Green cleaning and disinfecting

[wendibird22]

I'd like to start using green cleaning products but DH claims none of them kill germs and bacteria. Suggestions?

[crl]

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/vinegar-kills-bacteria-mold-germs.html#

[edurnemk]

Vinegar kills around 99% of bacteria, Heinz has published studies on that, but I can't find them on their webpage now.

Another natural desinfectant is tea tree oil. Many green cleaning products have natural desinfectants if you don't want to make your own. I follow the recipes on the book "Green up your clean up". We've had no bleach, amonia or triclosan products in our house for 2 years and we never get sick. DS is 2.5 yo and he's never had any kind of infection (never had to take antibiotics), so I feel our house is pretty healthy.

[daisymommy]

Tea Tree Oil is a natural antibacterial and anti fungal

It has been proven that spraying vinegar and then hydrogen peroxide (or hydrogen peroxide and then vinegar...doesn't matter in which order) kills germs, mold, bacteria just as effectively as bleach. This is great to use after washing off your cutting board.

7th Generation Disinfectant kills 99.9% of germs naturally
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Disinfectants?link-position=feature

And last but not least, experts are now telling us that we have gone waaaay overboard with our germ phobia and germ killing as a nation, and as a result we are making ourselves sick. We have created super-bugs that cannot be killed, are resistant to antibiotics, and people's immune systems are messed up. It used to be that we were exposed in small amounts to everyday germs and bacteria and it triggered antigens against them to help keep us healthy. But not anymore. We think everything has to be sterile, and we are paying the price for that with weakened immune systems and super bugs.

Is there a reason that the toilet has to be disinfected? You're going to pee and poop in it as soon as you clean it. It just needs to be cleaned, not sterilized.
Is there a reason your shower needs to be germ free? Are you going to lick the walls? Eat off your floor? You get the idea.
Your home just needs to be clean--not sterile.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol7no3_supp/levy.htm

http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/antibacterials_and_disinfectants_are_they_necessar y/


We always used to be sick in our house. Like 2 times every single month. We lived as the average American, and used Lysol, Clorox everything, including antibacterial hand wash. Several years ago we switched to all natural cleaning products, regular hand soap, and started eating Organic food, among other changes. And you know what? My kids are never sick anymore, and have never been on antibiotics since then. They get sick with a cold 1 time each year in the Winter and that is all. Same goes for DH and I.
DH works in an office where every one of his coworkers got the swine flu...except for him.. He did not get the vaccine either. DS didn't miss a single day of school last year for illness, and it was his first year in a large group setting. Everyone told us that he would be sick all the time because he hadn't been exposed to daycare or group settings, and his immune system wouldn't be prepared. But the school was almost shut down due to swine flu. DS was healthy as a horse.

[essnce629]

I pretty much clean everything with a 50/50 vinegar and water solution and have never had a problem and we rarely get sick. I clean my toilet bowl with a 1/4 cup of Borax powder. I wash all my cutting boards in the diswasher and that's it. I also believe that most people have gone overboard with "disinfecting."