how long until hair loses that vinegary smell?

[RachelRain]

my boyfriend is complaining that I stink like easter eggs :D I told him I'd ask, although I'm pretty sure I read somewhere here that it'd be gone by the time it dried.

if its not, can't I just use my regular leave in or something to help cover the smell?

[sibiryachka]

Hey, I was beginning to think I was the only one! I know, almost everything you see says the smell goes away when the hair dries, but that has never happened for me.
However, the solution is simple: Rinse it out. Just a quick final rinse with regular water.
I don't understand why rinsing it out doesn't undo the benefits, but then I don't understand why my hair doesn't lose the smell like everyone else's either :shrug: I imagine the water you're washing with makes a difference; at my house it's slightly acidic, so maybe it doesn't cancel out the acidity of the vinegar. I just know it's working fine, scalp is un-itchy, length is shiny, and DBF no longer calls me "picklehead".
Oh, also, many people find white vinegar's smell milder than ACV's.

[Gumball]

When I used to give ACV a try (which was very, very short lived) the dilution would be 1/10 or so. My hair still smelled like vinegar for weeks after that, less strong when it was dry, but the smell would come back with friends when it got wet again in the shower. I've never used it since. You could always try washing it out again. It didn't work very well for me, but maybe it would for you! I figured I was just one of the people where ACV wasn't the best option for. :shrug:

[RachelRain]

Hey, I was beginning to think I was the only one! I know, almost everything you see says the smell goes away when the hair dries, but that has never happened for me.
However, the solution is simple: Rinse it out. Just a quick final rinse with regular water.
I don't understand why rinsing it out doesn't undo the benefits, but then I don't understand why my hair doesn't lose the smell like everyone else's either :shrug: I imagine the water you're washing with makes a difference; at my house it's slightly acidic, so maybe it doesn't cancel out the acidity of the vinegar. I just know it's working fine, scalp is un-itchy, length is shiny, and DBF no longer calls me "picklehead".
Oh, also, many people find white vinegar's smell milder than ACV's.

I did rinse pretty well before I got out of the shower, but if it doesn't go away I'll try rinsing longer next time :) I may not have rinsed all that well - I was worried about the lack of conditioner in my hair and having to fight off the rats-nest that inevitably ensues (which, surprisingly, was NOT as bad as usual... but still took 20 minutes to tame.)

I did use white vinegar, only because that's all I have right now and he put his foot down that I am not allowed to buy any more hair stuff until I use up some of what I have and stop breaking my clips (like it's my fault they can't hold my hair... he bought 'em.)

And I know the water leaves a yellowy stain on the floor of the tub, but I don't know if its iron or calcium... I'm inclined towards calcium because the last place I lived with extra iron in the water left reddish rust colored stains on my tub. (god I HATED that.)

Thanks hun :) He may just have to deal for the day, I guess lol.

[RachelRain]

When I used to give ACV a try (which was very, very short lived) the dilution would be 1/10 or so. My hair still smelled like vinegar for weeks after that, less strong when it was dry, but the smell would come back with friends when it got wet again in the shower. I've never used it since. You could always try washing it out again. It didn't work very well for me, but maybe it would for you! I figured I was just one of the people where ACV wasn't the best option for. :shrug:

Yeah, this was a first time shot. I may have used a little much, but I don't own measuring spoons because I don't measure while cooking (I'm an eyeballer). I put like 3 cups of water in, so I think I put about 2 1/2 tbsp of vinegar... but I could've added more accidentally.

Oh well! I hope it doesn't smell like this for weeks, he may kick me out of the bedroom. He keeps making faces when he has to come anywhere near me, the brat. I've smelled worse things. :)

[jaine]

The first and last time I tried vinegar in my hair, I rinsed for 5 full minutes and the smell was strong enough to make me gag and avoid people all day. It lingered until I washed my hair again.

People say the smell goes away when it dries, but I'd love to sniff their head for proof!

