Dropping Acid for Dummies

sodium hypochlorite molecule (household bleach)

Lately, some of our research staffers have been found performing the classic "smash forehead on desktop" move when browsing the pages of Leaf Group's website Sciencing.com, the niche website where the former Demand Media Studios is stashing "scientific" posts. Some are fine... Too many, however, were written by scientifically illiterate liberal arts graduates; people like "BFA in writing" star Megan Smith and her rather oddly-researched "List of Acidic Liquids."

We don't know where she got some of her information, because even the most careful reading of her references fails to support her statements. Oh, she got the straightforward stuff that just about any fifth-grader knows right off the bat:

"Acidic liquids have low pH levels. Many fruit juices qualify as acidic liquids. Some of the more acidic fruit juices are orange juice, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, tomato juice and red currant juice.."

...and she also figured out one of her Mom's most treasured household cleaning secrets:

"Vinegar is another type of acidic liquid. There are many different types of vinegar, as it can be made out of any liquid containing sugar." We were a bit taken aback (not surprised, just taken aback) that neither of the words "citric" or "acetic" appears anywhere in her post, although she does instruct her readers not to "leave the acidic juice on for long" when using it in a marinade (or, presumably, a salad dressing). OK, well we suppose that works. We submit that there are more acidic liquids than just fruit juice and vinegar, but what the hey. What caused the cranial impacts for this particular researcher was this statement:

"The most commonly used acidic household cleaner is bleach. Reducing bleach uses acids to turn the stain into a water soluble substance that can easily be cleaned. Toilet cleaners, tile cleaners and window cleaners also contain acids."

Say what???!!! Bleach is an acid? With a pH between 10 and 11? And just WTF is this crap about "reducing bleach"? Bleach is a friggin' oxidizer, moron! Ah, now we see: Megan perused wikipedia to find out what bleach is, and learned that there's an industrial bleach made with sodium dithionite that's considered a reducing bleach. You aren't likely to find that on your grocer's shelf, though...

And Smith's content editor, most likely a scientifically illiterate journalism graduate him- or her-self, let Megan get away with that rubbish. As is so often the case, we're at a loss as to which deserves the Dumbass of the Day award more; Smith or her CE...

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