My marble countertop disaster changed my view on vinegar cleansers

Vinegar can permanently damage natural stone surfaces in DIY projects.

3 comments

3 Comments

So your view on vinegar cleansers changed after the marble disaster. What was the first sign something was wrong? A dull patch or actual etching? I always assumed vinegar was the harmless hero of DIY, but it sounds like it's more of a frenemy to natural stone. Did you try to fix it, or is the countertop permanently memorializing your mistake? Genuinely curious how widespread this knowledge is, since vinegar solutions are touted for everything.

bailey.mia12h ago

Honestly, it's wild how many "natural" cleaning hacks get passed around without any warnings. Tbh, this vinegar thing feels like part of a bigger trend where we trust DIY advice over actual science. Ngl, it makes you wonder what other common tips are secretly damaging stuff.

cora_stone5h ago

Wait... vinegar isn't inherently bad, it's just about using it on the right surfaces. The science behind it is pretty straightforward... acetic acid reacts with calcium carbonate, so yeah, marble gets etched. But for glass, porcelain, or even some plastics, it's actually a fantastic cleaner because it dissolves mineral deposits. The problem is when tips get oversimplified and people don't consider material compatibility. I ruined a laminate floor once by assuming vinegar was safe... learned that lesson the hard way. So it's less about DIY vs science and more about applying basic chemistry knowledge...