Analyzing the Effects of Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Tap Water, and Vinegar on Bacterial and Fungal Growth of a Dorm Dining Table

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of three different typical household cleaning products on a university dorm kitchen table: Lysol disinfectant spray (LDS), tap water and white vinegar. The kitchen table was separated into nine quadrants and each treatment was applied to three quadrants for replication purposes. After treatment, swabs were taken from the quadrants and streaked onto agar plates, which were incubated for six days. Bacterial and fungal growth was observed over six days to assess percent coverage on the plates. A one-way ANOVA test revealed no statistically significant (p > 0.05) difference in growth rates between the cleaning products. These results suggest that the choice of cleaning product does not significantly impact the amount of bacterial and fungal growth on a kitchen table.