to think we need to knock the bacteria bothering on the head?

[OtraCosaMariposa]

So unless you've been living under a rock we all know that single use plastics are bad, too much air travel is bad and that we're killing the planet with "stuff".

Just as important is the fact that bacteria are becoming resistant and that we haven't the new antibiotics to fight them. I know a lot of this si down to misuse of antibiotics, people not finishing the course or keeping old medication and popping it when they feel off colour. But I also think a lot of it is down to the sheer range of "anti-bacterial" products on sale.

The latest advert which really gave me the rage was for an anti-bacterial carpet cleaner, think it was Vax, which droned on about did you know how much BACTERIA there is in your carpet accompanied by pictures of children playing on the floor. Just like the "ewww, bacteria on your washing!!" adverts.

Do we really need to nuke all bacteria out of existence? Or do we collectively not need to chill out a bit, stop the paranoia about germs/bacteria and go back to basic cleaning with soap and water??

Anti-bac is banned in this house.

I've had a 50p bottle in my horses stable for over a year! I use a bit to scrub out his water trough as its the only thing that gets rid of green slime

Your horse probably prefers his water with green slime. Seriously. As an endurance/long distance rider, I can assure you most horses would rather drink out of a muddy puddle than a pristine bucket of tap water. The bleach and chlorine is not pleasant to them, but of course a stable kept horse has no choice.

@IsobelRae23 oh my god the image of that sandwich situation has just genuinely made my hairs stand on end 😂 maybe I need to stop being a snowflake about germs. I’m so conflicted 😩 why are we told to wash our hands so often if dirt doesn’t hurt? I know it mustn’t do as the older generation all seem fine with good immune systems - but my god it makes me on edge

Using too many antibacterial products while cleaning has caused me health problems. I had two tumours excised from my hand a few weeks ago and I am awaiting pathology reports this week to see if they are malignant or not. I have no doubt this has come because of excessive use of stuff like Zoflora, probably underdiluted and used without gloves. I have reformed my ways, and now use white vinegar. Having your hand chopped open under local anaesthetic doesn't hurt as such apart from the circulation clamp, but you can still feel every cut....and gives you some thoughts about priorities in life. We are all told to clean, clean, clean...but bacteria in moderation are good for our immune systems, and prevent some illness.

you don't see the obsessive cleaners drinking bleach yet

There is a "miracle" cure making the rounds called Miracle Mineral Supplement (MMS) which is sodium chlorite. Not quite bleach but also breaks down to chlorine. I tried my best to persuade someone on a different parenting site (not a British one) not to use it for her vague "not quite feeling right" but didn't get anywhere. So there are some people who do drink what is basically bleach.

I think this is due to the amount of hours people work now a days and the cost of living...people can’t afford constant illness as it affects their money....being ill and off work has become a luxury.

We are very clean in this house but a simple cold or cough can hospitalise a member of the family due to a illness, so it’s easier to be more cargefill than a week in hospital.

Also, I just cannot eat food without washing my hands...makes me feel a little sick...but that’s on me, wish I wasn’t like that though

I think that Mrs Hinch has a lot to answer for.

I'm disabled and have Splosh products. My teenage dd will only clean if she has all the recommended Mrs hinch products. She has the book. Bleaches her room etc.

I can't stand the smell and it's so unnecessary.

I don't profess to know a lot about the subject but I have always been conscious of my DC's immune systems. I think there is a lot of minor sicknesses you can fend off by having a balance between ingesting and exposing yourself to bacteria and avoiding nasties.

My DH is a big strong, fit bloke who unfortunately has the immune system of a day old baby. Colds floor him and having the flu nearly ends in an A&E visit every time. If he ever gets anything nasty I don't think he will survive it. On the other hand my DC never come down with any minor illness (fingers crossed for never anything nasty).

I used to live in a small, very prosperous country. It was literally sterile and they had a very well set up private medical industry. Every time I went to the doc with something small I was offered antibiotics and in the end I stopped taking my DC for small things as they were offered it all the time. Some of my friends DC had antiB's 4+ times a year.

