Vinegar is NOT a disinfectant!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-26-2004
Vinegar is NOT a disinfectant!
5
Sun, 11-28-2004 - 12:18am

I feel compelled to adress something that was said in another post.

vinegar is NOT a disinfectant and will ABSOLUTELY NOT kill 99% of anything.

That is one of the most common things I hear students say that is incorrect when I teach a class. (I'm a food safety instructor)

There was a time years and years ago that was true, but the mutation and evolution of bacteria has made it so that is no longer the case.

Becca
nursling Chaeli Ann 4.11.4

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2004
Sun, 11-28-2004 - 9:39pm

We will have to agree to disagree. Because frugal living is becoming so popular there have been many labratory studies to prove that vinegar is an excellent disenfectant and a lot safer than other household products.


Heinz company spokesperson Michael Mullen has cited numerous studies to show that a straight 5 percent solution of vinegar such as 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 (EPA). However, it seems to be common knowledge in the industry that vinegar is powerfully antibacterial.

Here are twenty-seven uses for vinegar:

* Deodorize your sink drains: Pour a cup down your drain, let stand about thirty minutes, then run cold water.

* Unclog a drain: Dump 1 cup of baking soda down your drain and follow it with 1 cup of vinegar. When they mix, they foam and expand, cleaning your drain. Allow a few minutes for the mixture to do it's job, then flush with hot water for several minutes.

* Disinfect and clean wood cutting boards: Rub with vinegar to disinfect and clean. If your cutting board has deep grooves, you can also soak the board in vinegar for 5-10 minutes.

* Cut grease: When washing greasy pans or dishes, add a few tablespoons of vinegar to your soapy dishwater.

* Clean the dishwasher: Vinegar reduces soap build up, so throw a cup of vinegar in your dishwasher and let it run a full (empty) cycle once a month or so.

* Clean the coffeepot: Hard water can clog a coffeepot and cause yucky buildup inside it. To remedy this, pour 1 cup vinegar in your coffeepot, fill the rest of the way with water, then run it through a cycle as usual (without coffee grounds in the filter). Rinse the coffeepot out. Fill it with fresh water and run another cycle without coffee to rinse the inside of the coffee maker.

* Loosen food grime and clean the microwave: Place a microwave-safe bowl with 2 cups water, 1/2 cup vinegar inside the microwave and microwave on full power for 3-4 minutes (it needs to boil). Keep your microwave closed for a few minutes to allow the steam to loosen the grime, then open your microwave, carefully remove the bowl, and wipe clean!

* Clean windows: Mix 1 cup vinegar with 5 cups water, and you've got a great window cleaner. If you must have blue window cleaner, just a few drops of blue food coloring!

* Remove grease from kitchen walls: Put straight vinegar on a dishcloth to wipe grease off kitchen walls, or the stovetop.

* Remove pet urine stains (and smells) from carpet: Mix about 1/4 cup of vinegar to a quart of water. Soak a washcloth in the mixture and blot the area several times.

* Clean kitchen and bathroom faucets: Soak a paper towel in vinegar then wrap it around your faucet to remove mineral deposits.

* Clean and shine no-wax vinyl or linoleum floors: Mix 1 gallon of water with 1/2 cup vinegar in a bucket, then mop or scrub your floor with the solution.

* Inexpensive scouring powder: Combine two tablespoons each of vinegar and baking soda for an effective scouring powder.

* Clean the toilet rim: Put straight 5% vinegar in a squirt bottle and use it to clean the rim of the toilet. It disinfects, too!

* Prevent mold and mildew in the shower: Wipe down tile or Formica shower walls with a sponge or cloth dampened with water and vinegar. The vinegar will clean the walls and inhibit the growth of mold and mildew.

* Unclog the showerhead: Mineral deposits from hard water can cause a sputtering, clogged shower head. Place the showerhead in a pot, add enough vinegar to completely cover it. Heat the vinegar to just below boiling, then remove from heat. Allow to sit for at least 6 hours. The acid in the vinegar will eat away the deposits. Rinse the showerhead well, and it's ready to go again.

* Get rid of the funky smell in that lunchbox: Soak a piece of plain bread in vinegar, then place it in the lunchbox overnight and the smell will disappear!

