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!

I swill my cloths with hot soapy washing up liquid water.

Why are people ruining their clothes when using bleach? Surely you take off your good clothes if you are doing the proper deep cleaning?
I only use bleach once a week in the toilet and shower cubicle and always put on my decorating / cleaning clothes prior to starting cleaning jobs which use bleach so it doesn't matter if any bleach splashes.
I am sceptical about all these people who claim not to use any bleach given the high number of mumsnetters who hate toilet brushes and say they just bleach dirty stains in the toilet so don't need to scrub.
I am both a bleach user (in moderation; a bottle lasts me several months) and a toilet brush owner.

Hydrogen peroxide is much safer for many things. I even clean my teeth with it.

My mum used to have a big old brown enamelled pan that she used to boil up all her cloths in with soap powder (I remember the smell well and I'm fairly sure it wasn't bleach).

I just rinse mine well with hit water then put them in my next hot wash. Once they're really done for I put them on the compost.

I rarely use bleach. Most of the time I use Method/Ecover. I don't see the need for antibacterial cleaners/disinfectant if nobody is ill.

I dislike bleach and I have a toilet brush Maybe you're onto something there.

In our case clothing was ruined because bleach was being used for everyday cleaning so no clothes changing done.

Though I don't usually change clothes unless I'm wearing something really nice and I manage not to spill it on myself. I have been known to get a drop on a sock or the bath mat.

Probably been mentioned already but I haven't had time to rtft: I learnt on here that bleach doesn't really clean housekeeping.about.com/od/productreviews/f/bleachcleaner.htm

I do stick it down my toilet bowl occasionally but prefer toilet cleaner really (far less scrubbing needed!) And I do bleach my sink as I have inherited a cream plastic one and it gets horribly stained really quickly. It's not actually dirty but I love the look of it once bleached it looks so much cleaner and more appealing.

Once I have enough money to replace kitchen will get a sensible stainless steel or ceramic sink and then it will be goodbye bleach!

I only ever use bleach for really stained things. Our toilets have dark limescale stains on the water line and have done since we moved in over 2 years ago, I've tried everything but nothing will actually shift them, bleach makes them slightly less noticeable, even when I clean them often (with a brush!). Or really badly stained mugs that vinegar won't sort. I don't like the smell though, and I'd rather not use it at all. Strangely enough, I prefer vinegar to bleach!

Gosh sorry to have started such a long thread and then buggered off next door was having a super bonfire so we went to watch!

Interesting to read the suggestions for alternative products - I hope that does some good.

I had to clean a small cloakroom with bleach a few years ago and honestly the overbearing heavy, warm smell of it got so intense that I had to leave the house and felt like I couldn't breathe properly for a good few minutes - I thought I had caused some permanent damage to my lungs.

I honestly think it will be made far more difficult to buy in future, when they find out just how carcinogenic it probably is. Just a feeling - I don't know that. It just seems so incredibly toxic, to me.

I think I have a bottle of it on a shelf in the bathroom, but I haven't used it for probably a year or two. I do use a toilet chemical to try and get rid of limescale, though I hate using it and wish I had found an alternative that worked. Our water is very hard. I don't do it more than once a month though as I hate the idea of killing creatures in the rivers and sea.

I can see why it's useful on ceramic sinks though there may be something better for that (I am so glad to have moved away from my ceramic kitchen sink and left it behind!) I think it's because of the crazing and scratches in the surface, hard to get stains off.

We have a gloss (cheap) white sparkly worktop now and it never seems to stain. Our astracast sink stains quite easily but I keep things off it mostly, no teabags, etc.

Seffina, with limescale it is quite a good idea to actually take out as much water as you can using a little plastic cup or similar that you can throw away, then get a pumice stone or if you are feeling brave, a blunt screwdriver, and just chip away at it - it will usually come off quite happily.

I've done ours with a screwdriver before - it did leave some small marks from the metal but these disappeared quickly. It is a risk of scratching the enamel I suppose but if it's very blunt you should be Ok.

Or same thing - empty the bowl, then apply vinegar and bicarb paste, or a chemical if you prefer and wait a while. Being dry it works far better than doing it under the water.

I've just remembered that when I did my basic food hygiene certificate we were taught that bleach should never be used in the kitchen, much too toxic!

I get through about two bottles of bleach a week. I love it.

I really don't get this idea that bleach is the best cleaner. It may be a good germ killer, but it doesn't remove all the dirt, it removes some and dyes the rest white.

Two bottles a week?

I have long since been saying that bleach doesn't actually clean and just whitens the dirt - a bit like painting over graffiti.
I still use bleach though especially in my toilet. I give it a good scrub with the brush and then bleach it to kill any germs. I couldn't just use bleach on its own as I would know that the dirt is till there. I only get through a bottle of bleach every few months and my toilet is always sparkly clean (and the pesky grout in the shower).

I get through about two bottles of bleach a week. I love it.

Then you are pouring your money down the drain! It doesn't actually clean anything. It just makes you think that your house is clean by bleaching the dirt. [the clue is in the name].

I hope you own a Nursing Home or similar Slagbol.

Barely ever use bleach. Horribly toxic and polluting and makes people's houses smell like public toilets.

I really don't get this idea that bleach is the best cleaner. It may be a good germ killer, but it doesn't remove all the dirt, it removes some and dyes the rest white.

Are people using bleach instead of cleaning products to clean? you clean first, with washing up liquid or toilet cleaner etc then you go over with bleach to catch any lingering bugs. The counter/surface is clean before the bleach gets there! I'm certainly not "dying" my dirt!

Tell us about these 'lingering bugs'.

Well there's fred, he seems to be the leader, tough wee bastard so he ets an extra glug of bleach but just wont die. Has lots of kids too. Jemma, carl, marie, claire, marcus and lots more i'm not that friendly with...

Sounds odd cleaning the cleaned surfaces but seems like you have a lot of bugs at yours so probably for the best.

There should be a huge environmental tax on bleach imo.

We done have any and none of us ever get d&v.

Its germ killing a cleaned surface with a different product. You cant honestly think washing up liquid is all thats needed to clean a house?

But why bother with the washing up liquid? Just do the bleach thing if it kills all the bugs. Seems like twice the work.

It's interesting that a PP said when doing their food hygiene certificate they said not to use bleach in the kitchen as it was too toxic. I had always assumed that.