To think that you don't really need to use bleach for everything all the time?

[SusanMichelson]

I keep seeing people commenting on how often they use bleach in their cleaning routine and I'm really surprised by how much it seems to be used.

I never use bleach unless someone is ill and usually not even then - just a disinfectant spray.

My kitchen and bathroom are lovely and clean. I usually just use a damp sponge or cloth with a bit of washing up liquid or whatever.

I don't get why people think bleach is necessary - and it is so poisonous, not just to us but to fish and so on. It makes me really to think there's so much of it being washed down the plug hole.

AIBU to think it doesn't really make things any cleaner than just soapy water or maybe another less harsh chemical for really tough stuff?

I promise I'm not an eco warrior or hippy. It just never really occurred to me to use the stuff except when we had a superbug and then it was necessary for a few months. Nasty stuff!

Definitely not unreasonable. Using bleach constantly is very unhealthy, particularly for ther person applying it.

I favour hot water, vinegar, bicarbonate, washing up liquid, etc... I think I might belong to the old school of cleaning!

There was a thread a few weeks ago with a short questionnaire in it - including how often do you bleach your sink? which I thought was bizarre but then everyone was like, oh once a week, etc.

I didn't even know that was a thing.

I'm pregnant at the moment and the smell of bleach is absolutely incredible. I would drink the stuff if it wasn't a super terrible idea!

As such, at the moment everything in this house gets cleaned with bleach...

Normally, I would agree though!

VVVVVVNU. Awdul stuff. Dont use it at all. Ever.

Don't have bleach in the house. It's not necessary IMO.

Never, we stopped using it when children were born years ago due to how toxic it is. Also I would always ruin own clothes leaning on it for example.
We now use a Eco multi purpose cleaner, white vinegar, bicarbonate

Bleach the sink?! Why, what are they doing with it to warrant a weekly bleaching?

I used to use it a lot to deep clean the bath, wash the bathroom floor and toilets etc. but I stopped after ruining my clothes so much. Ive never felt the need to buy it, my Mum uses it a lot, I think I just followed on from her.

i have white kitchen counters they need bleaching as everything stains them even cucumber!

yes to bleaching the sink i have a dishwasher and a washing machine in the same drain when they both run it stinks so i bleach it disinfectant does not touch it

What do you use to clean your toilet bowl? Just interested as that's all I use bleach for. That and to clean my floors with.

I only use bleach once a week in the loo. And then only a small amount. I always remember Kim and Aggie saying that if you could smell bleach you'd used too much.

I only use it in the toilet, because my daughter has a knack of leaving skids, and toilet brushes make me heave!

(She's 4, by the way, otherwise yes I would be telling her to clean up after herself!)

YANBU - can't bear it myself. Apart from the smell, it's the little sign on the back with pie-eyed dead fish and a hand with a chunk out of it (those chemical symbols) that puts me off having it in the house. I use bicarb, vinegar & boiling water to clean my sinks, and Ecover loo cleaner, an old toothbrush and elbow grease to clean my loo.

Kitchen surfaces get wiped with hot soapy water & a cloth and occasionally some ecover-type multi-surface spray. Yes Ecover stuff's probably not perfect either but it's got to be better.

I like to think my house is clean - doesn't smell overtly of cleaning products, but no one's been ill yet!

I get through two bottles of bleach. I love the stuff.

I never use it. Clearly it isn't necessary, as my family rarely catch any bugs.

Yanbu I used to have a housemate who would spray the kitchen daily with flash with bleach. He often got it on my food. It was horid.

No need for many of these chemicals, I just use vinegar and bleach the loo every couple of months when it smells. But hate the smell.

I use bleach everyday. But I have 3 cats and a dog so I think that warrants it tbh.

How often do you get through two bottles, Vixx? Just curious, I don't think I've finished a bottle before, but I get through many bottles of Wilko's spray vinegar!

I loved the smell of it when I was pregnant (saw poster up thread mention it!!). I bought a job lot of Flash with bleach and I'd salivate when using it.

I use bleach down the loo and to mop floors. I use the Flash with bleach for bathroom Milton for everything else - although they seem to have changed the formula as it smells different?

On a side note is bicarb good for sinks? In what quantity?

Meh I love bleach.

I always see 'I've just bleached the house' on Facebook, and I don't get it! What do people use bleach for? For upstairs?
I use it for the toilet every few days when I remember but not sure what else it would be used for.

I loved pine disinfectant when I was pregnant...and firefighters

Firelighters

I use a cup of bicarbonate, followed by a cup of vinegar so it all fizzes up, then a boiled kettle about five minutes later in my sinks, Totality.

A bottle lasts a month or two. Occasionally squoosh it down the loo or to clean tea stained mugs.
Wrecked my best jeans last week by somehow getting bleach on the back of one of the legs. God knows how!