I was just curious to hear if anyone has used White distilled vinegar to clean the cuttings instead of bleach.

Through the generosity of several member I have received several cuttings over the last weed or so.  Everyone seems to clean their cuttings with a 5-10% solution of bleach water.  Personally that seems quite high - in the food service industry the standard for sanitizing counter tops is 1 cap full of bleach to 1 gallon of water.

I know WDV is effective for killing most mold, bacteria, and germs, due to its level of acidity, so I thought it would make sense to clean the cuttings using it.

I will post an update to let you all know.

Eww - Pickled figs!  That is definitely worse then dried! 

I first didn't clean them - LAZY!!!  When I checked out the bags, the towels had marks on them, that's when I got the idea for the vinegar.  I still have more cuttings to work on, they are in water for the time being.

I always clean mine with 10% bleach....

But I will add, I never clean the ones I send to members ;-)

Well Noss,

I have did it every time I have rooted/tried to root cuttings!

So far I have gotten away with it..I'm not telling anyone to do it, But I do.

If you are going to sanitize your cuttings (I don't) I'm not sure I would use vinegar (pH 2.8) for figs. Figs seem to prefer a higher pH in general for growth, and even a dilute acidic vinegar solution would lower the pH. I'm not sure that would be beneficial in promoting root growth, but don't know. It's something to consider however. Bleach on the other hand has a high pH (12.6).

Try it and let us know how it works.

Gina, I'm through with the rooting bidness for this year i Think.

I'm of the belief if it works don't fix it! Something like ya can't teach an old dog new tricks ;-)

Joann,
I use 1/2 cup of sudsy Amonia to 1 gallon of water, and a squirt of dish soap. Then I soak my plant cuttings for up to 30 minutes depending on the cutting type. The harder the cutting, the longer I soak, I'd recommend 30 minutes for woody cuttings.
Amonia is not only a disinfectant, but is actually a nutrient for plants also, and helps to give them a little something to "chew on" while rooting. I've noted that many cuttings root faster, usually within 2-3 weeks.
1/4 cup of Amonia in a gallon of water and a squirt of dish soap sprayed on leaves is good for foliar feeding too. it's the same thing to a plant as the ingredient urea found on fertilizer packages. (test on a leaf, and flower first and wait a few days for adverse reactions before spraying on an entire plant) It gives plants a boost ! They love it!
The smell will temporarily Help to repell bugs, and wild life too.
Some plants may be sensitive to 1/4 cup/gallon, and need a weaker solution.
Always use sprays only in the evening, never in the sun.
To avoid sun scald.