FSHL Blog

These Cleaners Work!

Women and the Environment

Wondering if cleaners made with basic ingredients like baking soda and vinegar work? Well, they do!

What do vinegar and baking soda do?

Vinegar deodorizes; dissolves mineral deposits and grease; removes soap traces, mildew and wax build up; polishes brass, chrome, copper, pewter and stainless steel; cleans brick and stone; removes decals and stickers; and removes water spots on leather.

Baking soda neutralizes acid; scrubs shiny materials without scratching; deodorizes refrigerators, carpets, upholstery, vinyl and drains; extinguishes grease fires; and cleans and polishes aluminum, chrome, jewelry, plastic, porcelain, silver, stainless steel and tin.

What about getting rid of bacteria or mold?  Can ingredients like vinegar or borax really do the job?

Scientific studies have directly compared the efficacy of natural cleaning agents like vinegar and borax to commercial cleaners.  For example, several studies have shown regular household vinegar to be as effective or nearly as effective as commercial cleaners in eliminating microbes like E.coli from surfaces and sponges – effectively eliminating between 90-98% of bacteria.

For removing dirt and soil from surfaces, studies have shown that borax or plain old soap and water with a little elbow grease do the job just as well as commercial cleaners.  Lastly, in one study looking at mold, borax received top marks for removing mold from walls right along with commercial cleaners.

Do I need to worry about disinfecting?

Disinfection is important in certain situations – like reducing the spread of infection in hospital settings, or reducing food-borne illness in food service establishments, and it is recommended for individuals who are immuno-compromised.  But for most folks it is unnecessary to sterilize every surface in your home to stay healthy.  In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that one of the best methods for effectively reducing and preventing illness is regular hand washing!

http://www.womenandenvironment.org/greenclean/theywork/document_view