# pH of cleaning products: a chart of common chemicals and which pH cleans which soil

> The pH of cleaning products runs the whole 0 to 14 scale: acids (vinegar about 2.4, toilet bowl and descaling cleaners lower still) dissolve mineral deposits, neutral cleaners (6 to 8) handle daily dirt, and alkalis cut grease and protein: baking soda about 8.3, household ammonia about 11.6 to 12, bleach 11 to 13, and lye-based oven and drain cleaners 13 to 14. Match the pH to the soil, and never mix an acid or ammonia with bleach.

Published 2026-10-29, updated 2026-10-30 by Broombook · Run the day to day · 12 min read  
Canonical page: https://broombook.com/guides/ph-of-cleaning-products

## Key takeaways

- pH runs from 0 to 14 with 7 neutral; each step is ten times more acidic or alkaline than the last.
- Acids (low pH) remove mineral soils: hard water scale, rust, soap scum, urine salts.
- Alkalis (high pH) remove organic soils: grease, oils, food, body soil.
- Household bleach is about pH 11 to 13; household ammonia about 11.6 to 12; sodium hydroxide (lye) in drain and oven cleaners reaches 13 to 14.
- High and low extremes burn skin and damage stone, aluminum and finishes; neutral (pH 6 to 8) is the safe default for daily cleaning.
- Never mix bleach with ammonia or any acid, and rinse a surface with water before switching products.

## What is the pH scale for cleaning chemicals?

The pH scale measures how acidic or alkaline a water-based solution is, from 0 to 14, with 7 neutral. Numbers below 7 are acidic and numbers above 7 are alkaline (also called basic), as the U.S. Geological Survey explains on its [pH and water](https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/ph-and-water) page. For a cleaner, pH is the single best predictor of what a product will dissolve and what it will damage.

The scale is logarithmic. Each whole number is a tenfold change: pH 5 is ten times more acidic than pH 6, and pH 13 is a hundred times more alkaline than pH 11. That is why an oven cleaner at 13 to 14 burns skin while a baking soda paste at about 8 is safe to touch, even though both sit on the “alkaline” side.

### The scale in cleaning terms

| pH range | Category | Removes | Risk |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0 to 2 | Strong acid | Heavy scale, rust, grout haze, concrete residue | Burns; etches stone, metal, grout; fumes |
| 2 to 5.5 | Mild acid | Soap scum, hard water spots, urine deposits, light rust | Dulls marble and limestone; irritates skin |
| 5.5 to 8.5 | Neutral | Everyday dust and light soil | Low; safe on most sealed surfaces |
| 8.5 to 11 | Mild alkali | Grease, oils, food, body soil | Can dull waxed floors and aluminum over time |
| 11 to 14 | Strong alkali | Baked-on grease, carbon, drain clogs, floor finish (stripping) | Burns; damages aluminum, paint, wood, some plastics |

Products are formulated, not just measured. Surfactants, solvents and builders do a lot of the work, so two cleaners at pH 10 can perform very differently. pH tells you the category and the risk; the label tells you the job.

## pH chart of common cleaning products

The chart below gives the pH of the common chemicals and product types a cleaning company meets. Where a figure comes from a measured solution of the active ingredient (PubChem, the chemistry database run by the National Institutes of Health), that is noted; branded products vary with concentration and additives, so treat the ranges as typical, and read the safety data sheet for the exact product you carry.

