http://www.care2.com/greenliving/vinegar-kills-bacteria-mold-germs.html
Vinegar Kills Bacteria, Mold and Germs
Vinegar is a mainstay of the old folk recipes for cleaning, and with good reason. The vim of the vinegar is that it kills bacteria, mold and germs.
Heinz company spokesperson Michael Mullen references numerous studies to show that a straight 5 percent solution of vinegar—thekind you can buy in the supermarket—kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). He noted that Heinz can’t claim on their packaging that vinegar is a disinfectant since the company has not registered it as a pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency. However, it seems to be common knowledge in the industry that vinegar is powerfully antibacterial. Even the CBS news show “48 Hours” had a special years ago with Heloise reporting on tests from The Good Housekeeping Institute that showed this.
Just like antibiotics, common disinfectants found in sponges and household sprays may contribute to drug resistant bacteria, according to researchers of drug resistance at Tufts New England Medical Center. Furthermore, research at the Government Accounting Office shows that many commercial disinfectants are ineffective to begin with, just like antibiotics.
Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board, and in your bathroom, and use them for cleaning. I often spray the vinegar on our cutting board before going to bed at night, and don’t even rinse, but let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.
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- Jessica K. says
- May 12, 2008 1:03 PM
I use only vinegar, peroxide and baking soda to clean my entire house, but I recently got new sealed granite countertops in my kitchen and was told since vinegar is an acid, it would ruin the seal. Does anyone know of any other natural disinfectant that can be used on sealed granite?
- Jessica K. says
- May 12, 2008 1:03 PM
I use only vinegar, peroxide and baking soda to clean my entire house, but I recently got new sealed granite countertops in my kitchen and was told since vinegar is an acid, it would ruin the seal. Does anyone know of any other natural disinfectant that can be used on sealed granite?
- Jessica K. says
- May 12, 2008 1:02 PM
I use only vinegar, peroxide and baking soda to clean my entire house, but I recently got new sealed granite countertops in my kitchen and was told since vinegar is an acid, it would ruin the seal. Does anyone know of any other natural disinfectant that can be used on sealed granite?
- Marion T. says
- Apr 30, 2008 9:52 AM
I suffered from arthritis,sciatica and have found rubbing Apple Cider Vinegar straight from the bottle onto painful joints relieves the pain.
- Steve Harper says
- Apr 24, 2008 12:10 PM
Hey I know of a two products that will clean the whole house. For the germicide [longer lasting effects than cholorine bleach] jobs-a different product quart bottle that will last a few years also at $17. The all purpose and window/glass concentrate takes an unbelieveably small amount of the concentrate when you mix it with water and costs so very little that it is less costly than vinegar and water mixes. One bottle is a supply of cleaning mixture for more than 15 typical jobs and it only costs $12. This one pint bottle will last 2 years or more in a home of 6 or more people, and there are no reactions nor any smells/chemicals or residue leftover. You don't need a garden to make this or even go to the natural foods store. Hospitals have used it to bath newborn babies and the ecology movement since 1960 has endorsed used and loved this product for all purpose general cleaning. It is made from corn oils and is all natural. It is not sold in stores. The company was the first world wide to be certified as "climate neutral". President Clinton, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, Green Belt Movement, Wild Dolphin Project, Jacque Cousteau Society, Whale Conservation Institute all have had very nice comments about the manufacturer/distributor of these products. Steve
- Dayna Clawson says
- Apr 14, 2008 8:12 PM
hola and namaste to all. i'm a massage therapist who just happens to know a little about essential oils. everyone here has super ideas, but one thing regarding essential oils: they will break down VERY quickly and will not work properly/at all if placed in a plastic bottle. i wish i had my list of sites for glass bottles handy, but i didn't think i'd be adding a comment. i do aromatherapy as one of my treatments for my clients, and one of the number one rules of working w/ essential oils is using glass bottles. AND, they also need to be coloured. the most popular being cobalt or brown glass. ok, that's all i had to add to all of this... i truely appreciate all these wonderful tips using natural ingredients, being that i'm quite the "tree-hugger", and i'm lucky enough to work for a chiropractor who believes in a lot of those natural ways also. i truely believe that i can help make a difference in this world for my child, and one patient/client at a time (being that i have a captive audience on an average of 30-90 mins! great for us! bad for the fda and gov't!!!). keep those tips coming!
- Marion T. says
- Mar 31, 2008 8:18 AM
I use a little vinegar when I do a load of washing (acts as a fabric softener),also when washing dark clothes where the colour tends to run I usually wash separate first with a dash of vinegar (it actually stops colours from running).
- Susan W. says
- Mar 15, 2008 9:14 AM
I use very little besides vinegar and baking soda. I figured long ago that those cleaning products that are so terrible to smell, can't be good for you. BESIDES, IF A PRODUCT IS SO POISONOUS THAT YOU ARE ADVISED TO KEEP IT AWAY FROM KIDS AND PETS, WHY WOULD YOU TURN IT LOOSE IN THE ENVIRONMENT BY CLEANING TUBS AND TOILETS WITH IT THEN RINSING IT INTO THE WATER SUPPLY?
- Tanya Samuels says
- Mar 13, 2008 1:18 PM
Vinegar is the best softener for hair you can find. Just pour some in a bowl of plain water and rinse. Your hair has never been softer!
- Peter D. says
- Mar 12, 2008 4:49 PM
For Debrah Roemisch: Hi! I bet your husband heard about or read the study I saw. Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide do work as well as commercial disinfectants, but you must apply them separately. It doesn't matter which you apply first--vinegar then H2O2 or H2O2 then vinegar. Mixing them together in one bottle lessens the disinfecting effect for some reason. Happy cleaning!
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