measuring two parts of something

[vhelp]

I was reading how to clean a really dirty toilet and the measurement used was:

Combine 2 parts baking soda with 1 part white vinegar to make a paste. Spread the paste onto the lime deposits and leave them to soak for a minimum of 30 minutes.

So what exactly is 2 parts of backing soda and 1 part of white vinegar ?

[_Al_]

Any volume, just that 2:1 ratio is supposedly important. It is kitchen like recipe I suppose, so you measure volume. 2 cups vs. 1 cup etc.

Anyway baking soda, way to go! Folks associate good smell = clean so they're buying expensive, unhealthy products thinking it will clean better.

[TreeTops]

That mixture will probably explode.

[redwudz]

The vinegar would be the active ingredient, acid, but the baking soda would partially neutralize it. You may get a fair amount of foam.
So vinegar, at least my sample, is about 2.0 PH and when mixed with twice it's quantity of baking soda,
ends up with a PH of about 8, very low. Not 'acidy', and not really a paste. That would take about 3:1 or 4:1.

But it may still work.

[DB83]

'Part' is, sorry my friends, a stupid American way of determining quanities, as has been said, usually for baking.

On this side of the pond we would state a more practical method by a description of the article used in the 'measure'. I would have thought, in this case, the 'part' is a large table-spoon

[bendixG15]

'Part' is, sorry my friends, a stupid American way of determining quanities, as has been said, usually for baking.

On this side of the pond we would state a more practical method by a description of the article used in the 'measure'. I would have thought, in this case, the 'part' is a large table-spoon

Well..on this side of the... the logic of using "part" instead of "tablespoon" is that you are free to make the quantity you require. If you need a lot, then its 2 cups...if you need a little, then its two tablespoons (no hyphen).

So its not "a stupid American way" its a clever American way.

[stiltman]

The vinegar would be the active ingredient, acid, but the baking soda would partially neutralize it. You may get a fair amount of foam.
So vinegar, at least my sample, is about 2.0 PH and when mixed with twice it's quantity of baking soda,
ends up with a PH of about 8, very low. Not 'acidy', and not really a paste. That would take about 3:1 or 4:1.

But it may still work.

I was thinking the samething. Baking soda would neutralize the acid in the vinegar, in the process creating foam

I remember having a toy rocket that used the same combo to create a slam explosion, thus shooting the rocket up in the air about 50'

Similar to this
http://www.walmart.com/ip/17176171?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=2222222222...761552&veh=sem

[DB83]

^^ Ok my friend.

It is clever if you can think. Trouble is that many people on both sides of the pond can not do that

[TreeTops]

Thank you stiltman.

[vhelp]

Thank you for the explanations.

[stiltman]

also never mix Bleach and Vinegar....unless you're trying to create Chlorine Gas