The cleaner that I chose to investigate this week is the method Antibac all-purpose cleaner in scent citron. It costs $3.79. According to the bottle, it kills 99.9% of household germs such as Staphylococcus aureus, Influenza a flu virus, Rhinovirus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes and Salmonella enterica. It even provides a cute little picture of how sad Staphylococcus aureus gets whenever I sanitize my countertops. When I use this product, I spray it on my countertops and leave it for 5 minutes, then I wipe. If I wanted to disinfect, I would have to leave the cleaner on the countertop for an additional 5 minutes.
According to the bottle, the active ingredient is citric acid at 5% and the rest is 95% other ingredients. However, the bottle, nor the website names the other ingredients. I had to research what else is in my cleaner. This website names the other 95% of ingredients in my cleaner. They include thyme oil, oregano, sodium laurel sulfate, dactyl sodium sulfosuccinate, copper sulfate pentahydrate, fragrance, and water. After looking at many different websites, it seems there are no real concerns for toxicity issues as it is very gentle. However, it remains an effective disinfectant.
According to Old House to New Home, to make your own DIY disinfectant, “mix together 3 cups of water, ½ cup of white vinegar, and 10-15 drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil in a glass spray bottle. Shake to mix. Store with the lid on and use on cutting boards, countertops, or anywhere that needs a good germ killing!” The vinegar (acetic acid) in the solution would as a disinfectant.
Personally, I would rather use store-bought products as cleaners because I know they have been tested in labs and have proven to work. Maybe if I could use test my own cleaner I would be more inclined to use my own. Also, the self-made cleaners have a shelflife of about 2 weeks which is extremely inconvenient.
Gracie's Micro Biology Blog 