Disinfecting The House With Vinegar: Is It Effective?
You’ve probably heard of disinfecting the house with vinegar – in addition to the fact that vinegar is an extraordinary culinary ingredient, of course! People have been using it for a long time to clean their kitchen, bathroom and other surfaces in the house.
However, you must be careful when using it. It is certainly an effective cleaning product, but not as powerful as a disinfectant. Read on to find out what the best uses of vinegar are and when to use another disinfectant!
Disinfecting the house with vinegar: how effective is it?
The terms of cleaning and disinfection are different, even if people use them interchangeably. Thus, cleaning products remove dirt, debris and even some germs from a given surface. Instead, disinfectants kill or neutralize bacteria, viruses and fungi.
Vinegar is an excellent natural cleanser. This is due to its 5% acetic acid content. It is more than enough when it comes to removing dirt, dust and grease residues.
As mentioned above, vinegar is not an excellent disinfectant, so its uses in this regard are quite limited. For example, it is only good against certain types of harmful microorganisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli. Read on to find out two case studies about the disinfectant properties of vinegar!
What are the best disinfectants?
These substances should be able to kill 99.9% of harmful germs in 5 to 10 minutes after application. Moreover, these types of products contain substances such as ethanol (ethyl alcohol), isopropanol, hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide), phenolic and bleaching compounds or hypochlorite.
The products are available on the market in the form of sprays, liquids, tablets, gels or wet wipes. It is important to check the label and make sure that these substances are present in the product.
Is vinegar a good disinfectant?
It certainly is, but with many limitations. It is an ecological product that will make your household cleaning easier. For example, you can use it to clean windows and other surfaces, as well as swimming pools, pipes, kitchen, appliances and showers, among others.
However, acetic acid [vinegar content] is not recommended for any surface. May damage waxed wood, granite, marble, cast iron and aluminum.
Here are some ways to use vinegar as a cleaning product.