time and cellulose particles of the mother may grow.
The acid etches and dulls natural stone such as marble and limestone. It can slowly dissolve them, according to Beckman. With other durable stones, such as granite, vinegar can break down any sealers that have been applied.
I googled on how to reduce vinegar taste in sauces and found out most suggest 3 options:
However, this can occur when heavy rainfall meets blocked drains, and the drainpipes are unable to handle the volume of rainwater due to an outside drain blockage. That's why households are being encouraged to pour vinegar into their drains to help keep them clear.
If you dissolve steel wool in vinegar for a few days or more, then strain it through a coffee filter to remove most of the solids, you'll have a solution that can ebonize oak (or other woods). Simply wipe it on and it will chemically react with the wood to darken it to nearly black.
HOW TO CLEAN
Vinegar has a very low pH level which means it's very acidic, so it can corrode some surfaces over time. For example, using vinegar on natural stone like granite or marble can dull and scratch the surface and it can corrode surfaces like unsealed grout, window seals, and fridge and dishwasher gaskets.
Vinegar, specifically white vinegar, is acidic, and this acidity helps to set the dye in the fabric. When you soak your tie dye creation in a vinegar solution, it not only helps the dye adhere better to the fabric but also prevents the colors from fading over time.
Tips. Distilled white vinegar is the least expensive and best choice for laundry because it contains no tannins to discolour fabrics. Do not substitute distilled white vinegar with cleaning vinegar as this might bleach your linen.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Many of us have combined them in childhood scientific experiments: think fizzy volcanoes and geysers. But people also frequently mix vinegar and baking soda to produce a reportedly effective household cleaner. Unfortunately, the chemistry behind the bubbly reaction doesn't support the cleaning hype.
If you do not dilute the vinegar before cleaning your furniture, it may leave streaks on the wood or possibly eat away some types of finish. If you do not have any olive oil to dilute your vinegar with, here are some alternative solutions: 2 parts lemon juice, 1 part vinegar, 1 part flax oil.
It works wonders on glass, kitchen surfaces, and hard water stains, but avoid using it on natural stone, hardwood floors, and metal cookware to prevent damage. Remember to never mix vinegar with bleach, baking soda, or hydrogen peroxide, as it either reduces cleaning effectiveness and can create harmful chemicals.
Don't use vinegar on unsealed wood: If your wood furniture is unsealed, vinegar can penetrate the wood and cause damage. Only use vinegar on sealed wood furniture. Don't use vinegar on waxed or oiled wood: If your wood furniture is waxed or oiled, vinegar can dissolve the wax or oil and cause damage.