[Carolyn]

I use white vinegar because I'm blonde and don't want to encourage any red or warm tones to my hair. I don't think white vinegar is as strong smelling as ACV so that might be an option for you. I would never use a vinegar rinse without conditioning first :scared: I use about 2 C water and a glug of white vinegar and then rinse again. I have never had my hair smell like vinegar after it dried. If I damp bun after doing a vinegar rinse I might have a very faint vinegar smell after taking my bun down until my hair dried.

[clichepithet]

Me 'n my hair love vinegar rinses. Except I noticed that when my ratio was any more "vinegary" than about 4 TBL per gallon (of water) the vinegar smell stuck around on me, long after it had dried. Which, of course, my Hub did not care for either. I still reap the benefits of the rinse with this ratio.

If you really want to use it, perhaps you should experiment with you solution? FWIW, I use plain white vinegar, my reason is hard water.

[heidi w.]

Someone's using too much vinegar in their dilution, and there may be a chance that the rinse out of the "vinegar rinse" is lacking in thoroughness.

Many use their vinegar rinse between shampoo and conditioner (especially if ONLY conditioning the length and NOT the scalp skin and related hair....). Doing so can allow you the option to undo the "stink".

Also lemon juice is an option, particularly for lighter hair colors. Smells better. Doesn't have ALL the benefits of ACV...but it gets the job done.

Anothe way the stink of vinegar can cling is that in fact, the sebum isn't being washed thoroughly out of the hair, or product is also clinging to the hair allowing vinegar to hang around. I always recommend that a shampoo have 2 applications. First application won't foam as much as the second....and only breaks the "surface tension" of hair with some sebum built on it (and perhaps any other hair products too). The second wash actually washes! Pay particular attention to the top of the head, the front, particularly top in front of the ears as this zonage is the first zonage to show the buildup of sebum.

IF you don't have one, consider installing a handheld shower head that has the feature of an intense pressure (usually known as massaging) to really, really rinse that hair.

ALSO water quality can sometimes cause this vinegar aroma to hang around -- harder water I found a harder time with the vinegar odor removal. SHower headfilters are inexpensive and easily installed on a shower head arm.

ALSO did you do this at night, and is the pillowcase perhaps punctuated by the vinegar smell because of sleeping on it while wet? Unlikely, but it can occasionally happen.

Finally, while hair is wet there's a tendency for the vinegar aroma to hang around, but certainly once dry, there should be no aroma at all. IF his complaint is issued when hair is fully dry, then my money's on someone's using too much vinegar. A lot is not needed. Not at all. AND more is not better. More does no more good than less.

ETA: I have learned that some made the mistake of NOT rinsing the vinegar rinse out. It is to be rinsed out, hence, the name "rinse". A rinse is simply applied and able to be removed fairly immediately. (On this note, be sure to rinse well between each step of your hair wash process. 1. Make sure hair is truly wet before applying anything, shampoo whatever. 2. Rinse the shampoo out well, each time you apply. (IF you're waiting til there's some sebum buildup hints, then you likely need 2 shampoo applicaitons, but if you're say an every other day to daily washer, then 1 application is likely sufficient) 3. Let conditioner stay on the hair in humid, and particularly in snowy winter zones, keep applying quickly a tuneup of warm water to allow the conditioner to penetrate to the cortex, then rinse out thoroughly. And of course, rinse well the vinegar solution. (That's max of 3 Tablespoons of vinegar, whether lemon juice, ACV, white vinegar....lime even....to an 8 OZ glass of water.)

Hope one of these ideas proves useful.
heidi w.

[GoddesJourney]

ACV has a stong scent. I would use the plain stuff and less of it. Also, some people are not very sensitive to such things, so they may tell you that it went away after their hair dried even if it didn't. This may be because they wear other perfumes or scented bath products frequently or because they are simply less sensitive to smells.

[Sarahmoon]

I rinse with water again after the vinegar rinse and I can only smell the vinegar very vaguely. It's completely gone when it's dry. If not, I think you need to dilute more.

And... how on earth can easter eggs smell like vinegar?

