to be genuinely concerned about the casual over-use of Zoflora?

[ChicChicChicChiclana]

I have never bought or used any kind of disinfectant before.

I have vague memories of Dettol disinfectant in the bottom of the vomit bucket when we were poorly kids, but other than that I can't remember it in my childhood home either.

I don't really know what you need to use it for!

Anyway, our local pound shop had some small Zoflora bottles in recently and I bought one on impulse having become aware due to Mumsnet and the weird devotion to Mrs Hinch.

Dh has been pretty sick and sweaty so I decided to boost my usual hot wash of his bedding and pillowcases with Zoflora. I pre-soaked the pillow cases in warm water, biological powder and less than half a small capful of Zoflora. Then I rinsed them thoroughly under the shower. Then I put them through a 2 hour hot wash in my washing machine which includes 3 rinses. Now they are hanging up to dry inside and they still absolutely reek of this bloody disinfectant! I don't have any chest or allergy issues but I can feel the smell catching in my throat.

Isn't it dangerous as fuck and only to be used in tiny amounts if you absolutely must in extreme circumstances? I don't think I'll be going anywhere near it again.

A normal wash with bio powder is not always enough for stinky gym or football kit. Zoflora or laundry cleanser stuff is more effective on these items

I threw a cloth I'd used with zoflota into the was with some clothes once. The resulting smell was horrid. It's fine for wiping things down such as the kitchen bin, but not one if my favourite products. Detox spray doesn't smell and Sainsbury's in wash disinfectant in nicer than the in wash detox, which I throw in if there's vomit or poo.

@blueshoess
*Do you know about the hygiene paradox? Do you realise you are contributing to mutations that create antibiotic resistant bacteria?

If both our families are apparently strong as oxen, what is the point of all this disinfecting?*

Yes, I know about the hygiene paradox. There's a lot to be said about over doing it when it comes to cleaning but that's not my point. You're assuming I'm the extreme.
You can let your kids roll around in and eat mud but still disinfect your kitchen counters- it doesn't have to be one or the other.

Sanitising is something important that we all do. It's why we bleach our toilet, have hot wash cycles on our washing machines, clean cloths and sponges for example. Whether you do it with steam, bleach, zoflora, anti bac spray... it's an essential part of cleaning and very important in the kitchen where you prepare food.
Not all bacteria builds up your immune system.

@TeeniefaeTroon. Why shouldn't you use it where you are preparing food? I've been using (diluted) on kitchen worktops . It doesn't say on the bottle not to.

@shinynewapple2020
There's nothing wrong with using it on kitchen surfaces as you are. Just make sure you get the dilution right and the contact time. I believe it's at least 10 mins for diluted disinfectant.

Mine is very similar thank you. It doesn't mean disinfecting isn't important just because you're ok. I suppose you don't use bleach in your toilet either just good old soap and elbow grease?

I use bleach in toilets, not sure what else I am supposed to disinfect?

I suppose you don't use bleach in your toilet either just good old soap and elbow grease?

Very rarely, I have a non-bleach toilet cleaner. Better for the environment, still does the job.

Kitchen tops get wiped down with hot water and soap, only disinfected if really necessary - if I'been chopping raw chicken for example, I'll spray the top as well as the chopping board. Apart from the vast majority of my cleaning is done with hot water and soap.

I don't understand the obsession with Zoflora.
I tried some once after seeing so many mentions of it on here.

The best way I can describe the smell is if you imagine some overwhelming fake floral cheap scent appropriate to a 'fancy' whorehouse in a Wild West movie.

It was foul & the smell just wouldn't go away for days.

Never ever again.

I'm worried about Mrs Hinch, She mixes potentially dangerous chemicals and she does not give a fuck about her dog and her child.
People like her are dangerous to the young girls and their mums who have their face in their phones

I had to disinfect the holiday cottage after some guests so I bought Zoflora.

The Tropical one is beyond disgusting. I guess it did the job in an emergency but I really won't be buying it again!

Very rarely, I have a non-bleach toilet cleaner. Better for the environment, still does the job.

Kitchen tops get wiped down with hot water and soap, only disinfected if really necessary - if I'been chopping raw chicken for example, I'll spray the top as well as the chopping board. Apart from the vast majority of my cleaning is done with hot water and soap.*

What's your point? You do disinfect when needed and a bleach free toilet cleaner will contain something else that will sanitise it. More than likely...disinfectant.

Wooden chopping boards here. How the hell we didn’t die from all these chicken bits chopped on them I haven’t got a clue.

You are not unreasonable. The casual escalation of toxic cleaning products, promoted by wealthy influencers, is depressing.

@shinynewapple2020

I knew I'd read not to put it on food preparation surfaces but thought it was toxic, turns out it's just the smell that can taint food. I spray my worktops down with it but not my chopping boards.

Yes I am in agreement with you there having made the mistake of deciding to use dilute Zoflora to disinfect my supermarket delivery over the weekend - the packaging rather than the food - but even so part way through I realised my fridge was going to stink and probably open food take on the smell so had to go back and re-do with soapy water !!

Sorry but country garden zoflora is the nicest smell ever!

It's an essential part of food hygiene
Nah
Washing up liquid and hot water does the job.

My local Waitrose doesn't stock Zoflora.

I only use it for giving hard floors a once over in between proper soapy mopping. Occasionally put a bit down the loo.

I wouldn’t put it in my washing machine.

I use a very dilute solution to soak the toilet seat to save scrubbing wee. I also mop floors with it but that's it.

You actually NEED bacteria to exist and to develop an effective immune system. This New York Times article is brilliant on why:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/health/immune-system-allergies.amp.html

I call it Bums&Minnies. My niece calls it that too and thinks it's hysterical. My Mother doesn't have the same sense of humour

I've got a bottle of probably every scent ever made after reading a thread on here about how wonderful it was. Then I discovered how toxic it was to wildlife. So I just have a load of bottles in the cupboard. (And I've lost my sense of smell so have no idea what's nice or not).

I did make up a spray bottle of the apple one last week to clean all hard surfaces as I've run out of any other cleaner and it says it kills viruses.

It's an essential part of food hygiene
So essential they forget to mention it everytime I do a food hygiene course (annually in my previous job)

"Like I said, I've never knowingly used disinfectant in my entire adult life and I'm in my late 50s. If it was essential I would be dead by now?"

We both grew up without car seats and even seatbelts, if there was a, need for them, wouldn't we be dead?

When i got my first house, in 1984, 'we' cleaned with soda crystals, bicarb, vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. We boiled our cleaning cloths. Because commercialism hadn't taken off and we were more careful about money.

Now we have products like zoflara, which replaced natural disinfectants.

Perhaps we were made of sterner stuff, you'd go into a public/school toilet and the pine disinfectant used to clean would stay in the back of your throat for the rest of the day. So no over reaction, as described on here, to a bit of zoflora.

I personally love the mountain breeze pet one, it's replaced clean linen for me.

Either way, we now need to be cleaning with some type of disinfectant. It might as well smell nice. Although i do get nostalgic when i sniff stardrops pine.

I've been using Zoflora for donkey's years, small amounts diluted in water to clean floors and surfaces, and in vomity bedding and towel washes. I love it! Especially the new fragrance lime and mandarin. I've always had pets and make sure they are well out of the way until everywhere is dry, so never had a problem. I think some people just use too much and wonder why the smell is overwhelming. I small capful in a large spray bottle is more than enough!