Heinz Vinegar History
The H. J. Heinz company was founded in 1869 by Henry J. Heinz. Early on, the company manufactured its own vinegar to use in making pickles, sauces, and other condiments.
Seeing the opportunity, Heinz began bottling the vinegar to sell it to the public. Not only was it sold in bottles, but it was also sold out of oak casks at grocery stores.
Store bought vinegar was recognized as a great convenience in those days and Heinz promoted the fact that they could produce a much cleaner product than what someone might make at home.
And so the famous brand of vinegar was born. Even today, Heinz makes vinegar using the same recipe it has used for over 140 years!
What Is Different About Cleaning Vinegar?
Heinz Cleaning Vinegar is made from grain just like their distilled white vinegar. The difference is that the cleaning vinegar has been reduced to 6% acidity instead of the 5% acidity of the standard white vinegar. This may not seem like much of a difference, but understand that this means that it is 20% stronger than the regular vinegar.
The extra strength comes in handy when you need to remove some really tough stains. And even though it is stronger, it is still safe. It actually says on the bottle “safe for cooking, perfect for cleaning.”
What About 20% Vinegar?
You may run across vinegar that is 20% acidity or higher. This type of vinegar is used as an organic weed killer and is not recommended for household use. Vinegar with an acidity higher than around 10% can cause burns to the skin and blindness if it gets in the eyes. This is not something you would want in the house, especially around children.
Where Can I Buy Heinz Cleaning Vinegar?
Buy It Online
- Heinz Cleaning Vinegar at Walmart
Buy It Locally
I picked up my gallon at Walmart. In my store, it was on the same aisle as the regular vinegar. If it is not available in-store, you can now have it shipped free to the store and pick it up when it comes in.
To see if your local Walmart has it in stock, go to this product page and click on “Pickup options”. This will open up a drop-down where you can see store availability. There is also a box to enter the zip code if you want search a different area.
Other places I have seen it:
- Publix Supermarkets in Alabama and Florida
Please leave a comment if you find it in other stores in your area.
What Can I Use Cleaning Vinegar For?
This article is just intended as a short introduction to the Heinz product. Therefore, I will not go into detail here about cleaning with vinegar or the hundreds of other uses that exist for this product.
But never fear.
I will be posting many recipes that will use this product. I just felt that before I started posting cleaning supply recipes that contain Heinz Cleaning Vinegar, that it would be appropriate to give it a proper introduction.
In the meantime visit the Heinz Cleaning Vinegar page for some quick tips.
Heinz also has some kitchen cleaning tips here.
Final Thoughts
It is great that Heinz saw the need for this product and made it available to the market. Vinegar is so very versatile and we will explore the many ways that it can be used in the home.
Due to this being an extra-strength vinegar, it will be our go-to vinegar product. We can use it full strength if need be or dilute it as necessary. This gives us more flexibility in our recipes.
Please share using the social media buttons below.
James says
Heinz cleaning vinegar is sold at Publix supermarkets.
Darryl says
I purchased the 6% cleaning vinegar HEINZ last year at Walmart but they no longer carry the HEINZ brand ….only the Walmart brand 5%. I am on the West Coast Reno Nevada area. Does anyone know what other store might carry it?
Thanks
Jeffery Holmes says
Hello Darryl,
Walmart.com shows that the Sparks Walmart and 2 Walmarts in Carson City have it in stock in the store.
Thanks
JB says
I bought Heinz Cleaning Vinegar at Wal Mart just last week.
Lucy says
Kroger’s in my areas carries it. I have seen both in the baking and cleaning sections of different Kroger’s.
Debbie says
I live in Maryland (20736 zip code) and I can’t find it anywhere close. Can it be shipped to a Walmart near me?
Jeffery Holmes says
The Walmart website shows that Landover Hills, Alexandria, and Laurel have it in stock. I don’t think they will ship it anywhere. If it is not in the store, then you can’t get it from Walmart.
Thanks
Dionne Barbee says
Amazon has it.So does eBay.Or I’m sure you can ask your local grocery store to stock it
rRoberto faz says
Jeff holmes I live in Laredo texas and cant find cleaning vinegar in any walmart here, can you help me where can I get this vinegar please? Thank you very much for your help
Jeffery Holmes says
Roberto, I sent you an email for a location I found. I have added a link in the article to the Walmart Heinz Cleaning Vinegar product page so that everyone can do a zip code search in their area.
Thanks
Robin Rendel Ryan says
My Wal-Mart has the cleaning vinegar with the ammonia on the cleaning chemicals aisle.
Debbie says
Where I get it in Grapevine Texas?
Jeffery Holmes says
Debbie, I can’t find it in your area. Even the Fort Worth area doesn’t show any. You may need to contact Heinz and see if they know where it is sold in that area.
Thanks
Leanna says
I just picked up some at the walmart on 121 and cheek sparger.
Lynda says
Salisbury, MD @ Walmart
Lisa says
You can order it from Amazon, free shipping with prime!!
