Benefect is the ONLY natural disinfectant I have been able to find that is actually EPA approved as a disinfectant; meaning it has been tested and approved to kill bacteria.

Benefect’s website lists thyme oil as the active ingredient.

I’ve seen some blogs on the antimicrobial properties of thyme oil and some homemade “disinfectants” made from thyme oil and fresh thyme. However, none of these homemade “disinfectants” have been scientifically tested and proven to kill germs.

I was considering trying out some of the homemade “disinfectants” made from thyme, but if they have not been proven to kill germs, then that is sort of defeating the purpose, right?

So, I looked up Disinfectants on Wikipedia and it listed bleach as the best household disinfectant.

“By far the most cost-effective home disinfectant is the commonly used chlorine bleach (a 5% solution of sodium hypochlorite), which is effective against most common pathogens, including difficult organisms such as tuberculosis (mycobacterium tuberculosis), hepatitis B and C, fungi, and antibiotic-resistant strains of staphylococcus and enterococcus. It even has some disinfectant action against parasitic organisms.

“It kills the widest range of pathogens of any inexpensive disinfectant, is extremely powerful against viruses and bacteria at room temperature, is commonly available and inexpensive, and breaks down quickly into harmless components (primarily table salt and oxygen).

“To use chlorine bleach effectively, the surface or item to be disinfected must be clean. In the bathroom or when cleaning after pets, special caution must be taken to wipe up urine first, before applying chlorine, to avoid reaction with the ammonia in urine, causing toxic gas by-products. A 1-to-20 solution in water is effective simply by being wiped on and left to dry. The user should wear rubber gloves and, in tight airless spaces, goggles.

“Commercial bleach tends to lose strength over time, whenever the container is opened. Old containers of partially used bleach may no longer have the labeled concentration.”

Now, many people have been known to steer clear of bleach because of the negatives:

“It is caustic to the skin, lungs, and eyes (especially at higher concentrations); like many common disinfectants, it has a strong odor and extreme caution must be taken not to combine it with ammonia or any acid (such as vinegar), as this can cause noxious gases to be formed.”

The “100 Dos and Don’ts of the M. G. T.,”  #94 reads: “We use Clorox (bleach) for dish-washing.” All it takes is about a tablespoon of bleach for a whole sink full of dishwater.

The 100 Dos and Dont’s were written prior to the advent of the widescale use of dishwashers, but I just Googled if dishwashers disinfect and the answer is yes, so it is not necessary to use bleach when using a dishwasher.

In order to kill bacteria, the water has to reach one hundred and forty degrees farenheit, which according to Google is “easily reached in a dishwasher.” But in a sink, you would not be able to stand water that hot, so continue to use the bleach.

I would have to say that, although bleach seems a bit potent, it is the most effective, tested and approved DISINFECTANT for us to use.

I know, I know, I wanted to use lemons too, but it is better to use something that is actually going to do the job of killing germs and keeping us free from sickness than to use something “natural” that doesn’t actually work….