What to do with your leftover Wine
Edited by Madelyn Miller, the Travellady
Wine May Be Used As a
Household Disinfectant
Components of This Popular Alcoholic Drink Have
Antimicrobial Effect
A new study from the Journal of Food Science reveals that
wine can be used as a disinfectant for sanitizing kitchen countertops, utensils,
and even fruits and vegetables.
I wish the researchers had called me. I have lots of dirty
test spaces available. And although I do hate pouring wine down the toilet, at
least I know now that it is doing some good.
I have lots of unused cleaning products underneath my
kitchen sink. I wondered why even though I buy them religiously, my house never
seems cleaner. Perhaps the secret correlation between wine and cleanliness is
that if you drink the wine, you don’t realize how badly your home needs to be
cleaned and sanitized.
The study, led by Mark A. Daeschel, PhD, of Oregon State
University , looked at various properties of wine, including its alcohol
content, sulfur dioxide content, and measures of acidity. He formulated Pinot
Noir and Chardonnay wines to make samples with low, medium, and high levels of
each property and then tested against pathogens.
The study showed wines with the most alcohol and the
highest acidity were the most effective against E Coli and staphylococcus.
(silly study—we all know higher alcoholic content makes things look better.)
They concluded that utilization of this natural substance can ensure food safety
and sanitation and provide an alternative means to preserve food and disinfect
surfaces.
I’d suggest that the next step in this study should be an
analysis of the cost effectiveness of wine versus commercial cleansers. I would
never think of drinking Fantastic even though it costs less.
Daeschel notes, “Commercially developed, such a product
could provide a natural, palatable alternative to disinfectants containing
bleach or ammonia. And, it could create a commercial niche for surplus or
low-quality wine.
As soon as someone writes a book on 101 THINGS TO DO WITH
WINE BESIDES DRINK IT, I will be on the waiting list to buy it.
Madelyn Miller is a food and wine writer who hates to clean
house. Read her stories on
www.travellady.com,
www.carladynews.com,
www.chocolateatlas.com,
www.cocktailatlas.com,
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