Essential oils are becoming popular for use in home cleaning agents, and their claimed capabilities may or may not be pseudoscience. How could they be tested for their cleaning qualities in a scientific manner?(1 point)

Question

Responses

use them to clean a bathroom and decide if the bathroom looks and smells clean or not
use them to clean a bathroom and decide if the bathroom looks and smells clean or not

analyze their ability to destroy bacterial strains in comparison to other cleaning products
analyze their ability to destroy bacterial strains in comparison to other cleaning products

survey numerous users about their personal use, experience, and findings
survey numerous users about their personal use, experience, and findings

combine or switch them with other cleaning products and see if users notice a difference

Answer 1

The most scientifically rigorous way to test the cleaning qualities of essential oils would be to analyze their ability to destroy bacterial strains in comparison to other cleaning products.

This approach involves specific experimental methods, such as:

1. Selecting a range of bacterial strains commonly found in household environments.
2. Preparing solutions of essential oils and standard cleaning agents at controlled concentrations.
3. Applying these solutions to surfaces contaminated with the bacterial strains.
4. Measuring bacterial reduction over time using techniques such as colony-forming unit counts or plating methods.
5. Analyzing the data statistically to determine the effectiveness of the essential oils compared to conventional cleaning products.

This method provides objective, quantifiable data about the antimicrobial properties of the essential oils, allowing for a clear comparison of their cleaning effectiveness. Other options, like personal surveys or subjective assessments, can introduce bias and lack the rigor needed for scientific validation.