Use a 1:1 ratio of diluted vinegar and water and store it in a spray bottle. Then you can spritz and disinfect your kitchen sink, counters, or any other spots that you'd normally use bleach but want to be food-safe.
The set time for vinegar, meaning the time a disinfectant must be on a surface to kill germs, is 30 minutes. The acetic acid in vinegar can also damage some surfaces, so vinegar is not recommended for use on aluminum, cast iron, waxed wood, or natural stone.
Many different sanitizers can be used: an easy homemade version is to make a solution of 1 tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water, or you can use a commercial sanitizer or sanitizing wipe. Pour or spray your sanitizing solution on surfaces and wipe them clean with a paper towel.
Vinegar has been proven to have some disinfectant properties, however it's not nearly as effective at killing harmful viruses and bacteria as commercial cleaners. And because it does not kill 99.999 percent of bacteria and viruses, it doesn't meet the criteria required to be considered a disinfectant.
Rinsing is not necessary! If you're simply using a vinegar and water solution to wipe and disinfect, you won't need to rinse. However, if there's also plenty of dirt and grime you're wiping away, you may also want to rinse with some extra water.
White vinegar is made from acetic acid and water, and it's a power cleaner—easily cutting through grease and removing mildew, odors, stains, and wax buildup. Thanks to its high acidity, white vinegar reduces surface bacteria, making it a safe (though slightly less effective) alternative to bleach.
Use white vinegar as your cleaner - it's the most effective at killing bacteria and won't stain your clothes. Use vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner. On the right surfaces, vinegar is an effective bacteria killer that will keep your kitchen working surfaces clean and hygienic. Use vinegar daily as a worktop cleaner.
Heat. There are three methods of using heat to sanitize surfaces – steam, hot water, and hot air. Hot water is the most common method used in restaurants.
As a general rule, most natural cleaning experts suggest mixing one part vinegar to one part water. These recommendations typically rely on distilled white vinegar as the cleaning element. If homeowners are using cleaning vinegar, they may want to add a little more water to achieve a similar amount of acetic acid.
Distilled white vinegar usually has an acidity around 5%, which gives it the power to cut through dirt, mineral deposits, and hard-water stains. This acidity also gives it some mild disinfectant properties, though we don't recommend relying on vinegar for thorough disinfection.
According to the science-based environmental non-profit foundation, the David Suzuki Foundation, household white vinegar is about 80% effective at killing germs. The active ingredient in vinegar is acetic acid, and in household white vinegar, the concentration is approximately 5% acetic acid to water.
Baking soda will always help get rid of bacteria from your kitchen sink. To do this, rinse the empty sink with cold water and then spread baking soda all over. Then scrub it all with a sponge and pour enough vinegar to dissolve the powder. To finish, rinse with warm water and dry with a clean cloth.
Vinegar works well on dirt, mold and mineral deposits as well as on other acid stains including coffee. Therefore, you may have found vinegar did a good job removing your coffee or tea stain. Hydrogen peroxide works differently than vinegar and is better at removing different types of stains.
1 - Vinegar
It's made up of 95% water and 5% acetic acid, which kills about 80% of germs. As such, it's a powerful, natural disinfectant that can be used to clean your sweat-stained clothes, wash your dishes, clean rusty tools, and remove hard water deposits. It also acts as a deodorizer and easily cuts through grease.
Hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar form the basis of many of these home solutions. Some of them work well as cleaners and can even kill a majority (up to 80% - leaving the surviving 20% to grow stronger creating superbugs) of some germs and bacteria.
"Just use a clean cotton cloth with water and a mild, non-chemical liquid detergent to wipe it down," says Gerri Chmiel, residential design lead at Formica. Stay away from harsh products with acid or alkali as well as steel wool or scouring pads.
That's why cleaning isn't enough – you've also got to disinfect your kitchen regularly. Sure, your everyday cleaning products might promise to kill germs and stop bacteria from spreading. But the truth is disinfecting your kitchen is the only way to get rid of potential viruses and other illness-causing bacteria.
Pour equal parts of vinegar and Dawn into a spray bottle. Gently shake, then spray liberally onto the surface to be cleaned.
Use a 1:1 ratio of diluted vinegar and water and store it in a spray bottle. Then you can spritz and disinfect your kitchen sink, counters, or any other spots that you'd normally use bleach but want to be food-safe.
Additionally, vinegar's acidic nature can be irritating to the skin. For safety's sake, wear non-porous gloves, goggles or safety glasses, and a mask that covers your mouth and nose.
“Of course, vinegar does eliminate some things, but it's important to note it's not a complete solution to disinfectant. It is only 90% effective against bacteria and around 80 percent effective against viruses and mold or mildew. Bleach, however, eliminates 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, and mold or mildew.
Studies confirming vinegar's antibacterial properties: Household natural sanitizers like lemon juice and vinegar reduced the number of pathogens to undetectable levels. Vinegar can inhibit growth of and kill some food-borne pathogenic bacteria. Plus, vinegar's bactericidal activity increased with heat!