To stop using antibacterial products completely.

[Stormwhale]

I have a confession. I accidentally became one of those odd people obsessed with zoflora. I have many many bottles of it.

The problem is, since starting to use it about 6 months ago, I am sure I have been unwell more often and much more severely. I have had four or five vicious illnesses in that time, during which I have been laid up for days on end. I currently have pneumonia and bronchitis, which I have never had before.

I thought I was getting rid of nasty germs, but I think I have just been knocking out the weaker ones and allowing the stronger ones to thrive. Or is that nonsense?

I have also noticed that the way viruses are passing between dd and I has changed. Usually she would get a cold, i would catch it from her and have a similar period of illness. Now she gets it, then a few days later I catch it and am much worse.

Am I mad to blame the zoflora? Something is different this year and that is the only thing I think it could be. AIBU to chuck out all the zoflora and just use washing up liquid to clean instead?

See this is why I love a loo brush, you can't beat a good scrub with it and vinegar and bicarb!

Storm, that's taking an advertising message far too seriously. If you saw someone has at the GP surgery saying "disinfect surfaces all the time" that would be different. But this is just advertising.

If someone has noro, disinfect away. But I think disinfecting every surface, as you did, is maybe just getting carried away?! This is a veggie household so less to worry about in the kitchen maybe but it sounds like you were doing TV table etc? We just dust that!

I have had to ask people to turn down those plug in things, I have asthma and one friend really goes to town on those.

I'm sure this has been posted above but wasn't immediately obvious so am asking:

What wahsing up liquid, what soap do people use for this soap and water cleaning?!

washing up liquid, any, makes for nice soapy water. you don't need a lot, maybe a tablespoon for a bucket of water,
laundry powder works well as well.
you could also use a bar of soap & grater or veg peeler.

This thread has really opened my eyes and definitely looking at how I clean the house and the effect it might be having on my athsma. Does anyone know if star drops cleaner is ok to use? I use the original formula and not the newer antibacterial ones.

Thanks for thoughts about anti bac soap alternatives. I shall by trying them out as we need to replenish stocks.

I've never bought anti bacterial anything in my life. Or bleach. It's all a massive con and not good for people's health.

Method sprays are all I use and washing up liquid.

We're pretty much never ill and DS has a cast iron immune system.

I scrub the loo/bath/sink with shampoo that I don't like! Rarely use bleach, mostly hot soapy water
Trying to balance out using hibiscrub and dettol soap on my body, I ration that as much as possible but I need to use either of them on my armpits and top of legs

I consciously avoid antibacterial stuff. We all have stomachs of iron. Can’t remember last time anyone vomited (but I know that I last puked in 2002). We’re hardly ever ill. I have a bottle of zoflora under the sink, and I use a capful in a bucket when cleaning cat puke or dead mice off the floor. I put bleach down the loo if it needs a clean. Otherwise it’s method spray on surfaces and normal washing powder in the machine.

I use muslin cloths for cleaning with, great for damp dusting, mirrors and windows, well most surfaces, 100% cotton. For things that need scrubbing I use a scrubbing brush, I have a nail brush for smaller scrubbing requirements.
I’ve only ever cleaned my work tops down with a wet cloth with a bit of soap suds on, rinsed the cloth and wiped the suds off.

Interesting thread. I don't know if anecdotal 'im never sick' comments prove anything though, it depends on your environment doesnt it?

Forgive me if I'm wrong (and I probably am), but isn't antibacterial different to antibiotics, i.e. there isn't the same issue with resistance?

there might be a connection, hence the recommendation in the us to stop using antibacterial hand soaps.

Oh dear I feel bad now, I'm pregnant and was worried about hygiene so I ended up buying antibacterial soap and spray for the surfaces! Have I made things worse? Fwiw have only been using the antibac handwash for a couple of weeks...and we do practice good hygiene generally in terms of washing towels and cleaning cloths hot and washing after cooking etc. Hah, thought I was doing right!

I use bleach down the loo.

I sometimes use antibacs but I do't search them out. I look for a generic all purpose cleaner for work tops, bath etc. If the cheapest happens to be an anti bac so be it.

I'm not the world's greatest housekeeper. Don't get me wrong Environmental Health don't need to be involved but i'm too busy to spend my days bleaching the kitchen floor all the time.

I have the constitution of an ox, and rarely catch colds or tummy bugs.

An ex colleague was forever anti bac'ing everything. Her desk/computer etc would have antibac wipes several times a day. She wouldn't shake hands with anyone during the Ebola epidemic. When she picked her daughter up from nursery, she would rub her down with alcohol rub. She had several colds a year. Go figure.

Also antibac handwashes make my skin very dry. I have eczema and they make it worse to the point I have cracks on my hands and are more likely, not less to get an infection. I go out of my way to avoid them.

This is all making me feel better about being a bit of a slattern! Very minimal cleaning in our house. I think we may have a couple of anti bac things in the house but don’t use them as default. Switched to bar soap in bathroom recently after threads on here about it being better and also to help reduce plastic bottles. Will get rid of micro fibre cloths as I think we do have some!

I like using bar soap but don’t because it leaves a film. Do you soap bar users find that?

How much vinegar do vinegar aficionados use and mixed with what? In a spray ? Neat? I keep reading about its many uses but am scared to give it a go. I find it impossible to clean windows using window cleaning sprays, they are so smeared afterwards I wish I had never bothered.

Wipes are not biodegradable and end up in the sea. I use bleach down the loo and sometimes use it to wipe down tiles to avoid that brown grouting look. I use Dettox spray on the loo, and Method sprays in the kitchen and bathroom. I think room fresheners are completely toxic and lead to breathing problems and allergic/immune response. I never use them and give them a wide berth. Likewise sprays in general apart from Dettox and Method. I can feel them affecting me. I use Cif sometimes too.

I use white vinegar in a spray bottle for surfaces, as a softener in the washing machine, instead of rinse aid in the dishwasher and even for general mild disinfection such as cat sick. Bicarb for scrubbing or for whitening in the washing machine.

We're never ill, we have pets and from babyhood DC ate stuff from the floor. We never sterilised in the odd occasion they had bottles either, all hot soapy water and air drying (as recommended by the maternity hospital). DP used to have a cold a month when he lived with his ex, who was a clean freak (unlike slovenly me) and in the 15 odd years we've been together he has had man flu been ill once.