| Product or chemical | Typical pH | Basis |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Toilet bowl cleaner (hydrochloric acid type), descalers | 0 to 2 | Strong mineral acid products; check the SDS of your brand |
| Vinegar (acetic acid) | About 2.4 | [PubChem](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/176/JSON?heading=pH): acetic acid solutions measure 2.4 at 1 molar, 2.9 at 0.1 molar and 3.4 at 0.01 molar; 5% household vinegar is about 0.8 molar |
| Lemon juice, citric acid cleaners | About 2 to 3 | Mild organic acid products |
| Neutral floor cleaner, most “all-purpose” sprays | 6 to 8 | Formulated near neutral for daily use on sealed floors |
| Pure water | 7 | [USGS](https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/ph-and-water): 7 is neutral |
| Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) | About 8.3 | [PubChem](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/516892/JSON?heading=pH): 8.3 for a fresh 0.1 molar solution; 8.0 to 8.6 for a 1% solution |
| Degreasers, enzyme and heavy-duty cleaners | 9 to 12 | Alkaline builders; varies widely by brand |
| Household ammonia (ammonia in water) | About 11.6 to 12 | [PubChem](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/222/JSON?heading=pH): 11.6 at 1 normal, 11.1 at 0.1 normal, 10.6 at 0.01 normal; household ammonia, at about 10%, is stronger than 1 normal |
| Household chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) | 11 to 13 | [Northeastern University lab safety sheet](https://oars.northeastern.edu/home/labsafety/bleach-sodium-hypochlorite-safety-factsheet/): sodium hypochlorite solution pH 11 to 13; University of Bristol notes 5% domestic bleach is [around pH 11](https://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/bleach/bleachh.htm) and 10 to 15% bleach about 13 |
| Oven cleaner (sodium hydroxide / lye) | 13 to 14 | [Easy-Off Heavy Duty](https://www.easyoff.us/products/easy-off-heavy-duty-oven-cleaner) lists sodium hydroxide as an ingredient and is labeled corrosive; [PubChem](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/14798/JSON?heading=pH) gives sodium hydroxide at about pH 13 for a 0.5% solution and 14 for 5% |
| Drain cleaner (sodium hydroxide, sometimes with bleach) | 13 to 14 | Lye-based gels; same sodium hydroxide data as above |
| Floor stripper | 12 to 14 | High-alkaline, often with solvents; check the SDS |

Two notes on the chart. Bleach sits where it does partly by design: Clorox explains that its bleach contains at least 5% sodium hypochlorite plus a little sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate to [buffer the solution](https://puerto-rico.clorox.com/en/how-to/laundry-basics/information-about-bleach/) and keep it stable. And “ammonia” on a store shelf is ammonia dissolved in water (ammonium hydroxide) at up to about 10%, which PubChem gives for household use, so household ammonia lands around 11.6 to 12.

## Which pH removes which kind of soil?

Use the opposite of the soil: acids dissolve mineral deposits, alkalis break down organic soils, and neutral cleaners handle everything that is just dirt. Picking the right side of the scale is most of the difference between a surface that wipes clean and one that needs scrubbing.

| Soil | Type | pH that works | Example product |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Hard water spots, limescale on faucets and glass | Mineral | Acid (2 to 5) | Citric or mild acid bathroom cleaner, vinegar on glass only |
| Soap scum on shower doors and tile | Mineral plus fat | Acid, sometimes with a surfactant | Acidic bathroom cleaner |
| Rust stains, toilet bowl rings | Mineral | Strong acid (0 to 2) | Acid bowl cleaner, used carefully |
| Kitchen grease, cooking oil film | Organic (fat) | Alkali (9 to 12) | Degreaser |
| Baked-on carbon in ovens | Organic, carbonized | Strong alkali (13 to 14) | Lye-based oven cleaner |
| Body soil, sweat, food on counters | Organic | Mild alkali (8 to 10) | All-purpose cleaner |
| Daily dust and tracked-in dirt on floors | Mixed, light | Neutral (6 to 8) | Neutral floor cleaner |
| Mold and mildew stains | Organic, pigmented | Alkali oxidizer | Bleach-based or peroxide product per label |

A practical rule for training: if it is white and crusty, think acid; if it is greasy or sticky, think alkali; if you are not sure, start neutral and work outward. A cleaner who learns that one sentence stops reaching for a degreaser on soap scum, which is a common mismatch in bathrooms.

### Where pH does not help

Disinfection is not a pH question. A quat disinfectant can be near neutral and still kill what its label says, and a strongly alkaline degreaser kills very little. Choose a disinfectant by its EPA registration and contact time, not by pH, and clean the soil off first so the disinfectant can reach the surface.

## Which surfaces are damaged by the wrong pH?

Natural stone, aluminum, waxed or oiled wood and some finishes are the surfaces most often damaged by the wrong pH. The damage is usually permanent and usually the cleaning company’s to pay for, so the surface list belongs in your training as much as the soil list.

