Chemist dispelled myths about safe cleaning with folk remedies

Popular homemade recipes with vinegar, baking soda, and other "natural" remedies are not always effective and can damage surfaces. Mikhail Grachev, a chemical technologist and co-founder of Grass, told Izvestia about this on July 18.

According to the expert, the fear of professional household chemicals is often based on myths, whereas it is home-made methods that can lead to property damage due to improper selection of substances and lack of necessary components.

Grachev noted that using ketchup to remove rust can actually have an effect due to the acids in tomatoes, but their concentration is much lower than in specialized products. As a result, more effort has to be applied to cleaning, which increases the risk of scratches.

At the same time, professional formulations are developed taking into account the type of surface and may contain components that not only remove contamination, but also protect the material from repeated damage.

The expert also analyzed a popular method of cleaning the kitchen with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar.

"By mixing soda and vinegar together, we completely neutralize their properties, getting only a beautiful hissing reaction, which can form a whitish coating," Grachev explained.

According to the expert, it is more effective to use special alkaline products with surfactants to remove fat, and formulations with enzymes for complex stains. In this case, any tool must be selected taking into account the surface material.

Grachev added that vinegar, salt and soda can only help in individual cases, but modern household appliances are designed for specific tasks and, if used correctly, allow for faster and safer cleaning.

Immunologist Pavel Berezhansky shared on Thursday, March 26, recommendations that will help reduce the manifestations of seasonal allergies. According to the expert, the main principle is to limit contact with pollen in order to reduce the severity of symptoms.