To refuse to buy bleach?

What hygiene risk is there from sink overflows and drains? You don’t stick your hands in them or eat off them. They don’t need to be sterile.

An occasional splash of hot water, or vinegar and bicarb, will prevent any build up and odours.

Bleach kills wildlife.

I have a septic tank so bleach is a no, and our house is spotless. A friend actually runs a cleaning company and she won't let her cleaners use bleach because of the risk of damage to some surfaces.

Does it have to be Domestos, Would a Tesco value brand be OK for her,

I don’t use it, except specifically for bleaching whites once a year and mildew in window corners. Sealant doesn’t really work as it’s in and behind it where the bleach can’t get. I remove the sealant and resell when it happens. Best way to avoid it on the shower/bath is to wipe it dry after use.

I do get build up under the water line of the loo, especially since I swapped to silicone loo brush. Basically you need the power of a nylon brush regularly and/or bleach monthly below the waterline.

Obvious in what way that she's not insured...? Many policies include it, and y you should be making sure that that they have a "damage to property worked on extension, which I would expect any reputable cleaner to have, and which would cover any damage caused by bleach

I’m always using bleach - amazed so many people aren’t.

mostly I use it for disinfectant - it goes in the toilets and round/down plug holes. It stops sealant going mouldy and keeps sinks clean.

but then I’m definitely not prepared to use elbow grease and I’m quite sure my (also very demanding) cleaner would leave if I refused to buy it.

Sodium hypochlorite, the active ingredient in most domestic bleaches, also disolves organic matter, so it does rather more than bleach stains!

Apparently bleach free toilet cleaners are a lot more toxic than bleach.

PinkStuff paste, gloves, a power brush and a green scouring pad works wonders for these spots.

I'm all for natural cleaning products wherever possible but I do understand her need for a bit of bleach as nothing beats it for certain jobs.

You said she's a good cleaner so I would just suck it up and buy it, maybe just ask her to use it in moderation if you're worried.

YANBU as others have said bleach is not a cleaner - just a disinfectant and a bleaching agent. Most of the time even when it makes stains disappear it hasn't actually stopped the root cause anyway.

Time to get a new cleaner.

I don't get any of that though? How are you getting these things stained so badly that only bleach works?

I use bar keepers friend on my kitchen sink for tea stains, and that's about it. A basic scrub with a scrubber and soapy water does for everything else.

Find a nee cleaner. Some specialise in eco friendly product usage.

You know that all the "natural" cleaning products you've bought also contain chemicals right?

If you don't want to have bleach in your house that's fine and your choice, but if she feels she can't do her job properly without it you're obviously not a good fit for eachother! Might be time to shop around for a new cleaner.

Largely you are right. But bleach is great down the plug holes when they start to smell, or under toilet rim and so on.

Quite right, Good cleaners don't use bleach
Plus she obviously isn't insured. If she was she wouldn't be using bleach

I don't understand people who employ cleaners who don't have insurance.

Accidents happen and can be extremely costly

I'd be looking for someone else

It removes stains and discolouration from surfaces, grout, plugholes etc

Weird. I would stand my ground on this. I couldn't tell the difference between a counter top or floor cleaned with hot soapy water and one cleaned with bleach.

YANBU for wanting to reduce harsh chemicals in your home.

It bleaches stains and discolouration

I never use bleach personally but our cleaner does and it does make a difference - makes the sink a bright white and shiny again. I have yet to come across really effective eco cleaning products unfortunately so keen to hear about any too.

I do think I would want bleach if I was scrubbing someone else's poo.

It's your house so why does she care if you want Eccover etc only?

You're not claiming the house is dirty after she's used it are you?

She sounds crap if she won't just use what you ask.
Plus even if she wants bleach why the high end branded one? That's obviously missing the point, haha.

But yeah, either she uses what you like or you part ways.

Let her use bleach - you're not using it.
I used to buy eco stuff for me to use and chemicals for my cleaner (her request... I wasn't trying to kill her).

I never use bleach. I mostly use white vinegar or eco products. I don't think they make cleaning more difficult. She sounds somewhat inflexible in general so I'd be looking for a new cleaner.