How Much Vinegar Do You Put in a Fountain to Clean It?

  • By: Mike Hale
  • Date: July 17, 2022
  • Time to read: 5 min.

A fountain can add beauty to your home decor, and it is considered a great accessory to have. It is making sure that it is always clean and in its best shape is essential. Whether it is an indoor or outdoor fountain, it can improve any decor while creating a more relaxing and tranquil environment. The sound of water trickling down can offer a stunning decorative accessory and a relaxing.

You can add half to two cups of vinegar to clean your fountain, but this would depend on how much water you currently have in it. Although it does put out a pungent odor, the odor will eventually dissipate and eventually leave your fountain clean as well as fresh.

Clean your fountain without any hassle and make sure that you would only get the best and fresh fountain in your home. This article will talk about whether you can use vinegar on your fountain if vinegar will kill algae in the fountain, will the vinegar hurt the fountain pump, or will the vinegar harm birds in your fountain. Lastly, I will talk about whether vinegar keeps mosquitoes out of the water fountain.

How much vinegar do you put in a fountain?

All you need is to mix one-half cup of white vinegar to one gallon of warm water. Once you have done that, use a nylon scrubber to scrub down the entire fountain. If you do have stubborn stains or hard water buildup, the vinegar will be a big help. Make sure you rinse well with clean water, fill, and when you are finished.

You can also use two filtered white apple cider vinegar. The vinegar exhibits antibacterial, antiviral, and antiseptic properties that remove germs in your fountain. Also, it is all-natural, so you don’t have to rely on using harsh chemicals to remove the germs and dirt that is present in your fountain. 

How Much Vinegar Do You Put in a Fountain to Clean It?

Will vinegar kill algae in the fountain?

Now, the algae that grow in your fountain is a combination of water and light, with all the little particles, debris, and contaminants that are nutrients for algae. Also, with the light shining on your fountain, the algae can grow. When your fountain sits in a spot with hours direct to the sunlight, there is a higher chance of algae growth.

A mix of white vinegar and water is safe as well as effective in killing algae. When the fountain is rinsed thoroughly after cleaning, you can get rid of the algae. You can soak the tubes in vinegar and water solution for several hours or overnight to remove the algae from them.

Vinegar is one of the natural cleaning materials that you can use to clean your fountain. It may have a pungent smell, but it is safe for your health.

Will vinegar hurt my fountain pump?

If you are not careful, your once beautiful water fountain can turn into a green mess. The proper maintenance and cleaning habits will keep your fountain looking good as new. Now, if you do decide to use vinegar to clean your fountain, you do not need to worry about hurting your fountain pump. Using vinegar can remove stains and discoloration easily.

Make sure to use pipe cleaners to clear the algae buildup on the hole where the water comes from. Gently put the pipe cleaning into the hole, and make a twisting motion for about 30 seconds. When that’s done, pull it back out carefully, and then you will have a fresh and clean fountain in your garden or your home.

Will vinegar in fountain harm birds

Vinegar has been used for multiple purposes for years. Vinegar consists of acetic acid where it kills or suppresses bacteria and fungi that can be harmful to birds. However, since it is an acid, it can be irritant and destructive to tissues, and painful to a living animal. This is if you use vinegar as a pure solution.

This is why it is recommended to mix the vinegar with water to clean your fountain. If you want to have birds hanging out in your fountain, you have to make sure that your fountain is cleaned right away. Also, if you do decide to leave the vinegar solution overnight, it is best to cover your fountain to prevent the birds from hanging out.

I usually do my cleaning at night where birds are not around all the time, and just to be safe, I cover it with plastic. By the next morning, I will have it cleaned for the birds to hang around again. 

Will vinegar Keep Mosquitoes Out of Water Fountain

Of course, most homeowners don’t like mosquitoes hanging around their water fountain. Not only is it annoying, but it can also be harmful to people. Let say that you have 100 gallons of water in your fountain, you would need to add about 15 gallons of vinegar. This way, a 15 percent solution of vinegar will kill all mosquito larva.

It will take about 18 to 20 hours to kill any mosquito eggs. Leaving a vinegar solution in your fountain for that long can guarantee that it will get rid of any mosquito that lives in your fountain. The smell of the vinegar works to repel any mosquitoes due to the overpowering smell. Mixing it with water will be 100 percent effective.

Mosquitoes taste with their legs, so when they decide to land on your fountain that has vinegar, it will give off a strong taste to the mosquito. Since there is no vinegar spray available in the market, you should create it instead. All you need to do is mix three cups of water, one cup of vinegar, one teaspoon of dish soap, and put it in one spray bottle.

You can use this on yourself as well so that mosquitoes do not go near you. You can even spray this around your home so they would stay away. The said mixture will repel other bugs such as ants or wasps. I also use this mixture, and it has proven to work effectively.