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.
Hydrogen Peroxide
As with other methods you can add about a cup to your laundry to use it as a bleach alternative. If you usually use bleach to disinfect surfaces, grab a cloth and apply a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide to kill many types of bacteria including salmonella.
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.
Using White Vinegar
White vinegar can kill bacteria without presenting the same risks as chemical cleaners. To clean your sink with vinegar, mix up a solution of equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Because of vinegar's versatility as a cleanser, it's a good idea to always have a spray bottle of it handy.
1. Kitchen Sink. 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.
Next up, to sanitize the sink, stop the drain and fill the basin with warm water. Add a small amount of bleach and let that sit for upwards of five minutes before draining the sink. Be sure to wipe down the handles and faucet with the bleach solution as well. Finally, rinse with warm water to remove the bleach.
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.
The most potent disinfectant products for your kitchen are bleach and alcohol spray with at least 70% isopropyl alcohol. Look for hospital-grade disinfectant sprays for the best results.
In a restaurant, we use commercial food grade bleach. In a household, mixing standard bleach about 1/4-1/3 cup to fill a gallon of water will make a strong enough solution to sanitize.
“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.
Bleach is great for disinfecting. A registered disinfectant, it will, by definition, kill 99.9 percent of germs that it comes into contact with, within five or ten minutes of contact. In contrast, the germs that vinegar does kill often need half an hour of contact to be affected.
The best natural disinfectants include alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, hot water, and some essential oils. Evidence suggests that in some cases, many of these natural disinfectants can be as effective at killing germs as chemical cleaners like bleach.
Mix one teaspoon of the liquid chlorine bleach in one quart of warm water. Place the mixture in a spray bottle and label the bottle so everyone in your household knows what it contains. Do not add more bleach. Using a bleach solution that is too concentrated results in the production of toxic substances.
The CDC recommends disinfecting high-touch surfaces, like the handles of your fridge and microwave, your kitchen sink, and tables and countertops, on a daily basis. Other items can be disinfected less frequently, about once a week.
Quaternary Ammonium
It's used in products such as Spartan CDC-10 and is compatible with most hard surfaces. Quaternary ammonium products are best used on non-critical surfaces such as floors, bed-rails, tray tables, blood pressure cuffs, walls, and partitions.
Which surfaces and objects do I need to clean and disinfect? To prevent the spread of infection, you should regularly clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are touched often. For example, in your house, this would include countertops, doorknobs, faucet and toilet handles, light switches, remotes, and toys.
Clean with water, soap, and scrubbing. Sanitizing reduces germs to levels public health codes or regulations consider safe. Sanitizing is done with weaker bleach solutions or sanitizing sprays. Clean surfaces before you sanitize them.
Sanitizing kills bacteria on surfaces using chemicals. It is not intended to kill viruses. Yes, EPA registers products that sanitize. Disinfecting kills viruses and bacteria on surfaces using chemicals.
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.
“Sprinkle some baking soda onto a sponge and scrub the sink, removing any crusted-on food and bacteria. If there are some tough stains that remain, try adding drops of hydrogen peroxide or lemon juice to your sponge,” Peterson says.
1/4 cup white vinegar. 1/4 cup (60% + alcohol content) vodka or Everclear (excellent germ-killing properties – you can substitute rubbing alcohol, but it will have a more medicinal scent) 15 drops essential oil – peppermint + lemon OR lavender + lemon are great in this recipe. glass spray bottle.