Topic: Are all vinegars created the same?

[Ace Blackwell]

All,

I bought white distilled vinegar a year or so ago to clean the rust our of my tank.   I used BBs and eventually small deck screws as recommended on here along with letting the take set full of vinegar for a few days.   With all I had read about vinegar eating a tank up and it will eat metal, I was surprised my tank didn't turn out any cleaner than it was. Granted it did look considerably better, just not at the results some have had on here.

I've been considering trying it again and became a little suspicious of my white distilled vinegar.  After searching the web, I discovered there are other vinegars like apple cider.

So my question is, which is the best vinegar for eating rust out of a tank?

Thanks
Ace 

[Flyin900]

Just use the cheap white vinegar (gallon sizing) in a warm location for a few days. It may clean further or not inside the tank. I can't see it eating through a solid tank in a couple of days, yet personally I have never used it as a cleaning solution. The acetic acid level is around 6 % and that is what's doing the work.

[dusterdude]

I have used the works toilet bowl cleaner with very good results

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[WhyNot2]

Watch out how long you leave stuff in vinegar.....

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Nope, not at all. Look for pickling vinegar 10%.

[Pielz]

I've seen folks use muriatic acid is as it only takes a few minutes. Definitely requires caution though. I used the POR15 kit and I believe that's what it comes with. Worked wonderfully and only took a few mins

[brewsky]

Watch out how long you leave stuff in vinegar.....

+1.....one week soak in "Heinz Cleaning Vinegar" (6% acidity)

[CaptFatCat]

I bet the acid in your vinegar ate the screws and bbs instead of eating the rust.
I used cheap white vinegar on a well rusted tank for 2 days without adding screws or bolts and it came out like a dream.

when you do need some abrasion to scrape the rust away a short length of steel chain works well and is much easier to get out.

[Greyhound]

I’ve used both white and apple cider vinegar, and found that apple cider vinegar works a little faster at cleaning rust out of a tank. However, both work very well. Just give it time, a warm place and an occasional swoosh-around throughout the process.

I also leave the tank upside down for a few days to assure all the rust from the cap and topside of the tank get cleaned. Foamy packing sheet works well to seal the cap of gasket is brittle/leaky.

[dave500]

i use vinegar for brass parts like jets,mollasses for ferrous stuff.

[Ace Blackwell]

Hey thanks guys, I’ll give it another shot.  I’ve got a gallon and a half of white. I’ll start with that.
I appreciate the advice.

[Medyo Bastos]

Vinegar eats piston rings!


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[PeWe]

I used 12.5% vinegar as we have here. 5 days no problem. Make sure tank is filled completely.
Vinegar will cause rust if not filled.

[spotty]

On a related but irrelevant topic....

Chinese rice wine vinegar is great on chips ( fries for our colonial cousins )

Apple cider vinegar is great thrown in at the end of frying bacon onion and cabbage

Asian red or black vinegar is really good for pickling onions, gives an extra bite to an otherwise sublime delicacy

[PeWe]

Apple cider vinegar taste good to drink! Very healthy too.
1-2 table spoon, fill glass with cold water. It must be a tasty brand.

[Flyin900]

I’m kind of partial to”Grey Pupon” vinegar myself, not too stuffy and cleans well.