Alcohol

Piper wrote: .

Good hint, I do this too. In the summer I keep a little spray bottle of it in the fridge so's when I come in from the heat I can "spritz" my face/neck area with it to cool off...

I also keep hydrogen peroxide in spray bottles (the brown quart - size that you buy H202 in, you can attach a sprayer top from most any other bottle, they'll all fit). Great for "de - germing" cutting boards, counter tops, bathroom, etc. I spritz the shower and curtain with a bottle I keep in the shower after every shower, no mold or mildew!

Great idea - but, do you add water or just use straight rubbing alcohol? Doesn't it leech through the plastic bottles?

Thanks .......

M.

No water and no, it doesn't do anything to the plastic.

-- Piper

Just to be technical, alcohol is classified as a "low level" disinfectant. It does inactivate vegative bacteria and some viruses but it doesn't rise to the level of a hospital disinfectant which must be able to kill T.B. It is equivalent to cleaners like Lysol, Pinesol, etc.

Endospores tend to survive alcohol. They also survive boiling.

I keep a little borax dissolved in water in a detergent bottle. It cuts grease, and the trace of borax left on a surface discourages the growth of microbes.

Peroxide isn't a reliable disinfectant because the enzymes in bacteria inactivate it. Its foaming can wash dirt out of a wound, though.

Hopefully, I won't need to kill any TB germs, but point taken. :o)

-- Piper

disinfectant.

TB is used as a benchmark for pathenogen in general. If the disinfectant can kill TB, it will kill most serious pathogens. Many substances are low level disinfectants and do kill bacteria. But, it they only kill harmless bacteria, they don't do much good.

Many thanks for all the information which was provided re Alcohol.

M.