[heidi w.]

OH, and if there's buildup on the scalp skin (and not necessarily on hair..by the time this shows on hair the scalp is pretty in need of a good cleaning), then it can cling a bit to that waxy esther.

Solution?: scritch the scalp prior to hair wash OR plan B, you may be in need of a clarifying hair wash. (Remember to condition the length as part of such a hair wash--one must replace what's been removed.)

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

I rinse with water again after the vinegar rinse and I can only smell the vinegar very vaguely. It's completely gone when it's dry. If not, I think you need to dilute more.

And... how on earth can easter eggs smell like vinegar?

What she said.
Righty-o.
Any vinegar rinse, is applied, and then rinsed out with fresh water. Don't leave it 'un-' rinsed out...don't leave it in the hair. That can cause other problems as in a kind of tacky feel to the hair once dry, tangling more.

heidi w.

[RachelRain]

I use white vinegar because I'm blonde and don't want to encourage any red or warm tones to my hair. I don't think white vinegar is as strong smelling as ACV so that might be an option for you. I would never use a vinegar rinse without conditioning first :scared: I use about 2 C water and a glug of white vinegar and then rinse again. I have never had my hair smell like vinegar after it dried. If I damp bun after doing a vinegar rinse I might have a very faint vinegar smell after taking my bun down until my hair dried.

Oh, I didn't realize acv encouraged red... I apparently have a LOT of red, as older people are insistent on calling me a redhead if I'm outside (I think they're just crazy.) and I haven't been spending much time out there really, so I'm waay behind on my sun highlights. Maybe I'll pick that up then :)


Me 'n my hair love vinegar rinses. Except I noticed that when my ratio was any more "vinegary" than about 4 TBL per gallon (of water) the vinegar smell stuck around on me, long after it had dried. Which, of course, my Hub did not care for either. I still reap the benefits of the rinse with this ratio.

If you really want to use it, perhaps you should experiment with you solution? FWIW, I use plain white vinegar, my reason is hard water.

Yeah, I think I may have used a little much. It doesn't seem to have done much damage, and it's not like we had plans today anyways, so it's no big deal, really.


I rinse with water again after the vinegar rinse and I can only smell the vinegar very vaguely. It's completely gone when it's dry. If not, I think you need to dilute more.

And... how on earth can easter eggs smell like vinegar?

lol. Because those store bought easter dye things, you put vinegar in a cup, add the color tablet and stick your egg in. They haven't done that in years though, so I'm surprised that that's how he described it.


It's almost dry (surprising, it's never dried this fast before - not even at shoulder length!), and I can still smell it, but only if it literally falls right in front of my nose. I don't think it's strong right now at all... he can suck it up, I'm sure.

I did condition first - even though I'm not sure it mattered because I feel like the vinegar ate all the conditioner away, at least I made an effort.

I didn't realize you could condition afterwards :) I'll do that next time, it'll help me avoid rats nest syndrome. thank you for that tip.

I did it this morning, but I did gather all my hair up and stick it in a towel for 40 minutes or so. and I did let it sit for maybe a minute or two while I washed my face before I rinsed it out.

Either way, I like it - all in all there's no real difference but I also haven't put anything in my hair yet. And it's not like it reeks of vinegar, I think he's just being whiny because usually it smells fruity and vinegar is far from fruity :)

[heidi w.]

My experience is that how a woman smells is important to many men. (I'm 50 so I've been around a while to observe this seeming factoid.)

The ACV's tendency to encourage a red hue tends to only occur over a great deal of time of use. IF you want to use vinegar as a lighter colored hair (redhead), think about white vinegar. LEmon and white vinegar don't have the malic acid. That's what apples contains.

heidi w.

[RachelRain]

My experience is that how a woman smells is important to many men. (I'm 50 so I've been around a while to observe this seeming factoid.)

The ACV's tendency to encourage a red hue tends to only occur over a great deal of time of use. IF you want to use vinegar as a lighter colored hair (redhead), think about white vinegar. LEmon and white vinegar don't have the malic acid. That's what apples contains.

heidi w.

