The science of vinegar: what happens to bacteria under a microscope

Hm. You can drink vinegar (though it’ll dissolve your teeth), but I wouldn’t recommend drinking a similar amount of bleach or ammonia. Also, bleach products will ruin your clothes, and ammonia is very harsh on your nasal lining.

My son did his 5th grade science fair project about whether vinegar will kill germs in a household sponge as well as other disinfectants. It worked very well. Since then (~20 years ago), we keep a squirt bottle (like a diner ketchup dispenser) of white vinegar by the sink to clean countertops with and to disinfect the sponges and to wash produce. It’s cheap, works well, and is probably better for the environment than antibacterial cleansers. The only down side is that your house will smell of white vinegar, not the most pleasant smell.

Also – try soaking your smelly, stinky clothes in vinegar for several hours before washing. It’s a very effective odor neutralizer.

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