I'm glad I'm reassuring people. I guess there's a balance between "I don't care" and "I'm going to lie awake all night worrying". If I spill some soap batter or lye on the floor, even if it's a drop or two, you can bet I'm going to clean it up. I don't want to track it all over and I don't want anyone else (critters or spouse) to encounter it either. But once it's cleaned up well enough to suit me (I don't use vinegar -- just normal cleaning methods), I don't worry about it anymore. I know the forces of nature will deal with any small residues that might remain.
Vinegar won't hurt anything, but it isn't a panacea. It takes a whole ounce (2 Tablespoons) of 5% household vinegar to neutralize one gram of NaOH. So if you feel the need to rinse with vinegar to ensure all traces of NaOH are neutralized on your equipment or work surfaces, use vinegar full strength and be generous with it. Spraying and wiping with diluted vinegar is not going to be much more than a "feel good" thing.
And just a first aid reminder -- Never, never use vinegar to treat a lye burn. The most effective and fastest way to treat NaOH or KOH on the body is to rinse the affected area with water. Get lye OFF your skin as soon as possible. The best is cool, clean running water, but if the only water available happens to be a mud puddle, USE IT. And rinse for a longer time than seems reasonable -- most first aid instructions say to rinse for 15 minutes. That's actually a pretty reasonable time to rinse, especially if the exposure is to the face and scalp, under the nails, or other areas that are delicate or hard to clean.
