Is there ammonia in vinegar?
If you’ve fallen into the rabbit hole of researching household items, congratulations! You’re officially a paranoid adult. Amongst your internet searches, you may have stumbled upon the question: is there ammonia in vinegar? Fear not, for we are here to answer all your burning questions about vinegar and ammonia.
What is Vinegar?
Before we dive into whether or not there’s any ammonia involved with our beloved sour liquid, let’s take a step back and discuss what vinegar actually is. In simplest terms: it’s a diluted solution of acetic acid created through fermentation.
But how exactly does fermentation occur? Well friends, when yeast and bacteria get together for a little party on your fruits or grains (yum), they break down their sugars into ethanol – aka alcohol. When this ethanol oxidizes further via acetobacter bacteria (which lives by air transfer), it eventually turns into acetic acid – which creates that tart taste sensation in foods like pickles or salad dressings!
Long story short – vinegar = acetic acid + water, typically made from wine but also often produced using other substances such as rice, malted barley or coconut sap.
The Wonderful Uses of Vinegar
This wonder elixir has countless uses around the house- from cooking/food preservation/stain removal to gardening remedies/cleaning sprays/hair care treatments 🌻 We could go on & on!
What sets white distilled vinegar apart from balsamicor apple cider vinegars, according to recent experiments performed by the authors meandering mind (-the CDC) ,is its higher acidity due to elevated concentrations of water-free hydrogen chloride gas known colloquially as vinyl chloride monomer being used in more modern production processes making distilled versions perfect for cleaning .
In fact… I’d be pretty darn disappointed if ‘Vinegar’ doesn’t steal the show as our ever-faithful, eco-conscious household staple !!
What is Ammonia?
Just as vinegar requires a basic understanding of chemistry, so does ammonia. Unlike vinegar, which is made through fermentation of sugars and alcohol oxidation into acetic acid or other zippy acids – ammonia (NH3) is typically created through the Haber process, involving combining nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas under high pressure with very hot temperatures.
But what exactly do we use ammonia for? Let’s check out the list:
- Fertilizer/aquarium water balancer
- Household cleaner (ie: window , floor & bathroom)
- Textile production chemical
- Refrigeration system coolant
So now that we have a brief rundown on both vinegar and ammonia, let’s discuss whether their paths cross in households living room.
Is There Ammonia in Vinegar?
At last! The moment you’ve all been waiting for. To cut to the chase: nope, there isn’t any actual ammonia going on when it comes to your average bottle of distilled white vinegar.
While both compounds share similar functions within households they are entirely different substances unrelated chemically by anything except /their shared history/and grandmother longevity legacies…which in my book makes them practically sisters!
The CDC gives us even more assurance by referring back to strict food manufacturing regulations ensuring that urea/amino-based/nitrogenous waste co-products such as uric acid are nowhere near our beloved distillery pools 😅👏 Bravo industry standards, cheers 🍻
Vinegar Safety Tips
We know distilled white vinegar doesn’t contain any ammonia . But this brings up another important point – just because something doesn’t contain harmful chemicals doesn’t mean it’s necessarily safe either .
For example: you don’t want to apply pure undiluted white/vinegar directly onto your skin. Yes, it may be organic and bottled at home – but acetic acid with no dilution can cause ouchie burns.
Similarly , mistaking respiratory protection for some pickling vinegar sniffing huff may activate your overuse injury muscle 😬
Key Takeaways:
- Vinegar is made from acetic acid and water
- Ammonia is made through the Haber process using nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas
- The two compounds are chemically different
- Distilled white vinegar does not contain ammonia or any other harmful chemicals
Final Thoughts
Although distilled white/vinegar doesn’t contain any ammonia frolicking about in its acidity levels/pathways there remains to be a stigma surrounding the potential toxicity of household cleaning supplies. So what’s a paranoid adult supposed to do? Stick to boiled water that you hand picked herbs into?
Well, How about reaching for an old bottle of relatively-safe distilled white vinegar instead?
It has stood the test of time when it comes to non toxic cleaner alternatives🧐😚…just make sure NOT HUFF IT, keep all sprays away from eyes/skin/mucous membranes/asthma prone friends , & always buy in moderation (you don’t need THAT much condiments).
So next time someone asks if there’s any dangerous ammonya lurking around in our beloved jars/bottles — just say ‘VINEGAR’ right back… they’ll never associate themselves as experts on this topic again 😉