The Efficacy of Common Household Cleaning Agents for SARS-CoV-2 Infection Control.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Bench/in vitro laboratory research
PubMed 35458445 · doi:10.3390/v14040715
What was done
In vitro laboratory assays evaluating the virucidal activity of generic household products (vinegar, bleach, dishwashing detergent) and chemical equivalents (acetic acid, sodium hypochlorite, ethanol) against SARS-CoV-2. Tests were performed at 18-20 °C and 40% relative humidity for contact times of 30 seconds (quick wipe) and 5 minutes (brief soak). The persistence of infectious SARS-CoV-2 was also tested across multiple freeze-thaw cycles.
What was found
Vinegar and its active component, acetic acid, failed to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 even at 90% v/v (3.6% v/v acetic acid). Ethanol inactivated the virus down to a 40% v/v dilution. Dishwashing detergent was virucidal at a 1:100 dilution (1% v/v). Bleach completely inactivated the virus at 0.21 g/L sodium hypochlorite (a 1:200 dilution) after 30 seconds of exposure. Viral infectivity titres did not decrease after seven freeze-thaw cycles.
Why it matters
These findings demonstrate which readily available household agents can be reliably used for surface disinfection against SARS-CoV-2, showing that dilute dish soap and bleach work rapidly, whereas vinegar provides no meaningful viral inactivation.
Limits
This was entirely an in vitro liquid assay; real-world variables such as surface porosity, organic soil load, drying effects, and the mechanical action of wiping were not assessed. The abstract does not report baseline viral titres, assay replicates, or statistical confidence intervals.
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