To ask how to wean DH off antibacterial wipes

[jamoncrumpets]

DH generally loads the dishwasher most nights and gives the kitchen a quick wipe around afterwards. I do the deeper cleaning, sink scrubbing etc as and when I can.

If he's away or busy or watching tv or whatever and I clean up I clear all the surfaces as much as I can, spray with Method and wipe over with warm damp microfibre cloth, which I then drape over mixer tap to dry. I wash the cloths about once every 3-4 days.

DH claims this is 'spreading dirt' and insists on single use antibacterial wipes being used. He will not do any cleaning at all unless it's with his beloved Flash wipes and makes disgusted faces at me using my Method spray and cloth.

I've tried explaining about the environmental aspects but he says that's not what's more important, what's more important is not 'spreading around the germs'.

He isn't OCD in any way whatsoever, if anything he's more careless with his personal hygiene than I am, and he doesn't pick up after himself. So don't suggest OCD.

How can I convince him that my method is better, from a financial and environmental standpoint?

I use a dish cloth & then put it in the sink with a splash of bleach overnight.

I've got an eco scourer thing. Use it for washing up. Wipe surfaces with dishwater after I've washed up (meaty chopping board when used gets washed up last). Scourer thing gets rinsed, possibly with soapy boiling water if it looks particularly grimy. Never disinfected that I can remember. I'm fine.

My brother (SEN) uses a dishcloth for about 3 months!!!!!!!!! uses it to wash up an occasionally wipes the surface if something has been obviously spilt, it is absolutely minging, I will throw the thing away when I go down, I have discovered he then retrieves it from the bin after I've left. I have tried to to get him to soak it in bleach, or even change to J cloths, and use a new one every Monday, nope, nothing works. He and my mother are never ill, I am amazed, they must have constitutions of horses.

Microfibre is also really bad for the environment, it has tiny plastic beads that are too small to be filtered and end up in the sea. As a compromise, Dettol have brought out a 100% biodegradable wipe made with plant fibres...

I use an old fashioned dish cloth. Rinsed our after use with hot water. I spray the worktops with a bit of that bleach kitchen spray (don't use anti bac sprays as they are really bad for our septic tank but a bit of bleach is so diluted by the time it gets into the tank it doesn't matter)
I bleach the dish cloth most days (bit of bleach in washing up bowls)

I have raised 2 dc, 4dgc, have always had dogs, and we are all fit and healthy.

I think this obsession with killing all germs just makes people unhealthy

I don’t use antibacterial sprays.

I use a bit of washing up liquid. I wipe round, rinse, then throw in the washing machine. They get done whenever a load is added. I cut large ones into one-use size squares.

You don't need anti bacterial spray at all. Warm soapy water will get rid of any dirt. I won't have any anti bac stuff in the house as I believe you don't build up immunity if you get rid of every germ.

It could be OCD, i have OCD and use these wipes and sprats daily, even on myself, but i can have trash type mess about for weeks, not wash my hair for 2 weeks if im having a bad time etc. Have you tried asking him what he thinks is cleaner about the one use wipes than a reuseable cloth?

My mum used a dishcloth and soapy water to clean everything back in the 70's when my sisters were little. When she had me 15 years later she had developed an unhealthy obsession with Milton and sterilised everything I touched, and at one point even things I looked at (because apparently if I looked at it, there was a chance I was going to touch it).

My sisters both have very few health problems, no allergies etc. I on the other hand have brittle asthma, 14 different allergies, eczema and hay-fever. I genuinely believe its because I lived in what was essentially a sterile bubble for the first 4 years of my life.

I've only ever used hot water and soap to clean, very occasionally use Method although not the antibac ones. That's by accident really, I discovered most things make me wheeze so I just didn't use them. My DCs are allergy, asthma and eczema free. We haven't had a sick bug that I can remember and aside from nosebleeds that DS gets, no health problems at all.

Oh, and I wash my cloth every 3 days ish. It goes in the sink in boiling water overnight, NO zoflora because its hideous, evil, water polluting shit.

I like the suggestion of kitchen roll and anti-bac instead of wipes, I'm going to make an effort to start doing this.

Shove the flash wipe in his mouth and ask him how he likes choking on plastic. Pour boiling water on the cloth after you have finished. Jobs a goodun.

I use method spray too, fantastic stuff. I wash my cloths every day though.

But why, if it's covered in anti-bacterial spray? How do germs spread then

This why:

www.newscientist.com/article/2116448-what-are-antibacterial-agents-and-should-we-avoid-using-them/

Clean cloth every day and non antibacterial cleaner. Machine wash the cloths and re-use.

Some research that indicates it’s best to wash every 2 days in washing machine or boiling in water for 15 mins ...

www.safefood.eu/News/2012/New-safefood-research-‘dishes-the-dirt’-on-dishclo.aspx

Unless of course it’s used to mop up raw meat etc. when should be changed immediately. Apparently soaking in bleach or washing in dishwasher is not as effective.

Personally I change the cloth every 2-3 days. Never use anti bac, just the lavender Method which smells divine. No bugs here!

I change kitchen cleaning cloth, tea towel and green scrubby thing every day. Everything goes into a string bag that gets a hot wash.

This thread has made me briefly reconsider our kitchen cleaning habits, one multi purpose sponge that is only changed when worn out, which takes about a month. This cleans all the washing up, all the surfaces (without bleach or similar just damp) and the kids faces after meals! (They're toddlers so messy eaters).

In my defence they're very vey rarely ill!

All these people amazed by people not getting ill when they only wash their cloths once a week/month - don't you think that might be why they don't get ill?

All these people amazed by people not getting ill when they only wash their cloths once a week/month - don't you think that might be why they don't get ill? hmm

Yep - I hardly ever change cloths/sponges, don't wipe the surfaces daily, don't use antibac, happily eat things I've dropped on the floor, etc.

Me and my partner haven't had so much as a cold in over 2 years and work in an office where everyone is coughing away. I've only ever had food poisoning after going away somewhere, and (sorry TMI) it's 3 toilet trips in an hour then finished. So I don't really see the incentive to start sterilising everything constantly!

Get him to look at norwex or e-cloth on you tube

All these people amazed by people not getting ill when they only wash their cloths once a week/month - don't you think that might be why they don't get ill?

How many have there been on this thread?
They are individuals, as opposed statistical relabel information
They are self-reporting, the least reliable source of veracity

Jesus. Illiterate post.

Tea towels - change daily

Cloths - usually daily.

I’m always so surprised at other people’s cleaning standards

I have one cloth for wiping down, I use very hot soapy water or bleach. The cloth goes into the dishwasher with the dish brushes. I change the cloth and use the old ones for floors, bathrooms etc.

I never dry up, so tea towels are washed with towels on a hot wash. It is just me though. When dh was ill before he died I used Milton in the bedding, clothing etc.

I don't have 'standards'.

I have a life.

I don't have 'standards'.

I have a life.

FGS. You know it’s possible to have both, don’t you? 🙄