Vinegar – Nature’s Natural Disinfectant

Two of my daughters have staph infections...again. Having been the 3rd time my 3 year old has contracted staph in the last 5 months, I said, "TO END WITH IT ALL!!" and researched what is the best type of disinfectant to use in the home. I want to make my home as sterile as a surgeon's kit to eliminate the case of staph being carried in our home.

You know what I found? Vinegar. Yup, that's right - plain old, white distilled vinegar

You have probably heard about its wonderful all-purpose cleaning ability, but were you aware of how powerful of a disinfectant vinegar is? According to studies,vinegar kills 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold, and 80% of viruses. And according to this blog, mixing vinegar with hydrogen peroxide, or even better, bleach, makes the sterilization that much better.

I chose to mix it with citracidel, a derivative from grapefruit seed, that is known for its antibacterial properties, and is safe for virtually anything -- inside and outside the body. (More about this in another blog post.)

Here's what you do:

1. Pour vinegar in a spray bottle

2. Spray down everything (even fabric) that you want to clean and disinfect.

3. Leave it on for at least 5 minutes, then wipe dry.

It is suggested that you can add vinegar to your laundry to disinfect clothing. ( I even sprayed down my upholstered furniture with it and it did not leave a stain.)

Are you worried about the pungent vinegar smell like I was? The strong vinegar smell will linger only until it is dry. And here's the best part: I found that our childrens' room that usually smells like, well, children, smells even better than before. I concluded that because the vinegar kills odor-causing bacteria, the smell that remains is not only vinegar-free, but even fresher than ever!

So I am sold. Next time you need to disinfect your house, car, clothing, whatever, leave the Lysol on the shelf and pay the 83 cents to get yourself a bottle of white distilled vinegar, Nature's natural disinfectant.