* Remove rust: To get rid of rust, soak items in vinegar (do not dilute). This will work on any metals.

* Remove residue and styling product build up from hair: After shampooing, rinse your hair with a mixture of 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 warm water to remove all the build up and get rid of that dullness.

* Eliminate smells: Run a hot tub of water and pour in one or two cups of vinegar. Hang smelly clothes on hangers along your shower curtain rod. This will remove smoke and other tough smells.

* Get rid of stickers, decals and sticky residues: Rub a few coats of vinegar on the area and allow to soak. Then wash off with a wet washcloth and the sticky will rub right off.

* Polish patent leather purses and shoes: Place vinegar on a clean cloth, then rub over patent leather. Wipe dry with another clean cloth.

* Remove stains: Rub a small amount of vinegar gently on fruit, jelly, mustard or coffee type stains and wash as usual. No more stain!

* Clean your glasses: Place a drop of vinegar on the lens, then rub with a cotton cloth.

* Get the smell out of your cloth diapers! Next time those cloth diapers start to smell, add a 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar in your last rinse.

* Polish your car: Rub vinegar on chrome to clean and shine it.

* Remove bumper stickers: Soak a cloth in vinegar and lay it over the bumper sticker. Allow to soak a few minutes. The bumper sticker should peel right off. Rub vinegar over the area to remove the sticky residue, if necessary.

* Next time you have a sore throat, try gargling with cider vinegar








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Avatar for anprdp
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
Mon, 11-29-2004 - 12:51pm

Actually both of you are correct. The reason I say this is because yes vinegar can be used as a disinfectant...but only in certain solutions that are stronger than what you can buy in the grocery store (or depending on what you wanted to do with it as Mommybeet pointed out). I also use it to disinfect my son's nebulizer parts (small percent distilled vinegar to water due to its plastic and the plastic will breakdown with much more). Chemistry related the acidic nature of vinegar can be used for many things (I also use it to unclog drains as its acid base is strong enough to eat clogs and other things yet not eat my piping). Unfortunately, it is not strong enough in grocery store formulas to kill staph or other germs that can cause serious illness. I am linking an article just to point out that both of you are correct at the same time. So in otherwords you don't have to disagree at all:

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/mole00/mole00100.htm

And just to recommend something, I LOVE CLOROX WIPES!!! No bleach base yet antibacterial and I use it on everything to kill germs.




Edited 11/29/2004 12:55 pm ET ET by anprdp



iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2004
Mon, 11-29-2004 - 1:01pm

Thanks for that! That is what I meant to say but did not make myself more clear :)


I love the clorox wipes to...They especially come in handy in the bathroom. I have my Dh and boys wipe down the potty since they seem to miss the HUGE hole it is supposed to go in...LOL








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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-22-2004
Mon, 11-29-2004 - 5:02pm

thank you!
i read that all the time!
like there's a big athleticwear company that has it on their website- "only use vinegar to clean your kitchen".

i feel badly about using phylates in the house - but the bathroom really needs something other than baking soda?

what can i use that is truly safest for me - esp. when pregnant? something- not a possible carcinogen??
thanks! Jen

Jordan

Avatar for anprdp
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
Mon, 11-29-2004 - 6:29pm

Depends on what you are doing and what trimester you are in....I suggest chlorox wipes as I did in the other post...its not bleach based and yet has the antibacterial needs also met. Most important thing while pregnant is to not use things that have strong fumes or if you do make sure to leave the room and turn on a fan until the fumes die down (it doesn't mean that they are a danger to you just excess inhalation of fumes can cut down your oxygen content in your red blood cells thus providing less oxygen to the baby)...Same as painting...you can paint the nursery after 16 weeks by most accounts although I avoided it entirely during my pregnancy, but studies do say it is safest done after that time frame and while making sure the area is well ventilated. Most doctors will tell you to use common sense in these things and refer to them if you have questions. Congratulations on your pregnancy and good luck!
Here is a link to a good article :

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/cleaningproducts.html

This article list some of the same tips I just listed..the only thing I don't agree with is that cleaning in high germ areas with distilled vinegar and baking soda to do the trick since we are discussing just that. I would go with the chlorox wipes in these areas since they are breeding grounds for staph and other germs that cause serious illness.

Angelia
Mother of 2 boys
L&D nursing student