3 natural germ-killers

It might be instinctual to kill those germs that live on your kitchen counter after you prepare a chicken stir-fry or on your bedroom door handle when a family member gets sick. But when you reach under the sink for a germ-busting cleaning product, do you think about the unwelcome substances it might contain? Does your cleaning product damage the environment, your health or the health of your family members and pets? What about the impact on your wallet?

When spraying and wiping household surfaces, it's easy to be on autopilot and not think about the products you're using to kill germs. Keep reading and learn about safe, green and cheap ways to kill those common household germs.

What germs?
Dr. Donald Low, microbiologist-in-chief at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, helps to clarify when you should disinfect household surfaces. "Generally, not much lives on household surfaces that we have to worry about. Surfaces become contaminated with our body secretions or during the preparation of food," he said.

Where germs hide
During cold and flu season, pay special attention to surfaces that may have been contaminated. Counter tops, door handles, computer keyboards and the telephone are a few places where germs tend to live. "When someone has an infection, it is certain that surfaces will become contaminated and many viruses can survive for long periods of times outside the host -- influenza can survive for 24 hours," Dr. Low says. "When someone in the home is sick, everyone needs to be more judicious than they normally are at washing their hands, coughing into their elbow and thoroughly cleaning all surfaces." Coughing into your elbow keeps germs off your hands, which you'll use to handle many objects throughout the course of the day.

It is also important to ensure that counter tops are cleaned after preparing food, since germs can be rampant in certain foods. "Fresh vegetables are often contaminated with bacteria, chicken with salmonella and campylobacter and beef with E.coli," Dr. Low said. "Once we finish preparing food, we need to clean the area properly in order to avoid transmission of these bacteria -- our counter tops, utensils and anything used in food preparation."

Click to continue...

Page 1 of 2

Health hazards and costs
While it may be convenient to buy the first powerful bacteria-buster you find on the store shelf, remember that chemical-based cleaners can be harmful to your health and damaging to the environment. Toronto-based naturopath Tannis McLaren voices concerns over the pesticides and carcinogens that we are exposed to everyday: in the foods we eat, air we breathe and the conventional products we use to clean our household surfaces. "These chemicals build up in our bodies and can manifest in everything from asthma to cancer," she warns.

Also, these products often find their way into our eco system and drinking water, and can be difficult to properly dispose of -- for example, products available in aerosol containers must be taken to hazardous-waste depots for proper disposal.

Healthy and cost effective alternatives
Below is McLaren's list of natural, inexpensive cleaning products to kill those pesky germs living in your home. Best of all, you can find most of these products in your kitchen cupboards.

Lemon: Lemons are acidic and contain antibacterial and antiseptic agents that are perfect for cleaning contaminated surfaces. Lemons are also a natural odour-eater and provide a refreshing and energizing scent. Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle with baking soda. Use this to scrub household surfaces and stains. Add salt and use to scrub contaminated cutting boards. Tip: Squeeze the juice from half of a lemon to the wash cycle to get rid of odours in dirty clothing.

White vinegar: Vinegar is a disinfectant as well as a deodorizer. Not crazy about the smell? Don't worry, the smell disappears once it dries. You can also add some lemon juice to help neutralize the strong odour. Vinegar can remove stains, it dissolves grease and removes mildew and soap stains. To make an all-purpose cleaner that will clean most surfaces in your home mix 1 part water and 1 part vinegar in a spray bottle. Be sure to dilute vinegar properly because it can eat away at some surfaces. Tip: You can use vinegar as a fabric softener. Add 1 tablespoon to the rinse cycle.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate): Can be used to scrub surfaces, including shiny materials, without scratching. It is also a natural deodorizer. Add baking soda to lemon and white vinegar to make an all-purpose surface cleaner. A solution of three parts warm water to one part baking soda with a squeeze of lemon juice or vinegar will clean most surfaces. Tip: You can use baking soda to clean and polish aluminum, chrome, jewelry, plastic, porcelain, silver, stainless steel, copper and tin. You can also use it to unclog and clean drains.

Dr. Low's final tip: "Nothing replaces a good scrubbing with good old soap and water. This removes the bacteria by diluting it and removing it from the surface," he said. "Also, the most important tenet when cleaning household surfaces is the application of elbow grease!"

Page 2 of 2