Distilled White Vinegar And Hydrogen Peroxide Could Be The Natural Cleaners You Are Looking For In Your Kitchen

The dangers of bacteria and germs in the kitchen cannot be emphasized enough. Kitchen utensils and appliances contain thousands of harmful bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella, mold, and yeast, which can cause a myriad of health complications. Fever, diarrhea, and allergic reactions, are just a few of the problems. In extreme cases, the bacteria can even cause death. Hence, it is important to clean and disinfect your kitchen utensils from time to time. If a commercial cleaner is out of reach, there is nothing better than white distilled vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. These two are also a cheaper way of disinfecting the kitchen items, since they are readily available in homes.

How They Work

When used separately, vinegar and hydrogen peroxide have continued to divide opinions on whether they are strong disinfectants. In one study that aimed to kill antibiotic resistant bacteria, researchers stated that white vinegar demonstrated inadequate activity, and they concluded that vinegar is a weak home disinfectant. In another study, though, it was found that the acetic acid in white vinegar is capable of killing resistant mycobacteria.

But one thing that is certain is that when distilled white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are combined, they create a strong disinfectant. This is because the acetic acid in vinegar bonds with hydrogen peroxide to form peracetic acid, which is a well-known disinfectant. The discovery was made by a food scientist known as Susan Sumner, who also described the process in the clearest way possible. She simply stated that if acetic acid is capable of killing 100 organisms and hydrogen peroxide 10000, then the two are capable of killing 100,000 organisms when combined.  

How To Use Vinegar And Hydrogen Peroxide In Cleaning Kitchen Items

Before you apply vinegar and hydrogen peroxide on the surfaces you intend to clean, first clean the surfaces with water and detergent. This aids in cleaning organic soil that may interfere with the germ cleaning abilities of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. This step is important since hydrogen peroxide and vinegar are not the best at cleaning dirt.

Then gather the required items for the job: two spray bottles, drug store hydrogen peroxide, and vinegar. Hydrogen peroxide is usually sold in brown bottles because it is light sensitive. If yours is still in the bottle, then you may not require two spray bottles for the job; you just need to get a nozzle from the store you bought the vinegar and fix it on the brown bottle. Also, do not dilute the vinegar or the peroxide.

Fill one spray bottle with vinegar and hold it in one hand. On the other hand, hold the hydrogen peroxide bottle. Mist the hydrogen peroxide on the surface you would like to disinfect and let it sit for five minutes before wiping the surface. Then spray the surface with vinegar. You can even begin with vinegar followed by hydrogen peroxide because the order doesn't matter.  But never mix the two in one bottle; they still form paracetic acid but the acid is unstable. 

For more information, contact a commercial cleaning company in your area.

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