We used to have minor illnesses that shut down whole schools were they would come in and sanitise the school with industrial tools. Everyone around me at work (locals) was always ill and I kid you not, there were a few times when I went home on a Friday and came back on a Monday and someone had died of the flu as it turned to pneumonia.

Totally agree. These ads prey on people's insecurity. My mum wasn't the tidiest or most houseproud and I survived.

I don’t use bleach in my home, I mainly use those eco cloths with hot water, I have the odd ecozone cleaning product e.g loo cleaner. My cleaner also uses what I use in my home.

I’ve never had d&v and I very rarely get colds etc, despite having a health condition that makes me more susceptible to illness

www.biggreensmile.com/products/bio-d-sanitising-lime-aloe-vera-hand-wash-refill-5l/bdhandlimerefill.aspx?productid=bdhandlimerefill

I refill our soap dispensers with this.

Superbugs are also found in agricultural environments, but we don't feel the same about them because they're colonising animals, not humans. But UK agriculture is definitely making strides in reducing antibiotic usage .

Unfortunately AMR is not a problem that respects international borders. Bacteria are infectious. Similarly, we should be very worried about the fact that antibiotics are available over-the-counter in many countries. I know somebody who, whenever she visits her home country,comes back with a suitcase full of OTC antibiotics to dose up her family whenever she fancies. I tried to talk her out of it, but she doesn't understand the danger.

Without a coordinated global effort in the next (very few) years, we're going to walk ourselves right out of most of the advances we've made in medicine and surgery.

@Sicktobloodydeath Is that long list real? Or are you on a wind up?

Please say wind up

Wow, from someone who definitely isn’t an obsessive cleaner, but does tend to think of antibacterial products ‘best’, this thread has been very eye opening!

I use hot water and washing up liquid (normal, not the anti-bac) for most things. I have a few sprays for when I think something extra is necessary, but I can't remember when I last had to buy any, they probably last a couple of years.

Exception is with D&V, but that's because DH is at severe risk of complications if he catches it.

a small bottle of zoflora in about 2 days

Hincher,right?

I recall watching Panorama a couple of years ago when they did a programme on antibiotic resistant bacteria. One of the chief culprits for the current state we are in was laid firmly at the door of shops in the developing world which will sell a person one antibiotic capsule/tablet (not the whole course just the one).

It has been researched that living in too clean an environment predisposes children to asthma.

@SeaSaltandLime no that’s actually my daily/weekly cleaning

@SeroxatBlonde nope, zoflora is actually something my great grandmother used believe it or not. She’d put a cap in the sink at night with water so the kitchen smelled nice of a morning

Wash your hands and stop sending your kids to school when they are sick. I'm sure if the zoflo masses were less bothered by their 100% attendance awards, and isolated their kids when ridiculously snotty/shitty/vommy, we'd all probably be less sick.

It's C Diff that requires soap and water and the act of hand washing. Alcohol gel isn't sufficient. But then you are supposed to wash your hands after any patient contact, so the method isn't really any different.

Sicktobloodydeath but what are you doing to use up a bottle every two days ?!

Apart from anything else sick you’re marketeers dream.

My house is by no means sterile, but my eldest child had umpteen stomach bugs from the age of 6 months to 4 years old. There was a nice big hairy dog shedding his muck everywhere, but it didn't miraculously prevent her getting stomach upsets. She has however never had antibiotics at the age of 12.5 so you could spin it both ways really. I'm not sure these anecdotes add much to the debate.

I'm more concerned by over use of antibiotics in farming & harm to the environment from all these chemicals being washed into rivers & seas etc.

Wash your hands and stop sending your kids to school when they are sick I think that really contributes to illness,I agree.

Sicktobloodydeath how do you fit that in every day? Do you work?

@Ligresa No we don't! It probably does get the smell out really well but clothes don't need to be anti-bacterial. But if it works for you, then that's great. At the end of the day, if it gets the smell out then it does the job.