- **Marble, limestone, travertine, terrazzo.** Acids etch them: vinegar, citrus cleaners and acidic bathroom sprays leave dull spots that need a stone professional to polish out. Use neutral or stone-specific cleaners only.
- **Granite and quartz.** Tougher, but strong alkalis and acids can dull sealers and some resins. Neutral is the safe default.
- **Aluminum (window frames, some appliances, ladders).** Strong alkalis such as oven cleaner and some degreasers darken and pit it.
- **Hardwood and laminate.** Alkaline cleaners can strip finish; acid residue can dull it. Neutral floor cleaner, barely damp.
- **Grout.** Repeated acid cleaning erodes cement grout; alkaline cleaners are usually safer for routine work, acids only for scale, and rinsed.
- **Brass, copper, some chrome.** Acids and ammonia can tarnish or spot plating.
- **Painted and lacquered surfaces.** Strong alkalis soften paint; keep oven cleaner off cabinet doors.

Test in a hidden corner before using any acid or strong alkali on a surface you have not cleaned before, and put “no acids on stone” on the client’s property notes so every cleaner sees it. Damage claims are expensive even when you are insured; the [cleaning business insurance guide](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-insurance) explains how deductibles work on property damage.

## How dangerous are the extremes, and what should never be mixed?

Both ends of the scale burn. Strong acids and strong alkalis destroy skin and eye tissue on contact, and some combinations release toxic gas. The two rules that prevent almost every injury are: gloves and eye protection for anything below pH 3 or above pH 11, and never mix products.

### Never mix

- **Bleach with ammonia:** releases toxic chloramine gases. Ammonia hides in some glass cleaners and in urine, so do not use bleach on a toilet or floor that has just been cleaned with an ammonia product, or on fresh pet accidents.
- **Bleach with acids:** releases chlorine gas. Acids include vinegar, toilet bowl cleaners, drain cleaners, rust removers and brick and concrete cleaners, as the Washington State Department of Health lists on its [bleach mixing dangers](https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/contaminants/bleach-mixing-dangers) page, which advises not to mix bleach with ammonia, acids or any other cleaner.
- **Bleach with alcohol:** the Northeastern safety sheet lists alcohols among bleach’s incompatibilities, forming chloroform and other irritants. Keep alcohol-based glass cleaner and bleach apart.
- **Drain cleaners with anything**, including other drain cleaners and water in the wrong order. Lye gels react with heat; follow the label exactly and never add a second product to a clogged drain.

### Handling the extremes

- Oven and drain cleaners (pH 13 to 14): long gloves, eye protection, ventilation, and never spray near the face. Easy-Off’s own label says it contains sodium hydroxide, will burn eyes and skin, and to use only with adequate ventilation.
- Acid bowl cleaners (pH 0 to 2): gloves and goggles, apply under the rim and let it work, never scrub so it splashes, flush well, and never use on the bathroom floor.
- Bleach (pH 11 to 13): gloves, dilute per label, mix water first, fresh each day, and keep it away from every other bottle.
- Splash in the eye: rinse with clean water for 15 minutes and seek medical care; the SDS for each product gives the specific first aid.

Once you have employees, OSHA requires labels, safety data sheets and training for the hazardous chemicals they use. The chemical safety section of the [cleaning business supplies list](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-supplies-list) covers what the Hazard Communication Standard asks of a small cleaning company.

## Why should neutral be your default product?

Neutral cleaners (pH about 6 to 8) handle most daily soil, are safe on almost every sealed surface, and are the hardest for a new cleaner to misuse. Build the kit around one neutral all-purpose cleaner and one neutral floor cleaner, then add one acid and one alkali for the jobs that need them.

### A four-product pH kit

| Product | pH | Used for | Not on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Neutral all-purpose cleaner | 6 to 8 | Counters, appliances, dusting, spot cleaning, sealed floors | Nothing in particular |
| Acidic bathroom cleaner | 2 to 4 | Showers, tubs, faucets, toilets, hard water | Marble, limestone, terrazzo, unsealed grout |
| Alkaline degreaser | 10 to 12 | Range hoods, stovetops, greasy cabinets, trash areas | Aluminum, waxed floors, painted surfaces without a test |
| EPA-registered disinfectant | Per product (often near neutral) | Toilets, sinks, handles, after cleaning | Anything the label excludes |

Oven cleaner and acid bowl cleaner are specialty products: carried by trained cleaners for add-on services, priced as add-ons, and kept out of the everyday caddy. The [supplies list guide](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-supplies-list) covers the full kit and what each item costs.

