You are in Living Better . For people seeking the best protection against disease-causing organisms in home kitchens and bathrooms, commercial disinfectants do a better job at eliminating them than do natural, environmentally friendly products. To our knowledge, the activity of commercial household disinfectants against antibiotic-resistant microbes has not been reported previously. Rutala points out that more than 30 million food-borne infections have been estimated to occur each year, resulting in more than 9,000 deaths.
Infection often leads to bloody diarrhea and occasionally to kidney failure.
Most illness has been associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef. In this latest study, reported in the January issue of the Journal of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology , hospital disinfectants tested included TBQ, Vesphene, and ethanol. Household disinfectants tested were Clorox, ethanol, Mr. Clean Ultra, Lysol Disinfectant Spray, and Lysol Antibacterial Kitchen Cleaner. Vinegar and baking soda were the natural products tested. All of the hospital and household disinfectants were highly effective against the tested bacteria.