Yeah, I've had enough friends, family and random people bury their faces in my hair to sniff it. Thankfully that's much less often now that I've perfected the preemptive withering glare.

I can barely smell it on the dry spots, so I think I'm okay now. I will snag some measuring spoons though next time I go out, or maybe I have a medicine cup somewhere... I'm sure I had cough syrup in this house at one time, lol. A little less vinegar couldn't hurt, I'm sure :)

I did notice, however that the comb is awful today... not sure if that has to do with the fact that my hair is literally productless or what, but I hope that won't be an every time thing.

[Carolyn]

I rinse with water again after the vinegar rinse and I can only smell the vinegar very vaguely. It's completely gone when it's dry. If not, I think you need to dilute more.

And... how on earth can easter eggs smell like vinegar?I can answer this one. The smell of vinegar always reminds me of coloring Easter eggs when I was a little kid. I don't know how it's done now but when I was little my mom would buy an Easter egg coloring kit. There were little tablets of the colors. They would be dissolved in vinegar water. Each color would be in a separate cup. The eggs would be dipped in the colored water. It's a favorite childhood memory of mine. So the smell of vinegar brings up pleasant memories for me.

But honestly I have a sense of smell that's better than most people. I don't often wear perfume. I know my hair doesn't smell of vinegar. It could be that it's white vinegar and it could be that I use a weak dilution and rinse well. But my hair does not smell after it dries.

[spidermom]

That vinegar smell never goes away in my hair, not even if I use 1 tsp of vinegar in a quart of water.

[jeanniet]

I can't use vinegar because my teenage son complains vigorously if I do. :D I use a citric acid rinse instead (1/4 tsp. in a half gallon of water, but play around to see what works for you), which has the same effect with no odor.

[Deborah]

I wonder if it might have something to do with how porous a woman's hair is. I can rinse with diluted vinegar, either white or acv, and not rinse it out. I do this because my water is extremely hard. It really leaves no smell. I've had my husband check, and my own sense of smell is very good, and it simply goes away. Because of delicate skin, I must wash with and otherwise use only unscented products, so it's not that any odor is being covered up by something else.

But my hair is not a bit porous; maybe that's why. I think it's the reason I can't leave oils in my hair. They just sit on top, making the hair oily. I hear others say it will absorb into the hair, but it simply does not on mine.

Maybe some of the other factors folks have mentioned come into play too. I don't ever use gels or sprays or anything with cones, so I probably don't have buildup on my hair. That buildup might hold and harbor smells. Or if whatever one uses to clean their hair is not thoroughly rinsed out, maybe the vinegar can cling to it.

I suppose it's one of those many hair care ideas that work wonderfully for some, and not at all for others.

[Naamah]

Whenever I have done ACV rinses, the smell is gone when my hair is dry. And I don't even rinse my ACV out! I suppose it could be different for different hair types. Maybe if hair is more porous, it will retain the smell longer?

[Sarahmoon]

Oooh! When thinking of easter eggs I tend to think of chocolate eggs first :oops:. And I used to paint regular eggs in patterns with a brush and paint.

I do use white vinegar and if I remember right, the smell went away with drying too when I didn't rinse it out. But my hair feels softer when I do rinse it out.

[RachelRain]

I wonder if it might have something to do with how porous a woman's hair is. I can rinse with diluted vinegar, either white or acv, and not rinse it out. I do this because my water is extremely hard. It really leaves no smell. I've had my husband check, and my own sense of smell is very good, and it simply goes away. Because of delicate skin, I must wash with and otherwise use only unscented products, so it's not that any odor is being covered up by something else.

But my hair is not a bit porous; maybe that's why. I think it's the reason I can't leave oils in my hair. They just sit on top, making the hair oily. I hear others say it will absorb into the hair, but it simply does not on mine.