## How do you test pH and teach it to cleaners?

Test with pH strips or a pocket pH meter when you need to know what is in a bottle, and teach pH with a one-page chart on the caddy lid rather than a chemistry lesson. Cleaners need to know three things: which side of the scale each bottle is on, which soils it is for, and what it must never touch.

### Testing

- pH strips (0 to 14) are inexpensive and accurate to about one unit, enough to tell an acid from an alkali.
- A pocket meter is more precise; useful if you blend your own dilutions or want to confirm a floor is rinsed to neutral before applying finish.
- Test diluted product, not concentrate: dilution moves the pH toward 7, which is why a 1:64 degreaser is milder than the jug.
- Rinse water should test near neutral before you lay down wax or finish; an alkaline residue can cause finish failure.

### A 15-minute training

1. Lay the kit out in pH order, acid to alkali. Say what each one removes.
2. Give the two rules: “white and crusty, acid; greasy and sticky, alkali.”
3. Give the surfaces list: no acids on stone, no strong alkalis on aluminum or paint.
4. Show the never-mix pairs and the rinse-between habit.
5. Test two bottles with strips so they see the numbers are real.

Put the chart on the checklist the cleaner uses on each job so it travels with them; the free [cleaning checklist template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-checklist-template) has a supplies section for exactly this. This guide is general guidance; the product label and safety data sheet always take precedence, and some states regulate specific chemicals, so check yours.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the pH of bleach?

Household chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) has a pH of about 11 to 13. Standard 5% to 6% bleach sits around 11, and concentrated 10% to 15% bleach is closer to 13. Diluting it in water brings the pH down toward neutral.

### What is the pH of ammonia?

Ammonia dissolved in water is strongly alkaline. PubChem lists pH 11.6 for a 1 normal solution, 11.1 for 0.1 normal and 10.6 for 0.01 normal, and household ammonia, at about 10%, is stronger than 1 normal, so it lands around 11.6 to 12. Never mix it with bleach.

### What is the pH of drain cleaner and oven cleaner?

Most are based on sodium hydroxide (lye), which gives a pH of about 13 to 14 at the concentrations used. They are corrosive and burn skin and eyes, so they need gloves, eye protection and ventilation.

### What is the pH level of baking soda?

About 8.3 for a fresh 0.1 molar solution, and 8.0 to 8.6 for a 1% solution, according to PubChem. That makes it a mild alkali, useful as a gentle abrasive and deodorizer but too weak to cut heavy grease.

### Is vinegar a good cleaner?

Vinegar is a mild acid (pH about 2.4 for 5% household vinegar) and works on hard water spots and light soap scum on glass and chrome. It etches marble and other natural stone, dulls some grout, and is not a registered disinfectant, so use it narrowly.

### Is a high pH cleaner better?

Only for organic soils like grease. A high pH does nothing for mineral deposits and damages aluminum, paint and waxed floors. Match the pH to the soil: acid for mineral, alkali for organic, neutral for everyday dirt.

### Can you mix an acid cleaner and an alkaline cleaner to neutralize them?

Do not mix cleaning products. Some combinations release heat or toxic gas, and the result is a product that does neither job. Use one product, rinse the surface with water, then use the other if needed.

## Sources

- [USGS Water Science School: pH and water](https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/ph-and-water)
- [PubChem (NIH): pH of sodium bicarbonate solutions](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/516892/JSON?heading=pH)
- [PubChem (NIH): pH of ammonia solutions](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/222/JSON?heading=pH)
- [PubChem (NIH): pH of sodium hydroxide solutions](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/14798/JSON?heading=pH)
- [Northeastern University OARS: bleach (sodium hypochlorite) safety fact sheet and incompatibility chart](https://oars.northeastern.edu/home/labsafety/bleach-sodium-hypochlorite-safety-factsheet/)
- [Washington State Department of Health: dangers of mixing bleach with cleaners](https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/contaminants/bleach-mixing-dangers)

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