Does Vinegar Really 'Clean' Your System In 24 Hours? - Healthline

Home » How To Get Drugs Out Of Your System » Does Vinegar Really 'Clean' Your System In 24 Hours? - Healthline

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Why Vinegar Doesn't 'Clean' Your System Before a Drug TestMedically reviewed by Alex Nguyen, PharmD, RPh, CPh — Written by Adam England — Updated on July 17, 2025
  • The claims
  • Why it doesn’t work
  • Risks
  • Alternatives
  • Summary

Despite claims online, there is no scientific evidence that apple cider vinegar, or any vinegar, can “clean” your system and help you pass a drug test.

If you’re looking for ways to avoid a positive drug test, you’ve probably come across advice suggesting that you drink vinegar to “clean” your system in a single day. What’s the deal?

Some people claim apple cider vinegar (ACV) has certain detoxifying properties that help it clear out “toxins” — including THC, the cannabis compound that drug tests detect — from your body in 24 hours. But there is no scientific or medical proof it actually works.

Is it even safe to try? Read on to learn what research shows.

Why does it supposedly work?

The claims around whyvinegar supposedly cleans your system are vague. But the way your body metabolizes cannabis offers some clues.

When you ingest cannabis, the THC is quickly broken down into an inactive metabolite. This metabolite joins with glucuronic acid to create an acidic metabolite that’s excreted in your urine.

Some say that the acidic environment created by drinking vinegar allows more THC to be excreted this way in less time, but there’s no evidence to back this up.

Some research does show that adding ACV to your urine sample can lower the pH of the urine, potentially resulting in a false negative result. However, labs that perform drug tests on urine samples can tell when the pH was lowered artificially.

Why it doesn’t work

Again, there’s no evidence to suggest that drinking vinegar will help your body to quickly cleanse itself of THC. Even if it were to somehow work, your urine sample would likely raise some eyebrows.

Most ACV “cleanses” designed to help you avoid a positive result instruct you to consume at least a gallon of water in the hours leading up to the test. This results in noticeably diluted urine. In some cases, providing diluted urine could cause you to automatically fail the test. In others, you’ll be asked to provide another sample, often under supervision.

As for adding ACV to your urine sample, this is also likely to raise a red flag. Drug-testing facilities are quite familiar with this method and test the pH levels of samples to ensure that they’re within a normal range. The typical pH of a valid urine sample ranges from 4.6 to 8.0, while the pH of apple cider vinegar is around 3.0.

Keep in mind that samples are typically also tested for:

  • temperature
  • specific gravity
  • creatinine levels
  • presence of adulterants

Is there any risk in trying it?

Vinegar isn’t a reliable way to “clean” your system. But is there any physical harm in trying it anyway?

ACV is pretty safe and has numerous health benefits, but it isquite acidic. Make sure that you dilute it with water before drinking it. Also be sure to rinse your mouth with plenty of water afterward to protect your teeth.

Are there any alternatives?

Despite all the products that promise to do so, there’s no reliable way to quickly rid your body of a substance. To avoid a positive result, you’ll need to wait for your body to process things on its own timeline.

This timeline varies from person to person depending on a range of factors, including your body composition and how long you’ve been ingesting the substance.

When it comes to cannabis, you’re looking at anywhere from 1 to 30 days.

Here’s how long other common substances are detectable in urine samples:

  • amphetamines: 2 to 4 days
  • barbiturates: up to 7 days
  • benzodiazepines: up to 7 days
  • cocaine: 1 to 4 days
  • codeine: 2 to 4 days
  • heroin: 2 to 3 days

Takeaway

There’s no evidence that vinegar “cleans” your system. Even if it did, your urine sample likely wouldn’t be accepted.

If you’re concerned about an upcoming test, your best bet is to simply let your body work things out naturally.

 

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
  • El Abdali Y, et al. (2023). Exploring the bioactive compounds in some apple vinegar samples and their biological activities.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10675503/
  • Hadland S, et al. (2017). Objective testing - Urine and other drug testhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4920965/
  • How to avoid a diluted drug test. (n.d.).https://www.yavapaiaz.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/resident-services/law-and-justice/documents/diluted-ua.pdf
  • Nasrin S, et al. (2021). Cannabinoid metabolites as inhibitors of major hepatic CYP450 enzymes, with implications for cannabis-drug interactions.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11022895/
  • Rajšić I, et al. (2020). Effect of urine adulterants on commercial drug abuse screening test strip results.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7837240/#j_aiht-2020-71-3315_s_003
  • Turner AR, et al. (2024). Marijuana.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430801/
  • Yıldırım İ, et al. (2023). The pH of drinking water and its effect on the pH of urine.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10659234/

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Medically reviewed by Alex Nguyen, PharmD, RPh, CPh — Written by Adam England — Updated on July 17, 2025

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