Vinegar and Bleach make Anthrax Killer

[Guest Guest]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/13903136.htm

 

Vinegar and bleach make anthrax-killerCombo destroys most microbes in 20 minutes or less, study saysNANCY KERCHEVALBloomberg NewsA cup of white vinegar gives diluted household bleach enough strength to kill almost any disease-causing microbe, including anthrax spores contaminating surfaces, according to a study by MicroChem Lab Inc.

Vinegar changes the character of household bleach from alkaline to acidic and makes it 80 to 200 times more effective at being an antimicrobial product, said Norman Miner, Microchem president and a researcher on the study presented on Friday at the American Society for Microbiology Biodefense Research meeting in Washington.

Miner said household bleaches manufactured and sold in an alkaline state are relatively ineffective at killing disease-causing microbes. The vinegar gives bleach enough kick to fight bacteria, fungi, viruses and spores.

"Bleach has been used as a disinfectant for decades. People just assume it will kill everything on a countertop," Miner said in an interview.

"It's one of the myths."

Bleach can't be bottled in an acidic state because it's unstable, Miner said in an interview. After a day, it would start losing the chlorine that gives it its bleaching power.

Researchers tested the vinegar recipe on dried bacterial spores, considered the most resistant to disinfectants used on microbes, the Euless, Texas-based company said.

After researchers swabbed surfaces with the acidic dilution, all the spores were dead in 20 minutes, Miner said. An alkaline dilution left only 2.5 percent of the areas free of microbes after the same amount of time.

Emergency Aid

"In the event of an emergency involving Bacillus anthracis spores contaminating such environmental surfaces as counter tops, desk and table tops, and floors, for example, virtually every household has a sporicidal sterilant available in the form of diluted, acidified bleach," Miner said in a statement.The vinegar-laced bleach also killed aspergillus negri, commonly recognized by most people as the black fungi that infect the tile grout of shower stalls, Miner said.

"Diluted bleach at an alkaline pH is a relatively poor disinfectant, but acidified diluted bleach will virtually kill anything in 10 to 20 minutes," Miner said.

The recipe

Dilute one cup of household bleach in one gallon of water and then add one cup of white vinegar.

Norman Miner, Microchem president, said the concept of making bleach acidic to heighten its germ-killing capacity isn't new, but not many consumers know about the recipe.

 

bloomberg news

 

[gardnmom]

Great one to have, thanks.

[Linda]

and here all these years i have been adding the vinegar to keep things shinny instead of streaking........

live and learn...

[HapyGirl]

Oooh Very good post!! Thank you for the recepie!

[Mother]

Strangely enough, I seem to remember that, like ammonia, vinegar should not be mixed with bleach because of the gasses released. Does anyone know anything about this?

[Guest Guest]

The only thing I've heard is to follow the directions exactly...

 

Mix the bleach into the water FIRST, then add the vinegar to the bleach water.

 

If anyone knows any cautions or dangers for sure, I'd like to know myself.

[moonstar]

I have always heard you can mix vinegar and bleach but definitely not bleach and ammonia. Here's one chemists'

explanation:

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/toxicchemicals/a/aa603003a.htm

[Freetobeme]

Bleach and ammonia are both basic (high pH), vinegar is an acid. If an acid and a base are mixed, they tend to neutralize one another. Don't mix two bases or two acids (bleach and ammonia for example).

[moonstar]

Also in one of the many books I've read, forget which one,

this formula was given by a microbiologist...kills anything from Anthrax to Ebola to Smallpox to anything else you can think of. 1 cup bleach, 1 1/2 gall water and 1 1/2 cups of vinegar. Mix bleach and water. Add vinegar. Use plastic bucket and stir with wooden stick. Don't use aluminum. Countertops: Wearing gloves, apply with a towel.

Soap may be used with solution. (Area or surface disinfection by using this solution.)

[brightblessings5]

Noooooooooo!!!!!!

 

Never, ever, ever mix bleach and ammonia. Gases produced by mixing these are toxic even in small amounts. THEY KILL. That's why they have all the warnings on cleaner containers never to mix with another cleaner. Some are bleach based, some are ammonia based. Even if you spray one in a sink and then spay the other you will get the worst 'lung full' you've ever had. It burns and chokes. You feel like you're choking and gagging and gonna suffocate. Please, please, please be careful with cleaners.

 

(I accidentally did this once. Half way through cleaning the sink in the bathroom one cleaner ran out. I just grabbed another and started spraying. The gases were noxious. I couldn't get out of that room fast enough. And my throat and lungs hurt for hours.)

[Linda]

i had mixed the two together also and burnt my throat. ammoina and bleach is a no no for sure