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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Toilet disaster, blocked drain, cut hand, no antiseptic AIBIU

32 replies

Banterlope · 30/10/2018 21:57

I'm typing this carefully as I have blood dripping out of my finger on to my keyboard. To avoid further drip feed, my toilet is proper blocked. Five of us live in this house and most seem to want the toilet urgently, now. I have spent the last hour with my hand up the U-bend with one of those toilet/drain snakes – about 9 m of flexible steel cable that you feed up your toilet and down the drain looking for a blockage, then twist about to try to clear it. It's been fun!

Being a rusty length of metal that requires energetic motion to push it through approx. 1 km of human waste backed up in the drain I have managed to cut my finger a bit badly. Not a problem in itself but my hands/forearms/elbows are covered in shit. And we have no TCP or anything handy like that. I'm not keen on ebola and I'm eying up the bottle of bleach under the sink as my only option. AIBU if I mix two cap-fulls of bleach with half a mug of warm water and stick my bloody finger in it? Will that kill all germs 99% dead? Will it really hurt? Do I need more? I have acetone and diesel as well, not sure of their medical properties but I live in a field in the middle of nowhere and my germ-killing options are apparently limited. Advice is welcome!

OP posts:

KindergartenKop · 30/10/2018 21:59

Vodka? Gin? It will sting like hell.

Aquamarine1029 · 30/10/2018 22:00

Vodka is an excellent germ killer.

KindergartenKop · 30/10/2018 22:01

Also drink some.

Almondio · 30/10/2018 22:01

Vodka as replacement for surgical alcohol? And get a Luigis unblocked from Amazon pronto, it'll sort the toilet related issues a great.

CherryPavlova · 30/10/2018 22:02

Soap and water and a good hand washing technique will be adequate. Bottles of things like TCP kept open grow bugs. Skin irritated by harsh chemicals is more likely to become infected.

gaggiagirl · 30/10/2018 22:02

Oh lord. Have you no alcohol? I would probably bleach it but it's probably not ideal... Someone smarter than me will be along soon.

HeronLanyon · 30/10/2018 22:02

I am more worried about the rusty metal than the shit. Your tetanus is uptodate? If not and if it were me I’d be off to doctor (my practice nurse does tetanus jabs). Do you have a neighbour who one of your unshitty house mates can call on for some antiseptic ?? I am not a medic.

PutItAwayDear · 30/10/2018 22:04

Salt water will be an ok antiseptic if there's nothing better. Make it very salty and use boiled water.

redsummershoes · 30/10/2018 22:07

soap (ideally bar soap) and warm water will clean it clean enough.
if you really want to, you can use dilute bleach to disinfect, often there are instructions on the bleach bottle.

it's good that the wound is bleeding, that flushes out germs.

whycantyouusethephone · 30/10/2018 22:07

Honestly- good soap and water will be more than adequate. More worrying than shit, is the rust. You are in no immediate danger. As long as your tetanus is up to date, if not go get one.

ohdeardeardear · 30/10/2018 22:13

You need a tetanus and the wound properly irrigated and dressed. And probably antibiotics.

TheWiseWomansFear · 30/10/2018 22:15

Tetanus is up to date? I don't think I've ever had a tetanus jab... or at least not since I was a child... do most people have a tetanus jab?

UpstartCrow · 30/10/2018 22:19

Don't use bleach on your skin, and dont use anything other than soap on the cut.
For your arms, do you have any hydrogen peroxide, or mouthwash? Or vinegar? Or can you make up a solution of biological washing powder?

Use plenty of hand or body soap and running water, wash well several times. Let your finger bleed for a few minutes to flush the wound.

Then use salt water soaks twice a day, two teaspoons to a pint of boiled water.
Watch out for signs of infection, they include the area turning hot, red, or reed lines radiating out from the wound.

TheWiseWomansFear They dont give the tetanus as a routine vaccine any more, its usually considered safe to have it after an injury.

Original poster

Banterlope · 30/10/2018 22:21

Thanks for your responses, I have wine and beer (diminishing) but no spirits – good call though. Haven't had a tetanus in about 30 years so have mixed up four parts of bleach with a blurt (medical term I think) of boiling water. The dog has just puked up on the stairs so I will sort that out while I wait for it to cool down (My Life as a Petri Dish, got a ring to it no?), don't really have any other options and can't leave kids alone anyway. Thanks for your ideas

OP posts:

UpstartCrow · 30/10/2018 22:25

No don't use that strength bleach on your skin, you will end up with a chemical burn.

Phone A&E and ask their advice.

SilverHairedCat · 30/10/2018 22:26

It's not A&E for a tetanus jab, it's your GP or 111.

If you had the full course of the 5 childhood jabs, you're considered to have lifelong immunity or so I was told when they refused me a jab after my last escapade.

Yes to washing the wound with plenty of hot soapy and running water. Get in the shower would be my advice, you'll feel manky anyway. Lather up well!

If the loo is still blocked, does dropping a bucket of hot water into it from a height do anything to get it shifting? Do you have a clue why it's blocked? Baby toys? Large poo etc?

whyhaveidonethis · 30/10/2018 22:26

Call 111 for advice re the finger. Not a medical emergency but they can tell you where to go and what you need to do. Letting it bleed is good. It will naturally wash the germs out

Polkapjs · 30/10/2018 22:27

Hopefully you mean water 4 and bleach 1? Ratio I mean. Good luck

SilverHairedCat · 30/10/2018 22:27

That's waaaaaay too strong a mix of bleach!! Don't use it!! Better salt water than that!

PoxAlert · 30/10/2018 22:28

4 parts bleach?!? You're going to burn the skin off!!!

sollyfromsurrey · 30/10/2018 22:29

SilverHairedCat tetanus shots don't last forever. You should have boosters every 10 years ideally.

Original poster

Banterlope · 30/10/2018 22:37

4 caps of bleach in about two-thirds of hot water seems to have done the trick. Stings like a bitch but finger is nice and shiny and not bleeding apart from flap of skin flapping around like a flappy thing. Dog puke is epic, everywhere. Will search outhouse/shed/hedge for prehistoric ouzo/metaxa/sloe gin before I tackle that. Thanks again MN Medics, your triage is exceptional

OP posts:

Reaa · 30/10/2018 22:43

For future reference, a mop in a blocked toilet works as a plunger, once blockage cleared, leave mop in toilet bowl and cover in bleach, leaving to soak for a bit, then flush again with mop still in toilet (but hold a bit up as otherwise you will flood toilet area).

SilverHairedCat · 30/10/2018 22:51

@sollyfromsurrey that's not what they said in hospital, nor the current advice on the NHS website?
www.nhs.uk/conditions/tetanus/

snozzlemaid · 30/10/2018 22:55

I too was told that if you've had all childhood tetanus jabs they will keep you covered for life and there's no need to have any more.

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