Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide as Disinfectants

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Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide as Disinfectants

http://www.mercola.com/2001/jul/21/vinegar.htm

by Judy Stouffer, B.S., M.S., SFO

 

You can make your kitchen a cleaner, safer place and fight bacteria, without

exposing yourself and your family to toxic chemicals that also damage the

environment. You can use a simple safe disinfecting spray that is more effective

than any of the commercial cleaners in killing bacteria. As a bonus, it is

inexpensive!

 

Susan Sumner, a food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State

University, worked out the recipe for just such a sanitizing combo. All you need

is three percent hydrogen peroxide, the same strength available at the drug

store for gargling or disinfecting wounds, and plain white or apple cider

vinegar, and a pair of brand new clean sprayers, like the kind you use to dampen

laundry before ironing.

 

If you're cleaning vegetables or fruit, just spritz them well first with both

the vinegar and the hydrogen peroxide, and then rinse them off under running

water.

 

It doesn't matter which you use first - you can spray with the vinegar then

the hydrogen peroxide, or with the hydrogen peroxide followed by the vinegar.

You won't get any lingering taste of vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, and neither

is toxic to you if a small amount remains on the produce.

 

As a bonus: The paired sprays work exceptionally well in sanitizing counters

and other food preparation surfaces -- including wood cutting boards.

 

In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing

the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria

on heavily contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion, making

this spray combination more effective at killing these potentially lethal

bacteria than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.

 

The best results came from using one mist right after the other - it is 10

times more effective than using either spray by itself and more effective than

mixing the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one sprayer.

 

Science News August 8, 1998; Vol. 154, Issue. 6; pg. 83-85

 

 

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Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

Don't you just love simple and inexpensive solutions to practical problems? I

know I sure do. That's why I was delighted to find this alternative to bleach

or even the more expensive products that one purchases at the health food

store.

 

Sure seems like a great alternative to me and the toxicity is virtually zero.

Highly recommended.

 

Related Articles:

 

Disinfecting Kitchen Cuts Disease Risk

http://www.mercola.com/1998/archive/disinfecting_kitchen.htm

 

Germs Easily Transferred from Everyday Objects to Hands

http://www.mercola.com/2000/may/28/germ_transfer.htm