The active ingredient in Mr Muscle is quaternary ammonium chloride (0.22 % W/W)14. Quaternary ammonium chloride has a positive charge, while bacteria have a negative charge allowing the substance to attach to the bacteria and cause the cytoplasmic membrane to leak, damaging and eventually killing the bacteria15.
According to many sources natural substances such as Vinegar, Tea Tree Oil and lemon Juice can be used to clean the bathroom as they also contain active ingredients that are capable of inhibiting bacteria.
Vinegar is biodegradable liquid that consists of about 5-20% acetic acid (CH3COOH), an active ingredient produced from the fermentation of ethanol. An international team of researchers from Venezuela, France, and the US reported that acetic acid can effectively kill mycobacteria, even highly drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. According to Canada’s National Collaborating Centre for environmental health, the acid in vinegar crosses the cell membrane of bacteria and prompts a release of protons, which causes the cell to