Any recommendations for washing up liquid that is really "antibacterial" and if possible "anti-viral"?

[Lottaberry]

Any recommendations for washing up liquid that is really "antibacterial" and if possible "anti-viral"?

I've seen a few good brands advertise "antibacterial" soap but:

1. A lot of independent tests by "which?" have shown they are no more antibacterial than ordinary washing up liquid. 2)I haven't seen any which are anti-viral

Reason I ask is that I seem to constantly be picking up stomach bugs/viruses :/

Why do you think antibacterial/antiviral washing up liquid will help?

For what it's worth, ordinary soap + hot water is of the most effective things against viruses. (Better for getting viruses off your hands than alcohol gel, in many cases.) So regular handwashing is normally the recommended thing.

Thanks for the reply - No I don't mean for washing my hands but for washing dishes etc.

What really bothered me recently was noticing how many washing up liquids have warnings on the backs about being ‘harmful to aquatic life’.

That’s shit.

All washing-up liquids are anti-bacterial. Cell membranes are made from lipids (a form of fats) which are broken down by washing up liquid as their purpose is to dissolve fats.

They also work as anti-virals by trapping the viruses which are then rinsed off with the dirty water.

That's because normal washing-up liquid (aka soap) is antibacterial and antiviral, so you don't need extra killing power.

antibacterial ingredients in certain washing up liquids, hand liquids etc are dangerous for humans, I would not recommend them. Normal liquids do a perfectly fine job without the need for dangerous antibacterial additives.

You don't need this.

Hot enough water so your plates dry themselves before you get as far as picking up a tea towel.

As others have said, ordinary washing up liquid, hot water, a good scrub and either drying with a clean cloth or air drying before putting away. That’s good enough.

Thanks everyone.

Is it gross that sometimes I leave plates/pans/cutlery 48 hours before washing them? I do feel a tad guilty about it but then laziness wins. :/

well 48 hours is a long time, but the point is are they clean when you use them again. Normal washing with hot water, detergent and either sir dry or a clean tea towel should suffice. If you are getting a lot of infections I would suspect it is handwashing not dish washing that is the issue.

If you're picking up a lot of stomach bugs, could it be some sort of cross contamination during cooking or do you have small children?

Hot, hot water, as hot as you can bear. Use washing up gloves if necessary to protect a bit from water temp.

Is getting sickness bugs from your own plates a thing?

Wouldn't they bugs have to be in the air in the house in the first place, why would they only be on your plates after you've washed them?

I'm not a doctor but that doesn't sound right.

I deal with bugs a fair bit day to day and it won't be your plates that are the problem here.

Strengthen your immune system (healthy eating, excercise and proper stress management) - do not kill of the environmrent your and/or other people's children have to live in. (Cut out bleach, too.)

Are you using tea towels or air drying dishes? Tea towels can harbour bacteria. Do you clean or replace your dishcloths/sponges regularly? Are you using a dirty dishwasher? I use an antibacterial and antifungal laundry rinse when I wash my sponges, cloths, tea towels and put them through an extra rinse with plain water. When was the last time you wiped out the fridge? There could be many possibilities of why you have repeated tummy bugs. Warm soapy water is the best defense against germs. If you use a disinfectant spray it has to be left for 10 minutes b4 wiping off otherwise it is ineffective. Also, only works on surfaces that have been cleaned first. Some people use diluted vinegar as it disinfects and is food safe. Hope you find the solution and recover soon

Thanks everyone so far.
I am always air drying washed dishes and also, I never ever eat anything that has been in contact with my hands (very OCD about it), even stuff like chips, I'll use a tissue to eat with and even if I pick up a biscuit, I'll eat every bit except the bit that's been in contact with my fingers (like that level of weird OCD) so if it's not dishes, I don't know what could be contributing to picking up so many infections?

A dishwasher is hot enough to kill germs as well as cleaning the plates etc, have you got room for one in your kitchen?

If you're that worried about germs, do you think that it's because you're too clean so you don't have chance to build up resistance?

Why do you leave stuff for 2 days before you wash it? Yet you say you are ocd about germs? Everything is much easier to get clean when it's freshly dirty, otherwise stuff just dries on - unless you are leaving them in a bacterial washing up bowl soup to 'soak'.
You really need to wash up in hot water after every meal and leave to dry. Do you have a drying rack? Is that clean? Is your fridge at the right temperature? Do you work in an environment where bugs are rife, like a school, hospital or anywhere where there's lots of people?
I use J cloths for dishcloths and have a new one each week, or sooner if needed. Dish cloths and sponges can be absolutely filthy, though of course you can't see it.

@BigRedBoat Unfortunately, a dishwasher isn't an option :(

@GummyGoddess Hm not sure really as perhaps I'm "too clean" in that I don't ever eat with my hands but then I'm leaving dishes for 48hours unwashed which is the opposite of being too clean lol so I'd have thought things would balance out. & I think the reason I developed the OCD of not ever eating with my hands is because I was quite prone to getting infections.

If you're not ingesting it then it could be? I'm only going by my DC, they both have the most robust immune systems ever and if I take my eyes off of them they will pick food off of the floor and eat it. I'd like to say that's rare, but DC1 is only 2.5 so I can't keep my eyes on both of them all of the time.

DC2 is almost 11 months and he was ill for the very first time last weekend, DC1 hasn't been ill since before DC2 was born. Can't be anything to do with breastfeeding as DC1 was mix fed for a while so I assume it's their casual attitude to eating. Perhaps more germs and a sort of freshers 'flu might boost your immune system a bit.

I don’t think washing the dishes differently is going to help, it’s much more likely you’re picking up the germs from outside the house. Leaving them for 48 hrs shouldn’t matter if you wash them properly.

One of my colleagues noticed a huge reduction in the amount of ills she got when she started using antibacterial gel before she ate at work. I do the same now (we hotdesk at work too...) and wash my hands when I’ve been outside, and I’m definitely getting less bugs than my colleagues are.