Maybe some of the other factors folks have mentioned come into play too. I don't ever use gels or sprays or anything with cones, so I probably don't have buildup on my hair. That buildup might hold and harbor smells. Or if whatever one uses to clean their hair is not thoroughly rinsed out, maybe the vinegar can cling to it.

I suppose it's one of those many hair care ideas that work wonderfully for some, and not at all for others.

interestingly enough, my scalp is the least sensitive area of skin on me :) I can use almost any scented shampoo or conditioner, but I'm limited as to what shower gels and lotions I can use. sorry that you're limited as to hair stuff too.

I don't think the oils I've been using (I tried coconut, olive, a canola/soy blend, and sesame) penetrate very much at all. Even using just a tiny dab of oil feels greasy, but I could use half a bottle of leave in conditioner and not feel a thing wrong with my hair. I don't get it.

Although I did manage to mix a tiny bit with some aloe and conditioner yesterday and it didn't feel too bad. I might have to do that from now on.

He says he can't smell it anymore, and it's all but dry (there's some spots in the back of my head underneath that are still damp). Which is good. But now it's frizz city, especially the last 6 inches or so, so I have to go figure something out for that.

[Rain76]

I have tried ACV rinses several times in the past, and I will NEVER use it again. Even after rinsing very well, my hair stunk for days. It just isn't worth it to me, and there are so many better smelling products to use.

[Deborah]

[QUOTE=RachelRain;1203411]interestingly enough, my scalp is the least sensitive area of skin on me :) I can use almost any scented shampoo or conditioner, but I'm limited as to what shower gels and lotions I can use. sorry that you're limited as to hair stuff too...QUOTE]

I didn't mean to mislead you. I can use most conditioners, etc., but I prefer fragrance free for that too. Like you, it's the rest of me that will not tolerate fragrances and many other things. I can't even wear undies that have been dyed! I have to stick with plain white or organic undyed ones. Viva la granny panties I guess! :p

[RachelRain]

[QUOTE=RachelRain;1203411]interestingly enough, my scalp is the least sensitive area of skin on me :) I can use almost any scented shampoo or conditioner, but I'm limited as to what shower gels and lotions I can use. sorry that you're limited as to hair stuff too...QUOTE]

I didn't mean to mislead you. I can use most conditioners, etc., but I prefer fragrance free for that too. Like you, it's the rest of me that will not tolerate fragrances and many other things. I can't even wear undies that have been dyed! I have to stick with plain white or organic undyed ones. Viva la granny panties I guess! :p

lol. ditto. and socks! ugh, those make my feet look like I have the worst case of yuckfoot!

[835]

OH, and if there's buildup on the scalp skin (and not necessarily on hair..by the time this shows on hair the scalp is pretty in need of a good cleaning), then it can cling a bit to that waxy esther.

Solution?: scritch the scalp prior to hair wash OR plan B, you may be in need of a clarifying hair wash. (Remember to condition the length as part of such a hair wash--one must replace what's been removed.)

heidi w.

heidi w. what exactly is a clarifying hair wash? sls shampoo?
I'm really in need for that I think.. :(

[Deborah]

If you simply cannot tolerate vinegar, buy some citric acid powder, dump about 1/2 teaspoon in a quart of very cold water, shake well, and use just like you'd use the vinegar. You can rinse it out or leave it in. I have very hard water, so I leave it in.

[tanya222]

Whenever I have done ACV rinses, the smell is gone when my hair is dry. And I don't even rinse my ACV out! I suppose it could be different for different hair types. Maybe if hair is more porous, it will retain the smell longer?

Sometimes I don't either, or I'll do a 10-second rinse, and whatever's still in gets left in. I do have a faint aura of ACV around my head after my hair dries, but I don't mind it, I actually like the smell of ACV. (I can't be the only one? :o) And if anybody at work can smell it, which I doubt as I work in a coffee shop, well, they can think whatever they like :)

I could be wrong but I think whether you retain the smell or not simply has to do with each person's own skin's pH level. Your own unique skin's and body's chemistry. Just my 2c :p