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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bathing in dettol

314 replies

Pinkerbells · 04/01/2019 16:24

So I was chatting to my friend about what we were doing after work, (we work in a restaurant), and she said she was going home to have a dettol bath. I though she was kidding as she has a bug, but no. Turns out she has a 45 minute soak in dettol every night, then changes the water and has a 45 minute bath in 'normal' bathwater. Is this a thing??????? AIBU to think that's so bad for your skin and fufu. Dettol's website (of course) say it's fine, but surely your killing germs bad or good.Confused

OP posts:
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7
MrsJayy · 04/01/2019 17:04

HA can't say my foof was ever irritated it was just half a capful dilluted.

Toooldtocareanymore · 04/01/2019 17:05

I have an aunt by marriage who was a midwife back in the day and she said it was whet you were told to do when you gave birth for a month or two, or had any stiches like after stomach surgery, over time it became a week or two , but she always recommended anyone having any sort of piles, dodgy tummy bug , cuts on legs etc have a hot bath with a capful of detol in it, she had 4 kids and used to put a dash of savlon or detol into their baths , and in hair rinsing water,she wasn't a germophobe they had horses and other animals and she used to say the kids could get as mucky as they liked cos a Dettol bath at end of day killed off all the germs, and if she wanted a long soak in a bath she did as the op poster friend did otherwise she felt she was lying in dirty water for an hour, first do detol and then when germs gone a fresh scented bath

EnglishRose13 · 04/01/2019 17:05

What is toilet paper stamping? The explanation up above has made me more confused!

MrsJayy · 04/01/2019 17:06

It was also used for dandruff final rinse with dettol

Italiangreyhound · 04/01/2019 17:06

I can't imagine that is good for you.

PeanutButterLovey · 04/01/2019 17:07

My dad bathes in dettol regularly and also has had many a bath in regular disinfectant. He was a mechanic tho so maybe that helped remove all the grime.. remember the house always smelling of it as a kid.

haverhill · 04/01/2019 17:07

It’s been a thing for many years. I’ve put a capful or two in on occasion. No problems resulted.

Murinae · 04/01/2019 17:07

My Mum always out dettol in our bath water in the 70s and she still does it to hers now

Baffledmummy · 04/01/2019 17:08

Ooh this reminds me of my mum...dettol bath every week. I LOVED the smell of it. Still do, but haven’t had a bath in about three years never mind a dettol one.

PinkCalluna · 04/01/2019 17:10

My Mum used to put a dash of savlon in the bath when we were wee if we’d had D&V.

Seems an odd thing for an adult to do.

I imagine she’d smell extraordinary.

StoorieHoose · 04/01/2019 17:11

Another Sunday night dettol bath 70s kid here. My gran also used to rub my nails in carbolic soap in a vain attempt to get me to stop biting them (didn’t work)

robinwasntred · 04/01/2019 17:11

I'd be more worried about spending 1.5 hours a day in the bath and using 2 bathfuls of hot water. How does she find time to do other things? Or maybe she reads/eats/listens to music/does email, etc in in the bath. And aren't her bills excessively high? It seems quite a waste of water.

WindyWednesday · 04/01/2019 17:12

I think the dilution is listed in the back of the bottle.

If DC have grazed hands I fill the sink with warm water and tcp. Then they put their hands in the warm water. It’s good for cleaning cuts.

I think back in the day dettol baths were a thing,

user1457017537 · 04/01/2019 17:15

StorieHoose you needed bitter aloes for that! The joys of a 60s childhood and the big wet hot steaming soapy flannel in your face Smile

longwayoff · 04/01/2019 17:15

Dettol? Bleach??? Are you all insane? Yes. Where do you develop such unpleasant and unhealthy habits?

Willow1992 · 04/01/2019 17:17

Tooold I know this thread is taking the piss out of the idea, but after getting infected stitches last time and due to have DC2 next month your post has actually made me consider it!

Til89 · 04/01/2019 17:18

Never heard of anyone doing this before!

Yabbers · 04/01/2019 17:18

My mum used to put dettol or savlon in our baths when we were little

Ooh, so did mine! I had completely forgotten about that. No idea why she did it.

SaturdayNext · 04/01/2019 17:18

yep dettol in bath water is a common thing. It makes sense as it disinfects the tub prior to you getting in.

Surely you can do this just by wiping around with dettol beforehand? You don't need to soak your body in the dettoly bathwater for 90 minutes as well?

StoorieHoose · 04/01/2019 17:19

Thanks User- I’ll look at that now cos 40 odd years on I’m still biting my nails

kaytee87 · 04/01/2019 17:20

It is a thing but pretty unnecessary. I could see why someone might want to if they had wounds they were worried about getting infected or the whole household were ill with D&V. For an ordinary bath everyday I'd say the person had some sort of germ phobia or ocd.

BunsOfAnarchy · 04/01/2019 17:20

I remembr this! Usually a capful and it would turn white.
Mum would do it when id fallen in the school playground and scraped knees/arms. Im talking early 90s here.
Funny thing is mum suggested i have a dettol or savlon soak a few days after i gave birth. I dont know how safe it is but i never got round to having baths for a while. I wonder if it would have helped...

comedycentral · 04/01/2019 17:21

Wow that is unusual. Common in the 80's when I was growing up. Maybe she never stopped? Last time I had a dettol bath was after my 1st child and I was torn and cut and infected and it really helped to clear things up.

Feeebeee · 04/01/2019 17:21

the idea of dettol floating about my vagina makes me squirm

Tinyteatime · 04/01/2019 17:21

People bathe in dettol?!!! I learn so many things from MN!