White Vinegar and Dogs – A Useful, Inexpensive Household Staple

White vinegar is one of those inexpensive products that can have numerous uses around a dog-owning home. From cleaning and deodorising to washing dog bedding and tackling weeds outside, ordinary household white vinegar can be a useful alternative to some heavily fragranced household products.

However, the strength of the vinegar matters.

For use around the home and garden where dogs are present, choose ordinary white vinegar containing no more than 5% acetic acid. Do not assume that stronger means safer or better.

Avoid 20% Horticultural Vinegar Around Dogs

Products sold as horticultural or weed-killing vinegar can contain around 20% acetic acid – approximately four times the concentration of ordinary household vinegar.

At this concentration vinegar is considerably more hazardous and can cause skin and serious eye irritation. It should not be confused with the ordinary white vinegar kept in the kitchen.

If you are deliberately choosing vinegar because you want a simple product to use in a dog-owning household, stick to 5% white vinegar or weaker.

Vinegar itself should still be kept out of a dog's reach. Undiluted vinegar can irritate the mouth and digestive system if a dog drinks it and may cause vomiting or diarrhoea.

Cleaning Around Dogs

A diluted solution of white vinegar and water can be useful for general cleaning and deodorising.

For everyday cleaning try:

1 part 5% white vinegar
1 part water

It can be used on many suitable hard surfaces, particularly where you want to remove smells without leaving a heavily perfumed fragrance behind.

Keep dogs away while you are cleaning and allow the surface to dry before they walk over or lick it. The ASPCA notes that diluted vinegar-and-water cleaning solutions are generally not an issue once appropriately used, rinsed where necessary and allowed to dry.

Always test an inconspicuous area first. Vinegar is acidic and isn't suitable for every surface, particularly some natural stone, marble and other acid-sensitive materials.

Dog Bowls, Crates and Accessories

Diluted white vinegar can also be useful for removing grime, smells and mineral deposits from washable dog equipment.

Items should always be thoroughly rinsed afterwards and allowed to dry before being returned to your dog.

For food and water bowls, normal washing with hot water and washing-up liquid remains important – vinegar shouldn't be regarded as a substitute for proper cleaning.

Washing Dog Bedding

White vinegar can be useful for pre-soaking particularly smelly dog bedding, blankets and washable covers.

A small amount of 5% white vinegar diluted in plenty of water can help loosen odours before the item goes into the washing machine. Rinse before washing normally.

There is, however, a reason not to simply pour vinegar into every wash. Some washing-machine manufacturers advise against regularly adding vinegar directly to the machine because repeated exposure to acid may eventually damage rubber seals, hoses and other components.

Check the instructions for your particular washing machine before using vinegar in it.

Never Mix Vinegar With Bleach

This is particularly important.

Never mix vinegar with chlorine bleach or a bleach-containing cleaning product.

Mixing an acid such as vinegar with chlorine bleach can release dangerous chlorine gas.

It is also unnecessary to mix vinegar and bicarbonate of soda together for most cleaning jobs. Although the impressive fizz makes it look as though something powerful is happening, the acid and alkali largely neutralise one another.

Removing Dog Smells

Vinegar can be particularly useful where the aim is to neutralise an odour rather than cover it with perfume.

A diluted vinegar solution may be useful on suitable washable surfaces, but urine accidents are slightly different. Where urine has soaked into carpet, upholstery or flooring, a good enzymatic pet-urine cleaner is usually a better choice because it is designed to break down the substances responsible for the lingering smell.

Using White Vinegar as a Weed Killer

Vinegar can damage plants because acetic acid burns the foliage it contacts.

This means it is non-selective – it cannot tell the difference between the weed you want to kill and the grass, flowers or other plants growing beside it.

Household 5% vinegar works best on small, young weeds. Established perennial weeds and plants with large or deep root systems may regrow because vinegar primarily damages the foliage rather than travelling through the plant and killing the entire root.

Simple 5% Vinegar Weed-Killer Recipe

For paths, paving cracks, gravel and other areas away from plants you want to keep:

1 litre ordinary 5% white vinegar

Pour the vinegar into a clearly labelled garden sprayer.

Spray directly onto the leaves of small, young weeds on paths, gravel and paving, preferably when dry weather is expected. Take care to avoid grass, flowers and other plants you wish to keep.

Do not use 20% horticultural vinegar for this homemade recipe.

Ordinary 5% white vinegar is considerably less hazardous to handle, although it can still irritate eyes and skin.

Keep Dogs Away While Spraying

Even when using 5% vinegar, keep dogs away from the area while you are spraying.

Allow the treated area to dry completely before allowing dogs back onto it. Do not leave the bottle, sprayer or undiluted vinegar where a dog can investigate or drink it.

Be particularly careful around lawns and borders. Vinegar is not selective and overspray can damage grass and other plants.

What About Vinegar for Fleas?

You will sometimes see white or apple cider vinegar recommended online as a "natural flea treatment".

Vinegar should not be relied upon to treat a flea infestation. It does not provide the reliable flea control achieved by an appropriate veterinary flea treatment and won't deal effectively with the eggs and developing stages within the home.

Similarly, don't routinely spray vinegar onto your dog's coat simply because it is described online as "natural". Vinegar is acidic and may irritate sensitive, inflamed or damaged skin.

Cleaning Paws With Vinegar

For everyday muddy paws, plain lukewarm water is normally all that is required.

There is little benefit in routinely wiping a dog's paws with vinegar. If paws are already sore, cracked, inflamed or affected by dermatitis, an acidic solution could sting and cause further irritation.

A Useful Product – But Use the Right Strength

White vinegar can be extremely useful in a dog-owning household, particularly for cleaning, deodorising, pre-soaking washable bedding and tackling young weeds.

The important point is that "natural" doesn't automatically mean harmless.

For normal household use around dogs:

✓ Choose ordinary white vinegar of 5% acidity or less
✓ Dilute it for routine household cleaning
✓ Keep dogs away until cleaned or treated surfaces are dry
✓ Rinse bowls and dog equipment thoroughly
✓ Check your washing-machine manufacturer's instructions
✓ Use 5% vinegar rather than highly concentrated horticultural vinegar for homemade garden mixtures
✓ Keep vinegar bottles and spray mixtures out of reach

And most importantly:

✗ Don't use 20% horticultural vinegar as though it were ordinary vinegar
✗ Don't mix vinegar with bleach
✗ Don't allow dogs to drink vinegar
✗ Don't spray vinegar into a dog's eyes, ears, nose or mouth
✗ Don't apply it to sore or damaged skin
✗ Don't rely on vinegar as a flea treatment

Used sensibly, ordinary 5% white vinegar is a cheap and versatile product that can earn its place in the cupboard of many dog-owning homes.

This information is not intended to replace veterinary care. White vinegar should not be used to treat a health or skin condition in your dog without first consulting your veterinary surgeon.