Just to muddy the waters, here is my experience with mixing vinegar and baking soda. In a really gross toilet bowl, I added them to the water in the toilet. Got great bubbles and a super clean bowl below the water line without scrubbing. Above the water line, even where the bubbles were, not much happened. This rigorous scientific testing indicates that the combination of baking soda and water is more than simply water, at least in the initial phase.
Perhaps, the combination can be useful in limited circumstances, and if you are experimenting have water at the ready.