[Professor 0110]

Hey everyone,

I'm trying to figure out how Potassium Bitartrate and White Vinegar react to clean stains such as grass stains. My only thoughts is that it would be an acid-base reaction where the combined acidity of the white vinegar and cream of tartar is enough for neutralization to occur producing water and a soluble salt that dissolves in water and thus can be drained away.

But I really am not sure.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you very much,

Ben 

[Arkcon]

Yeah, acid will remove some stains, by reacting with the stain, and turning it into something that doesn't "grip" fabric as tightly.  Same idea as bleach really, bleach oxidizes a stain changing it to "something else" which is "not stain"  The trick is to use a weak enough reactant that won't damage fabric.

Or is the question what happens when you mix cream of tartar and vinegar?  Well, what is cream of tartar -- creamy tartars?  Or something else?  (I know you know it's chemical name, but what does that name mean to you?)

[Professor 0110]

Thanks for the help, Arkcon.

To me Cream of Tatar is a salt. But unless it has something to do with the fact that it is an ionic compound and thus able to attract a polar molecule (which is what the stain could be), I am stumped for what you might mean...Unless there is a reaction for an Acid and Salt which might produce something and water.

[Arkcon]

Cream of tartar is a salt (what's that exactly) of what and what?

I ask leading questions like this to help you figure it out for yourself.  Your profile seems to indicate that you would like this.  So I'm not trying to annoy you or be difficult out of malice.