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Bleach or Vinegar - Which

is Better for Cleaning?

by Maria Gracia Updated November 17, 2023 Join our newsletter to be notified when new content is added to our website. I’ve always wondered what the difference was between using bleach or vinegar as a cleaning disinfectant. Here’s what I’ve found out. Bleach has been tested and proven to clean dirt, mold, and kill dangerous viruses and bacteria, like E. coli, Salmonella, bacteria that causes staph infections, and flu and cold viruses just to name a few. Bleach is also a household cleaning product regulated by the EPA. However, bleach also happens to be one of the most harmful disinfectants for humans to use. It is incredibly powerful and dangerous if not used correctly. Should you use bleach as an all-purpose cleaner, please read the instructions on the container for proper dilution and wear rubber or non-porous gloves and eye protection. Also, avoid breathing in the fumes and open windows. Then there is vinegar. Vinegar is a safe bleach alternative and it is nowhere near as harmful to humans as bleach. However, vinegar is not registered as a disinfectant, and it doesn’t kill all germs and bacteria, though it does destroy a lot. When it comes to cleaning and disinfecting your house, what’s the best product to use? For safety reasons and for the sake of the environment, I mostly use vinegar. I will very occasionally use bleach, only when I feel it’s absolutely necessary to deeply disinfect…which is generally if somebody in my house is ill and I want to kill those germs. I also use it in my washing machine inside the drum and run the cycle once per quarter each year (without clothes). That being said, one container of bleach lasts forever in my house because it’s so rare that we use it. Back to Cleaning Secrets Index