An Effective and Safe Disinfectant for All Sentient Beings
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Surrey, United Kingdom January 2, 2006 (Originally in English)
I have some vinegar spray, just for washing hands for my dogs. And I take a bottle of half-water, half-vinegar with me all the time. Sometimes in the restaurant, I use it to wash my hands; spray it on my hands and then wipe it, and spray on the public utensils, to disinfect them. And wipe it off, and then it's clean. You know, like a dry-cleaning system: "Zzzt…!" It helps, and there are no chemicals. Vinegar is harmless; you could eat it, so it doesn't matter. I carry a little bottle all the time. You've learned another trick now!
And sometimes, you can spray around your window and so on. Or you spray some insect repellent, the non-toxic kind, around the window so insects don't come through. Even mosquitoes stay away. The small insects stay away from your screen. But if you don't have that, then you spray vinegar. It also helps because vinegar dispels all the smell, and they're only attracted to smell. So instead of perfume, maybe you spray some vinegar, and then the mosquitoes won't know if you're a lettuce or a hot-blooded blonde. Maybe they think you're a cabbage or a salad! (Laughter)
If you have dogs, clean them with vinegar water only. And if you have dogs or cats or pets in the house, clean your house only with vinegar and water mixed. Now and again, if you really want it clean and you don't feel sure, then clean with whatever you have to. But afterwards, you have to clean with water throughout so that no more chemical residues are left in the house because you could kill your dogs or cats that way. Not killed immediately, but it would make them suffer for many years. They cannot bear it. If you can hear your dog, they will tell you.
So vinegar water, that's all we want. Half-vinegar, half-water, to clean: Clean the dog's body when you want to let them in the house. Clean the paws and everything with vinegar-water and a vinegar wet towel. And then after that, around the eyes, you have to clean quickly with water so it doesn't smart their eyes. In the sensitive areas that have revealed or sensitive skin, then you have to clean it back with water immediately afterward so it takes away the sting. That's the best! If you really cannot get vinegar on hand, you can use a baby wipe. But then wipe with water immediately after, so there are no more residues of the chemical, whatever it is.