Jeffery Holmes says
Hi Lisa,
Yeah I saw that but it is much too expensive for me to recommend at this time.
Thanks
vallee says
I live in Chattanooga TN and I went to all the Walmarts in my area and Ft Oglethorpe GA and I could not find it. We are now taking a vacation to West Palm Beach and decided we would stop at some Walmarts. We did not find it yet. Amazon is outrageous on their price.
Barb says
Have been calling my local Walmarts around Lansing MI and there is none available. Sent an email to Heinz and received no response.
Jeffery Holmes says
The Walmart at 409 N Marketplace Blvd, Lansing, MI 48917 shows that it is in stock.
Thanks
Patsy says
Live in Grand Rapids MI. Walmart has been out of it for 3 weeks & dont know when they will get more. Now what?
Jeffery Holmes says
It shows that the Comstock Park store at 3999 Alpine Ave Nw has it.
Thanks
Lynda L. says
I live in the Eastern suburbs of Cleveland Ohio. I have purchased Heinz cleaning vinegar at Marc’s, an independent chain in Ohio. In the store it is located along side the other vinegars, near the salad dressings and related items. It currently sells for $2.99 a gallon. The Marc’s stores are all through Ohio. I would suggest anyone still looking for it and in the other 49 states to contact the food brokers in your area. Look for them in your business to business directory for the area you are inquiring about. You can also Google “food brokers” and name the city you are searching for. Good luck all. I use it in the carpet cleaner instead of the soap sold for that purpose. Does a great job of keeping carpet clean, no soap residue, and vinegar is a natural disinfectant.
Joanne says
I have found it in British Columbia home hardware and coopers
Annette says
The Walmart in Alliance, OH carries it for between $3 and $4 dollars. It is the Heinz one.
Corky Sheeler says
Looking for a simple answer … What is the PH of 5% and what is the PH of 6%…?
Jeffery Holmes says
Hello Corky,
Regular 5% Vinegar is about pH 2.4. The pH of 6% cleaning vinegar would be slightly lower, perhaps around pH 2.3
Nancy says
Do I dilute it to cook with it!?
Jeffery Holmes says
Hello Nancy,
Heinz does state on their website that it can be used for cooking. By my calculations, you would dilute each cup of Heinz Cleaning Vinegar with 3 Tablespoons of water to get it down to a level similar to plain cooking vinegar.
Thanks
Randal Oulton says
Hi Jeff, I note that Heinz has retired (both on its website and on the bottle) the position that its cleaning vinegar is food-safe.
Jeffery Holmes says
Hello Randal,
I just checked this and in the FAQ they still state that Heinz Cleaning Vinegar is safe for consumption.
Lisa Mcgee says
You can order it online from Walmart. I ordered 4 gallons for me and some friends and I paid under 20.00 for all 4 gallons. I was ordering some other things, so the shipping was free.
Jeffery Holmes says
Thanks Lisa,
That is big news! They wouldn’t ship it when I checked a few months ago. I will update the post to reflect this new information.
Thanks
Dee says
I found mine at Safeway a few weeks ago but it is still on the shelves today. You can always talk to the stocking manager at whatever store you regularly shop at to see if they will order it for you.
Donna says
Is it really worth the extra $ when I can get a gallon of generic vinegar for $1.29?
Jeffery Holmes says
Hi Donna,
I would say that when used full-strength, such as in homemade shower cleaner, then it is worth the money. This is because you need the extra acidity to cut soap scum.
If you are diluting it to mop the floor, you might just use generic vinegar mixed a little stronger.
Kathy says
Is it safe to use on anything ? Cabinets floors
Jeffery Holmes says
Hi Kathy,
Heinz recommends one-half cup Heinz Cleaning Vinegar and one gallon of water to clean tile or linoleum. That seems to be the standard dilution they recommend for general cleaning. This dilution should be safe for cabinets. I would not use it full-strength on cabinets.
Diane says
I just bought Heinz cleaning vinegar through the WalMart app. It is 6% acidity, which makes it 20% stronger than the 5% acidity in regular white vinegar.
It is wonderful on commode stains. I paid $3.44 a gallon. Download the Walmart app on your phone. It is the greatest thing ever. If you order $35.00 worth of non-perishables, shipping is free. Arrives on your doorstep in 2 days, usually by FedEx or UPS. I have not stepped in a Walmart since February 2017.
Ken says
Heinz cleaning vinegar works great in removing hard water stains from vintage soda bottles before I sell them on eBay. I just pour it into a bottle, let it sit two to three days, hit it with a bottle brush and the stains are gone.
I would never cook with this stuff, though. But it’s great for cleaning (hence the name).
Linda says
You’ll all love this. I found cleaning vinegar at the Dollar Tree store ( half gallon for a buck)Linda
Sue says
I just bought some at Home Depot in Clinton, Iowa today July 20, 2018.
Lucy says
I found it at Kroger’s Ohio in both the baking and cleaning sections of different locations.