To worry about the effects of antibacterial gel/spray?

[HarryHarry]

I was at the park today (not in the UK) and some nursery workers in masks arrived with a group of small children (not in masks). They then took out industrial sized spray bottles of antibacterial liquid and began to disinfect the entire playground. The spray was going everywhere including on the children. They also sanitized the children’s hands every few minutes as they played.

It made me wonder, has anyone looked into the effects of our increased exposure to all these chemicals? Could it end up doing us more harm than good?

I should point out that it is not my intention to scaremonger or to suggest that we stop using these things - I’m just genuinely interested in people’s thoughts!

[Ploppymoodypants]

Yes I’ve been wondering this as I liberally spray the toilet handles and doors handles and light switches etc. Rick and hard place and all that.
I suspect it’s best to use good old fashioned soap. It’s just not that easy when you are out and about though is it?

[Ploppymoodypants]

Rock and hard place . Don’t know who rick is 😁

[ScarfLadysBag]

Not to do with the safety of the actual substances, but there is reliable evidence that overuse of antibacterial wipes and sprays can lead to an increase in childhood leukaemia, as the immune system isn't being challenged as it should be.

It's a difficult balance to get, as safeguarding against Covid also means that our children aren't being exposed to the normal germs and illnesses of childhood that help to build a robust immune system. And some of those conditions you really don't want to get when you're older (I never had hand, foot and mouth as a child and caught it from DD and was the most unwell I've been in years. DH had it as a child and was unaffected).

As to the safety of the actual chemicals, I wouldn't want my child exposed to then so frequently but I understand why they're being used so heavily. I'm not sure what the right answer is.

[ilikebooksandplants]

I worry about this too! I also think it’s probably not massively great for the environment with all this anti-bac splashing around.

I just use soap and water when I get somewhere convenient. I wash my hands a lot (even before this pandemic) and I am rarely ill. I know people have differing levels of risk but I think soap and water is the way to go!

[onedayinthefuture]

No not unreasonable, I also worry about the cheap liquid soaps. My DS, reception age, just before lockdown, was washing his hands all day at school and his hands become cracked and sore. We were asked to send them in with hand cream.

[DesignedForLife]

There’s well documented links between too much antibacterial use and higher incidence of asthma and allergies in children.

[DesignedForLife]

Sorry it’s hypothesis not proved. I had a friend who was researching it but funding got dropped because of Brexit.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4243727/