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AIBU?

to complain about antibacs being used instead of bleach?

108 replies

Blue14 · 10/01/2016 08:04

Using bleach is not going to kill off the human race, using antibac cleaners might well, so why do so many people use antibacs and think they are taking the high moral ground?

OP posts:
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Birdsgottafly · 10/01/2016 11:32

""OMG - bacteria on the clothes. It's not going to kill you""

The bacteria left on clothes and infecting the rest of the wash can cause UTI's, Skin Infections, Pneumonia and spread Viruses.

They're very similar to the spores found in really dirty houses.

You have to take in the advice and tailor it to what's applicable in your family.

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JimmyChoosChimichanga · 10/01/2016 11:34

Lonecat and yet our boss lets the receptionists clean the floors with Mediscrub because he gets it free with something. The floor has a slime coat a bacteria would be proud of Grin

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Egosumquisum · 10/01/2016 11:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JimmyChoosChimichanga · 10/01/2016 11:38

I'm a bit OCD about it at work. At home I care a lot less but I was brought up in a pretty dirty household and was permanently covered in mud, bark, grass stains and river water. Broadly I disagree with using antibacs in the home. I consider it is the manufacturers of these products telling us we are a bunch of dirty scuts if we don't use them. Remember the ad from the 50/60's....'Are you cooking your husbands dinner in a dirty oven?' GrinGrin
The oven, even if dirty, is likely to be the cleanest place in the home!

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Egosumquisum · 10/01/2016 11:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LagunaBubbles · 10/01/2016 11:43

Who are you talking about OP? Or are you just making sweeping generalisations for some point only known to you? Would be quite helpful if you could come back to your own thread!

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BeyondCBA · 10/01/2016 11:50

Ego, yes.

Plus (nicked from a textbook)...
"In the previous sections you encountered substances that are unique to bacteria, such as the peptidoglycan found in most bacterial cell walls. Such substances can be targets for antibacterial antibiotics.
Antibiotics are chemicals traditionally produced by microbes that kill (are bactericidal) or inhibit the growth of (bacteriostatic) other microbes, and they are used by humans to treat infectious disease. Some commonly used antibiotics are actually chemically modified versions of the microbial molecules while others, such as chloramphenicol, are made entirely by chemical synthesis.”

Excerpt From: The Open University. “Unit 5 Bacteria.” The Open University, 2014. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

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BeyondCBA · 10/01/2016 11:51

And of course the thread moves on while i'm gettng my quote! Grin

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BIWI · 10/01/2016 11:52

Bleach can't deal with the whiffy effects of a GF though ... Wink

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formerbabe · 10/01/2016 11:52

Team bleach here!

I hate anti bac sprays.

As for clothes, I reckon ironing at high heats kills the germs hence why I iron EVERYTHING!

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BeyondCBA · 10/01/2016 11:54

Oo, thats clever how it sticks an automatic reference on my quote!!

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FlowersAndShit · 10/01/2016 12:00

I love my anti-bac wipes for the kitchen and anti-bac handwash.

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M48294Y · 10/01/2016 12:09

I don't use bleach OR anti bacterial products and I drive a small Citroen if I have to, otherwise bike or shanks's pony.

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WiseUpJanetWeiss · 10/01/2016 12:14

In terms of medicines, antibiotics are a sub-set of antimicrobials which include antifungals.

In terms of cleaning & disinfection, antimicrobials are quite different chemically to, and are much "stronger" than those used in medicines.

To achieve adequate disinfection, the surface to be disinfected must be clean first, so the disinfectant can kill the residual microorganisms. Household antimicrobials are usually a combination of a good detergent and a disinfectant (e.g. hypochlorite "bleach" or peroxide "active oxygen").

In many cases a good clean is sufficient, but where the surface is critical and can't easily be properly washed with hot water and detergent (e.g. hospital dressing trolleys) or the surface is likely to have harmful bugs (your toilet, the work surface after handling raw meat) an additional disinfectant is a good plan.

99.9% of all bugs do most people no harm. It's the minority spoiling it for the majority as usual! Smile

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M48294Y · 10/01/2016 12:15

I thought antibiotic resistant bacteria was just about the most pressing health issue facing mankind and is a disaster waiting to happen? There are global conferences about it and everything.

In my mind (probably hopelessly uneducated) the fewest anti bac/bio products we can get away with using the better. Same with bleach.

I keep on and on saying it - you don't need these cleaning products to stay healthy.

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WiseUpJanetWeiss · 10/01/2016 12:24

You're right about antibiotic resistance, but there's no evidence that surface antibacterials, which work in a completely different way to antibiotics, are resulting in microbial resistance.

I agree though that the use of household antibacterials is disproportionate to the risk from household bugs.

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PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange · 10/01/2016 12:45

The trouble is many people use bleach in hot water.

To use bleach it should be diluted in cold water.

I am NHS and we use this product to kill of all infected services

www.aspli.com/products/1728/actichlor-plus-disinfectant-tablets-150-x-1.7g

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Slutbucket · 10/01/2016 14:43

For home use if you really want/need extra clean Milton fluid will do you. You can even wash your veg and salad with it! (I have never ever done this!)

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goodnightdarthvader1 · 10/01/2016 15:09

Is this like those idiots who stormed a paediatricians office because they thought "paediatrician" was the same as "paedophile"?

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Lweji · 10/01/2016 15:19

The bacteria left on clothes and infecting the rest of the wash can cause UTI's, Skin Infections, Pneumonia and spread Viruses.
As someone said, bacteria are not viruses. Antibacterials don't kill viruses. And bacteria don't spread viruses (other than their own, but then I don't mind those)

They're very similar to the spores found in really dirty houses.
These spores are of mould. Although some bacteria can develop resistant forms.

Most bacteria are diluted and washed away in the water when washing anyway. We just need detergents to separate them from each other and the surfaces.
Hence the importance of... wait for it... rinsing. Grin

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helensburgh · 10/01/2016 15:28

Bleach kills viruses as well as bacteria.

I use bleach much more than anti bac.

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BeyondCBA · 10/01/2016 15:28

Ah, thats interesting if there is no evidence suggesting it janetweiss, my textbook says this on the subject... (Not saying it is right and you are wrong, just that its interesting that my book disagrees)

“The widespread routine use of antibiotics as growth promoters in the livestock industry and the addition of antibacterial chemicals to a variety of household goods are also thought to have played a part in increasing pathogenic resistance to such drugs when used in a clinical setting”

Excerpt From: The Open University. “Unit 1 Infectious Diseases: an Introduction.” The Open University, 2014. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

It isnt followed directly by a reference or i'd dig it out for you

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cardibach · 10/01/2016 15:29

Why do you love them, though, Flowers?

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BeyondCBA · 10/01/2016 15:30

Oh no lweji, are we supposed to rinse? Grin

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Lweji · 10/01/2016 15:36

Yes, better to rinse than to use antibacterials.

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